‘Forgive me, I’ve changed’: Everything that’s happened with Drag Race UK’s Charity Kase

The new Drag Race UK season three queen has had racist tweets surface

3 years ago

Drag Race UK season three competing queen Charity Kase has apologised after old tweets where she repeatedly used racist language surfaced online.

The tweets are from 2013 and 2014, and Charity frequently uses the n word. As well as this, fans have been calling out some of Charity Kase’s drag looks and have accused her of cultural appropriation.

CW: Racist language.

I'm so disappointed #charitykase 😐 pic.twitter.com/TM4lXFZbtv

— gaby (@Delano_bon_ash) August 23, 2021

Other tweets that accuse her of being racist include Charity Kase making comments about the slave trade, and old pictures of her in turbans and with braided hair.

pic.twitter.com/7QG3ZJFGqG

— anna oop (@annaoop19256033) August 23, 2021

There have also been threads posted of looks deemed to be problematic, including Charity Kase dressed in outfits emulating Asian and Mexican culture, and dressed as a police officer.

pic.twitter.com/4huczEK1Ry

— ً (@musebinary) August 23, 2021

Charity Kase took to Twitter to issue an apology to the backlash that’s kicked off before her run on season three of Drag Race UK has even began. In a typed apology, Kase said: “Today some tweets surfaced from eight years ago which consist of me using disgusting and offensive language in a casual colloquial way. I was 16 and uneducated at the time, unaware of cultural misappropriation and the impact of my use of language. I totally accept this doesn’t excuse my behaviour.

“I want you to know how deeply sorry I am. I am not that same young boy today. I take full responsibility for these unacceptable tweets, and I hope you can understand they don’t represent me now or what I stand for today. Seeing them again has left me ashamed of myself. I want to apologise unequivocally to all my fans, who are disappointed or offended by me, and in particular anyone to whom I may have caused any form of trauma.

“Please forgive me. I have changed and grown and I am committed to growing further to using the platform and privilege I have to amplify the voices of people of colour.”

pic.twitter.com/qtPu2hJ2CT

— Charity Kase (@thecharitykase) August 23, 2021

Response to the apology has been mixed, with some accepting and acknowledging Kase’s younger age when she made the tweets and others reiterating that the behaviour was wrong when you’re 16 or any other age, and that at that age people should know better.

“I completely understand the backlash and why peoples perception has slightly altered with this info coming out.” Tweeted one. “However, some of these people seem to be so comfortable with destroying someone’s life. THESE people are not your fans and you do not need to please them.”

Another Drag Race UK fan said: “Age isn’t an excuse, I’m 16 too and age is never a reason to be uneducated or racist. If you’re old enough to have a Twitter, you are old enough to deal with the repercussions of your own words.” Another followed on with “you blocked the people that called you out, that isn’t taking accountability.”

Drag Race UK season one alumni Crystal tweeted in support of Charity Kase, saying “people should not be judged for things they said on the internet when they were a child.”

It should go without saying if you follow me, but:
1) don’t use the N word
2) obviously it’s ok to be hurt if people do – I’m not trying to diminish that.

I’m asking for some nuance.

Correct, educate, question – sure. Judge? No.

— Crystal | Black Lives Matter (@crystalwillseeu) August 24, 2021

After the thread received some backlash due to Crystal being a white queen and some feeling she was diminishing the severity of how people felt about Charity Kase and the racist tweets, Crystal followed up with a thread explaining her views.

1) Look – these kinds of conversations are impossible on Twitter, but I’m going to write some thoughts to hopefully get a bit more nuance into this conversation. (nuance on Twitter – this is doomed) https://t.co/Ahb2kFmEx8

— Crystal | Black Lives Matter (@crystalwillseeu) August 24, 2021

Drag Race UK season three is due to premiere in September. When The Tab reached out to the BBC for comment, a spokesperson said the following: “The BBC is against racism in all its forms. These historical tweets were from when the individual was a minor. Charity has expressed sincere remorse, apologised, and made clear they have grown and changed as a person.”

Featured image courtesy of @charitykase and BBC.