Over the weekend, West Hollywood‘s Fiercest Diva was forced to perform out of drag in the United Arab Emirates.
Rhea Litré, fresh from an Australian tour with Willam (RuPaul’s Drag Race Season Four), was booked to perform her hit song “Let’s Have a KaiKai” at the grand opening of “Carnage,” Dubai’s newest party. Andrew Christian sponsored the party, one of the few LGBT-friendly events in town, and Carnage flew in Litré, Andrew Christian models, Jonathan Myers, Ryan Moore, and Jake Andrews.
Rhea Litré and her pals arrived without a hitch and were enjoying themselves right up until the performance when local security approached them to shut down the team. Instead of facing the consequences for performing in drag or stepping down and canceling the performance, Rhea Litré decided the show must go on. Rhea made the quick decision to untuck and perform out-of-drag.
Who would have known what would have happened if Rhea Litré performed in drag? Punishments for homosexual relations in the UAE range from jail time, deportation, to the death penalty.
Kai Kais can still happen in Dubai, they’ll just have to happen behind closed doors until further notice. If you’re traveling to Dubai, be careful, boys (and gurls).
Photo by Magnus Hastings
