10 year old drag kid Desmond's sage advice to LGBTQ youth for navigating politics & homophobia

[Amaryllis]

At 10 years old, Desmond is already an icon in his own right. He’s captured the adoration of fans, including reigning RuPaul’s Drag Race queen Sasha Velour, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s Tituss Burgess and even RuPaul himself, who had Desmond cut the ribbon at this year’s inaugural RuPaul’s DragCon in New York City.

Fierce in a way many queens twice his age have yet to harness, we knew we wanted to have the pint-sized “dragutante” back at our offices after first hosting Desmond earlier this year when he schooled us with advice on being yourself.

This go-round, with the holidays fast approaching, we thought it would be the perfect time to get some more advice, this time with a focus on LGTBQ youth, many of whom are getting ready to head home for the holidays to households that can be anywhere from uninviting to downright hostile.

“Desmond and I were talking about outfits last night and thinking maybe an ice queen/snow queen look and maybe a red look with holly,” Desmond’s mother Wendylou told us over email when were preparing for the shoot. “He was looking at Vogue holiday editorials and really wants to go that route... very much glamour, opposed to ‘cute’ holiday.”

Check out Desmond’s advice below — including what to do if Donald Trump is mentioned at the holiday dinner table:

https://mic.com/articles/187007/a-10-year-drag-kids-advice-for-lgbtq-youth-during-the-holidays#.76wB9Kmbh

[aikoaiko]

1. That kid is full of awesome sauce.

[RKP5637]

3. Definitely!!!

[RKP5637]

2. Amazing, many adults are not nearly this mature! n/t

[Fred Sanders]

4. Drag kids? 10 years old? Is that really a thing? Does a 10 year really have any real concept?

[IluvPitties]

5. Seems like he is totally happy and comfortable being one

...we humans are very complex creatures!

[Amaryllis]

6. Absolutely! A great book on the topic is Raising My Rainbow: Adventures in Raising a

Fabulous, Gender Creative Son, by Lori Duron.

She also has a blog. https://raisingmyrainbow.com/
She is an excellent writer, and the book is laugh out loud funny at times as well.

The Book:

Raising My Rainbow is Lori Duron’s poignant, heart-breaking, and at times hysterical memoir of her and her family’s adventures of raising a gender creative child. Whereas her older son Chase is a Lego-loving, sports-playing boy’s boy, her youngest son C.J. would much rather twirl around in a pink sparkly tutu, with a Disney Princess in each hand, singing Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi.”

C.J. is gender variant or gender nonconforming, whichever you prefer. Whatever the term, Lori has a boy who likes girl stuff; really likes girl stuff. He floats on the gender variation spectrum from super-macho-masculine on the left all the way to super-girly-feminine on the right. He’s not all pink and not all blue. He’s a muddled mess or a rainbow creation. Lori and her family choose to see the rainbow.

Written in Lori’s uniquely witty and warm voice and launched by her incredibly popular blog of the same name, Raising My Rainbow is the unforgettable story of her wonderful family as they navigate the often challenging but never dull privilege of raising a slightly effeminate, possibly gay, totally fabulous son.

Now with Extra Libris material, including a reader’s guide and bonus content. Foreword by Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka.

[Fred Sanders]

7. Of course I have no problem with parents being understanding of the gender preference of the

10 year old, but encouragingly a child to be a "drag kid" seems not healthy.

Seems to me putting a child out there in public in adult drag is too soon.

But he does seem happy and comfortable. Just trying to wrap my head around whether this dressing up as an adult-like drag queen is sexualization of a child.

[Amaryllis]

8. What if the kid has initiated all that himself and they are only supporting him? Check out

Lori Duron's book and blog. Very eye-opening. The kid led them. They fought it at first when he wanted to wear girl's clothes and play with girl's toys, and ended up consulting with some very good professionals to find out the best way to raise a healthy gender non-conforming kid.