'We're Here' Episode 2: The queens head to Twin Falls in Idaho to preach 'Love is Love is Love'
‘We’re Here’ Season 1 Episode 2 sees the fierce drag royalty trio - Bob the Drag Queen, Shangela Laquifa Wadley, and Eureka O’Hara head to Twin Falls, Idaho.
The internationally renowned queens, armed with jewels, heels and cowboy influenced outfits, entered the town in vans modeled after things truly reflective of their personalities - a giant yellow purse style van for Bob, a glittery pink van replete with a bow and a grey elephant van for O’Hara.
While gallivanting across Twin Falls, the queens managed to grab a lot of eyeballs. However, this town was much warmer compared to the reactions they received in the first episode filmed in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. A lot of people were seen reaching out to the queens for hugs, just to say hello to them or take a picture with them, with a few cold reactions scattered here and there.
The focus of this episode was on Brandon (female to male trans) and his wife Mikayla. Their wedding was graced by their families but Mikayla's father didn't walk her down the aisle to show her that he's not supportive of this relationship. Shangela took it upon herself to give them a wedding they always wanted along with mentoring them for their drag performance.
O'Hara was working with Clifton, a heterosexual young musician who grew up seeing gay people being shunned. Once he entered Idaho, he realized that they "are not bad people" and wanted to make amends for it.
Bob was working with three "rough around the edges" local drag queens - Michael aka Lucid Dreams, Owen aka Lavender Beauchamp, Amelia Blayke. They needed help with building a strong community of drag. Bob took it upon himself to polish their craft and help create a "powerful group of queers" and "send out a powerful message" in the town of Twin Falls.
This episode is high on emotions and there are a lot of personal stories - stories of struggle, helplessness, and just the fact that society cannot accept someone who's different. But in the face of adversity, these are the same people who don't necessarily "demonize the ones not supportive of the LGBTQ+ community" and the episode boldly puts out the "Love is Love, is Love" message and also that "the only way to be loved is by giving love."
'We're Here' returns with Episode 3, next Thursday night, May 4, on HBO.