Another RuPaul's DragCon for the 'Herstory' Books

The artful audaciousness of drag was once again on display at the 2024 edition of RuPaul's DragCon at the Los Angeles Convention Center. With no Sunday event this year, and seemingly less booths on the convention floor, its stiletto footprint seemed a little smaller than past years, but it was no less fierce.

Friday and Saturday offered eye candy galore on stage and throughout the event, with great shopping and important social activists booths, most concerning rights for the queer community. Still, a big part of the con is the thematic booths that drag queens rent to sell photo ops and merchandise, and when we attended Saturday, many of the biggest queens were missing. L.A. gals like Trixie , Eureka, Bob , Jinx and Detox were nowhere in sight. There are plenty of new gals, but for diehards who fell in love with the show when it began, these OGs from earlier seasons were missed.

Yes, it's a new era and the Drag Race universe has grown into a gargantuan franchise with international offshoots that even the biggest fans might find hard to keep track of. The growth is good in general as the art form promotes fun, self-expression and acceptance, but critics, such as former contestant Willam Belli have pointed to a lack of support offered to queens on the show and at the event.

Belli, who hosts the popular Race Chaser podcast that skewers and celebrates the shows, was apparently kicked out of the convention and his videos made the rounds all over LGBTQ+ social media on Sunday. He tells Los Angeles , "eleven cops tactically moved me to the door backstage refusing to tell me what I did...  once outside they told me I was a threat to the event and venue... it was embarrassing."

Drag drama will happen of course, and some might argue it's good for business. After all, the shading, reading and slagging between queens is entertaining, and it's part of why many tune into the shows to begin with.

But the vibes are generally positive at DragCon. "All the girls come together here... it's like a reunion or a Pride event," Heidi N. Closet told us at the Elf Cosmetics booth. "No matter what walk of life– white, black, queer, straight, we're just all here having a good time and spreading love. That's what it's all about.

Elf's blush-hued interactive space was a must-visit as was Kim Chi's pastel cosmetics brand paradise– for guests of all genders and identities. In fact, cis gals are always as well-represented at the event as queens. The iconic girlie designer Betsey Johnson even had a booth this year and made an appearance.

Another highlight was the family Playzone where drag queens read storybooks to kids and their parents, and the Teletubbies made regular appearances.

Disappointingly, Ru never does drag at DragCon, but he makes up for it with stellar DJ sets that are always a highlight. Lip sync shows, interviews and panels rounded out the festivities, with many live streamed on WOW Presents Plus, the subscription service by WOW's Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, who Los Angeles profiled in last month's Pride issue . Vendors also offered a glut of glittery merch and alternative gear to peruse and purchase.

The event comes on the heels of RuPaul's Drag Race's just announced 10 Emmy® nominations. Photo gallery below from DragCon's pink carpet walk and morning kick off.