Stop the Discrimination: Sasha Colby Speaks Out Against Anti-Trans and Anti-LGBTQIA+ Voices
Vice President Kamala Harris invited Sasha Colby to speak at the White House in support of LGBTQIA+ equality, acceptance, and love.
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Vice President Kamala Harris invited Sasha Colby to speak at the White House in support of LGBTQIA+ "equality, acceptance, and love." The winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15 and America's Drag Superstar arrived as though she were stepping into the role of America's first Drag president! Known for her bright, confident personality, she is a true icon of the LGBTQ+ community.
Sasha Colby Delivers a Speech at the White House as the Event's Host
The Miss Continental winner, TV star, Drag Mother to Drag Race contestant Kerri Colby, and trans icon shared her gratitude to Vice President Kamala Harris for inviting her to host the Pride Month celebration.
"I feel deeply grateful and honored to deliver a speech at the White House Pride Celebration. From the bottom of my heart, I thank Vice President Kamala Harris and GLAAD for providing this platform to give another voice to the LGBTQ+ community. Together, we are building a path toward equality, acceptance, and love," Sasha Colby posted on her Instagram.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 28: Sasha Colby speaks onstage during a Pride Celebration hosted by the Vice President of the United States and Mr. Emhoff in collaboration with GLAAD on June 28, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for GLAAD)
The Important Issues Sasha Colby Cares About
She has always paid attention to the important matters of the state, and to fashion as well. She thanked Project Runway contestant Christian Siriano for creating her "stunning" navy suit for the occasion. She also praised her friend, the renowned artist and frequent Janet Jackson collaborator Preston Meneses, for doing her hair and makeup.
Exclusive Interview with Entertainment Weekly After Winning the Drag Race Title
In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, immediately after she won the Drag Race title in April, she explained that winning the lip-sync in the April 14th finale was a "f--- you" to the anti-trans figures in government who have pushed laws over the past year to restrict LGBTQIA+ rights in America.
"It was a deliberate choice for me to go nude in the final show at that moment. I wanted them to see what they are trying to erase," she told EW. "I told myself that in this Grand Finale lip-sync, I wasn't trying to win; I was showing these people what we do, what we need, what is being blocked and pushed out of sight."
When it comes to the laws targeting drag queens and transgender people in America, it is clear that she is engaged with politics and with the politicians who want to stop people like her, and she is not staying silent about it.
Transgender People in America
- Transgender people in America are a diverse group made up of people from every ethnicity, religion, economic background, and social origin. Yet all transgender people share one thing in common: they feel that their gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.
- Transgender people may choose to take steps to bring their bodies into alignment with their gender identity. These steps may include changing their name, updating their gender marker, hormone therapy, or gender-affirming surgery. Some transgender people may choose to take no steps at all.
- Transgender people can face discrimination and violence in American society. A 2015 study by the National Center for Transgender Equality found that 40% of transgender people had been physically or sexually assaulted, and 13% had been denied employment or housing because of their gender identity.
Even so, there has been progress in the acceptance of transgender people in American society. In 2015, California passed a law allowing transgender people to change their gender marker without undergoing gender-affirming surgery. In 2016, the U.S. military allowed transgender people to serve openly. In 2020, President Joe Biden signed an executive order prohibiting discrimination against transgender people in the federal government.
There is still much work to be done to protect the rights of transgender people. However, the progress made so far shows that American society is moving toward a world where transgender people can live safely and be accepted.
Sasha Colby on Those Who Oppose Transgender People and Seek to Limit LGBTQIA+ Rights
"I don't think they even need to be angry with us," said Colby, the first Black transgender woman to compete on RuPaul's Drag Race. "I think they understand that our voices are very loud right now. They know we have enough power to get people to vote on political issues. So now they are trying to make us afraid, to scare us back into our place, because that is the only thing they can do. They don't know how to act with love, because they have never done it before; all they can do is create fear in us."
People who want to limit LGBTQIA+ rights often hold a range of beliefs or viewpoints. Some believe that LGBTQIA+ people are a threat to religious or cultural values. Some believe that being LGBTQIA+ is a disease or a mental disorder. Some believe that LGBTQIA+ people are destroying the institution of the family.
These beliefs or viewpoints can lead to attempts to limit LGBTQIA+ rights in various forms, such as banning same-sex marriage, prohibiting same-sex couples from raising children, denying access to public health services, refusing employment or housing, barring access to education, and so on.
The following are some examples of those who seek to limit LGBTQIA+ rights:
- Political or religious leaders who support laws or policies that discriminate against LGBTQIA+ people
- Anti-LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups that work to spread beliefs or viewpoints opposing LGBTQIA+ people
- Individuals who hold beliefs or views that oppose LGBTQIA+ people
- Attempts to limit LGBTQIA+ rights can seriously harm the LGBTQIA+ community. Discrimination and exclusion can damage the mental health, physical well-being, economic security, and life opportunities of LGBTQIA+ people.
It is important to remember that LGBTQIA+ rights are human rights. Everyone should be treated with respect and equality, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
How Colby Developed Her Drag Skills as a Child
Colby developed her drag skills in secret as a child, practicing her dance moves behind the bathroom door. "I'd call myself completely dedicated and a little obsessed. I've been doing drag all along, and it hasn't been easy. But because I'm a DIY artist, it's one of the few art forms that lets me perfect my own look, since I work alone, without a team, and I'm not part of a machine that can produce anything on demand," she said. "Drag is deeply personal."
Drag Is a Form of Art
- Transforming one's appearance
- Self-improvement
- Developing one's own abilities
The coming together of people who love the art of drag on the stage of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15, episode after episode, whether on the runway, in lip-syncs, or in the stories placed in the spotlight, made the fun a major talking point and pushed the show's ratings up by 17% compared with the previous season.
The transgender and drag community has faced a great deal of discrimination over the past several years, but support for this community continues to grow noticeably. Having representatives who rise up to fight, who refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice, is something we should all support, so that the voices and rights of people in this community can be upheld.
Verified references
Links and relevance to the article’s main topic were reviewed on 13 August 2026. Each source supports only the scope stated in the original document and does not replace personalised medical, legal, or service advice.
- OHCHR/UN: Ending violence and discrimination against LGBTI people Accessed 13 August 2026
- OHCHR: LGBT rights fact sheet Accessed 13 August 2026
