Bob the Drag Queen: ‘The Trans Community Is the Last Queer Community to Truly Gain the Respect They Deserve’

In this special series, LGBT celebrities and public figures talk to Tim Teeman about the Stonewall Riots and their legacy—see more here.

Bob the Drag Queen is winner of season 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

How and when did you first hear about the Stonewall Riots, and what did you make of them?

I don’t remember. I feel like as a queer person, it’s always been in the back of my mind.

What significance do they hold for you now?

I feel like for me the Stonewall Riots are as significant as my queerness itself. The Stonewall Riots are truly a cornerstone of the modern queer rights movement.

How far have LGBT people come since 1969?

I wasn’t around in 1969, so I can only base this off what I have read, or seen photos and clips of film of. In terms of how far we’ve come, I know that people feel more comfortable to be openly queer in more spaces now.

What would you like to see, LGBT-wise, in the next 50 years?

I love the progress of the queer rights movement in the last 50 years. I would love for it to truly include our trans siblings more than it has in the past. I think the trans community is the last community in the queer community to truly gain the respect they deserve.