Patrons Come to Defense of Drag Queen Son on What Would You Do?

When a pair of homophobic parents (played by actors) reject their drag queen son, patrons of a Brooklyn Diner offer tearjerking support to the drag queen.

Tracy E. Gilchrist

Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP of Editorial and Special Projects at equalpride. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.

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Tracy E. Gilchrist

July 08 2018 4:46 PM EST

July 11 2018 11:59 PM EST

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RuPaul's Drag Race star Monet X Change appeared on ABC's What Would You Do? to lend context to an episode in which actors playing the parents of a drag queen roundly reject their son publicly in a Brooklyn diner. But the patrons, by-and-large, came to the son's defense in heartfelt ways.

One woman who overheard the parents chide their son--a drag queen named Jackie, who showed up for lunch at the diner in a spangled purple jumpsuit, full makeup, and a lavender-hued wig--told the mom and dad, "There are worse things. Glass is half full. There are worse things. That's his job."

She later said she would absolutely attend his drag show and wished she had a body like his.

Later, a man from across the room who overheard the conversation called out to Jackie crying alone after the parents stormed out, "You look beautiful."

A couple of young women also said she looked "beautiful" and offered hugs.

While the patrons in the diner were overwhelmingly supportive of Jackie, one woman initially sided with the parents.

"I feel sorry for you. I understand everybody has to do their own thing but there's a time and a place. As a parent, you're supposed to accept it. I couldn't do it," the woman said before adding a caveat. "There's a part of me that feels sorry for him because he wants acceptance."