Bob the Drag Queen is setting off alarms, probably not for the first time. During what should have been a mundane visit to LAX, the comedian and RuPaul alumni had a confrontation with the TSA. And lucky for us, she live-tweeted the entire incident.
Yall TSA man has removed my wig from the bag and it running it through the scanner by itself.
— Black Lives Still Matter (@thatonequeen) July 20, 2021
The issue was a brunette wig. The TSA deemed it apparently necessary to take the wig out of Bob’s luggage and scan it separately. If you’re thinking a wig would make a poor terrorist threat, you’re underestimating the power of a tragic wig.
He is now waking around the TSA check point with my sad wig in a tray. 😭😭😭 https://t.co/xQIm6Z0fjR
— Black Lives Still Matter (@thatonequeen) July 20, 2021
He went to get the black lady to look at my wig. https://t.co/JTXQHWNg93
— Black Lives Still Matter (@thatonequeen) July 20, 2021
After tossing the wig into a silver tray, the agent took it to be examined by a Black colleague. They then ran the wig through for an apparent third time. But first, in what can only be described as wig conversion therapy, they stripped it of its bump and styling pins.
The black lady is reassuring me that she knows what a wig is and they are running it through the machine AGAIN. After taking all the pins and the bump off. https://t.co/N2Amqlb08H
— Black Lives Still Matter (@thatonequeen) July 20, 2021
The saga ended with a photo of the wig returned to Bob’s luggage, where it can do no more harm. As Bob put it, “The suspicious wig has been released from custody and is currently out on parole.”
The suspicious wig has been released from custody and is currently out on parole. https://t.co/T06Rv4hwfL pic.twitter.com/oKFZT49clu
— Black Lives Still Matter (@thatonequeen) July 20, 2021
Afterwards, things only got stranger. As if Bob hadn’t suffered enough, the TSA posted a pun-laden response to the thread on their official Instagram account, saying, “We heard you walked purse first through one of our security checkpoints. No tea, no shade, and we sure hope you had a pleasant experience, but when it comes to security we do what needs to be done to keep you safe.”
(Sidebar: TIL the TSA has an official Instagram account on which they post bad memes about contraband. What do I do with this knowledge?)
View this post on Instagram
While the incident was entirely unnecessary, it did make for some entertaining Twitter commentary.
Many decided the offending item could only be this infamous wig:
Yall TSA man has removed my wig from the bag and it running it through the scanner by itself.
— Black Lives Still Matter (@thatonequeen) July 20, 2021
A few took Bob’s side:
The black lady is reassuring me that she knows what a wig is and they are running it through the machine AGAIN. After taking all the pins and the bump off. https://t.co/N2Amqlb08H
— Black Lives Still Matter (@thatonequeen) July 20, 2021
He is now waking around the TSA check point with my sad wig in a tray. 😭😭😭 https://t.co/xQIm6Z0fjR
— Black Lives Still Matter (@thatonequeen) July 20, 2021
And of course some of her fellow RuPaul stars weighed in:
Have you seen your wigs…..they could be used as a weapon and trust me I know a thing or two about deadly wigs pic.twitter.com/kMyTm5itq4
— Heidi N Closet (@HeidiNCloset) July 20, 2021
The wig was sad before the tray.
— Trixie Mattel™ (@trixiemattel) July 21, 2021
That BURN!
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