Kristine W Celebrates Pride Month

If it were up to pop star Kristine W, Pride would not be relegated to only one month. It would be celebrated all year long.

“I’m an ally and I have found that when allies voice their support of the LGBTQ+ community, it encourages others to do the same. When we raise our children to stand up for gay children being bullied, it produces more empathetic humans. When we proudly show up for our gay brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles, it’s a huge win for everyone.”

She’s excited to celebrate this year’s Pride season in front of the tube, watching RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, where she will appear as a celebrity judge in an episode airing July 5th. Later this month, she will also appear in an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race Untucked.

“It is incredible to see how the world has embraced the art of drag,” Kristine W muses. “Ru and all of the queens on the show have inspired women everywhere - and some men, too - to embrace glamour.”

How has the LGBTQ+ community influenced your music career?

Kristine W: My music tells stories of survival, love, and acceptance: topics that resonate with LGBTQ+ listeners.

How did you acquire such a strong LGBTQ+ following?

Learning to protect those I love was something I was taught early on. My Mom had a best friend who was an elementary teacher and our church choir director. He could not be out at the time so whenever people questioned his sexuality, my mother pretended to be his girlfriend. I really loved him, too. He was a great mentor and I was with him at his bedside when he passed of liver cancer. I was 14 years old and it was heartbreaking.

Did you decide early on in your career to court the LGBTQ+ community?

Not exactly. When I signed to Champion records in London, no one talked about being gay or straight. We only talked about whether the songs were good or not and if the production would get bodies moving on the dancefloor. However, there was a London gay club many of us performed at called Heaven. It was a tough crowd to please. The drag hosts were gorgeous and brutally honest. Only the best artists survived their critiques, truly. But it was a great way to test new material. My single, “Land of the Living” was born and tested at Heaven. Then the US rights to the song and my album were sold to RCA. I didn’t know how big the album was in gay clubs in the states until I performed at The Sound Factory in New York City with DJ Junior Vasquez. The crowd went wild! Junior was a huge supporter of my music. I learned he had my playing all of my songs on his dancefloor. He really was responsible for Feel What You Want blowing up like it did in the house scene.

Are any of your songs inspired by the LGBTQ+ community?

“Everything That I Got” was inspired by my friends who left small town USA to find their communities in larger cities. It also speaks on the drag queens who work so hard for their tips. That whole song is about werking everything ya got… and no one knows how to live that better than the LGBTQ+ community.

What does Pride Month mean to you personally?

I have so many great memories from all the prides I have performed. I have met lifelong friends at Prides and my kids grew up traveling with me to different cities and seeing so much of the world because of Pride.

How many pride events have you performed?

I have performed at hundreds and hundreds over the years and I’m so proud of it.

Can you share a memorable experience?

My favorite performance was probably Kansas City Pride. I had been in the hospital for a year at UCLA, fighting leukemia, and it was my first show back. I was bald and my fabulous hairdresser, Roberto Novo, sewed a string of elastic under my chin to keep my wig on because I had no hair it could attach too. I couldn’t fly so we drove a motor home across country. It was so much fun and there was so much love! I remember James Davis being there in full drag along with so many other friends. It was the first time I didn’t think about dying.

Did you intend to release your latest track, "Smooth Operator," during Pride month?

It was a bit intentional. I knew that my gay fans loved Sade and I hoped it might inspire them to reflect on and appreciate the progress the community has made in the forty years since the original song came out. We have so many champions to thank for rights the community now enjoys like the freedom to marry whomever they love, the ability to adopt a child, protections at their jobs, and more.

What message do you want to convey to your LGBTQ+ fans during Pride Month?

Thank you for all the love and inspiration you always share with me. I hope you are proud of who you are and who you love! Happy Pride, everyone. Lovin’ you always!

Kristine W’s new single, Kristine W’s “Smooth Operator” is available on all digital music platforms.