Asia O’Hara Speaks on Racist Fan Abuse, Says She Was Threatened to Be Burned Alive

Drag Race’s racist fandom strikes again, this time with even more harrowing hate hurled at Season 10 finalist Asia O’Hara.

On Tuesday, Asia O’Hara shared a story on social media from her youth: When she was 11, a group of boys in her neighborhood threatened to set her on fire because of her flamboyance. She said that she lived under the threat of being burned for seven more years.

She then wrote that she faced that threat again this past week when someone threatened to burn her for being black.

“That strong and resilient person I had become instantly reduced back to that 11-year-old little boy, terrified of allowing my loved ones to fear for my safety,” O’Hara wrote. O’Hara did not directly say that the hate came from the Drag Race fandom, though she did mention social media in her note.

In a recent interview with Billboard, O’Hara spoke about the racism in the fandom, explaining that she’s been told she is not considered as popular as white comedy queens like Trixie Mattel or Katya.

“I’ve been on gigs in the past couple weeks that have basically told me that the only reason I’m there is because Kameron or Aquaria or Miz Cracker are too expensive,” O’Hara said.  “Most of the ‘non-majority queens’ — as I like to call them — that have been on the show in the past kind of set you up for it. They kind of let you know, ‘Hey, just so you know, you’re never gonna be an Alyssa Edwards or Trixie Mattel or Katya.’”

She continued, “I’ve been fortunate enough to grow up and live a life where I’ve never felt like I was held back or didn’t get what I deserve based on either my sexual orientation or my racial identity, until Drag Race. The last couple months have been the first time in my life where I have ever felt that I wasn’t treated equally because I’m a person of color.”

Asia O’Hara has been the target of fan hate ever since she said that Miz Cracker wasn’t a star on the telecast during a previous Drag Race episode.

Cracker specifically asked her fans not to hate on any of the other queens in a tweet earlier this month.

After Asia O’Hara tweeted her story, queens Sasha Velour and The Vixen tweeted to tell her that they had her back.

“You are one of the most talented and compassionate queens ever, Asia,” Velour wrote. “Your strength and vision will get you through any hurt. These racist fans, meanwhile, don’t deserve drag and we are going to shut them OUT.”

After Asia’s initial interview with Billboard, Monet X Change and Bob the Drag Queen spoke about racism in the fandom on Twitter. (Of course, The Vixen has spoken about that at length both on the show and since the show began to air.)

Earlier this month, Bob spoke about how thin, white queens are the most followed on Instagram.

Similarly, Monet X Change spoke about how the queens of color are the least followed despite their early dominance of Season 10.

Here’s hoping Asia O’Hara’s testimony about racist fan abuse helps move the needle forward. It’s already started a conversation on the subreddit about the fandom’s toxicity.