Photography by M. Sharkey for Out
After we posted about the turn of events in Austria regarding Sharon Needles during this past weekend's Life Ball, we heard from a source that she was even more off-color, commenting: "Did you hear the one about the baby with AIDS? It never gets old." So maybe Sharon Needles did step over a line she didn't know was drawn? Well, NewNowNext wanted to find out and asked the drag superstar for a comment, who replied:
"I will always use off-putting humor in my work. What Life Ball did was try to censor me from the media, cut me out of the show, and make it seem like I wasn't there, which is media manipulation and creating propaganda.
The only regret I have is not being able to perform in front of my Austrian fans, which are some of the best in the world. Let's face it, Sharon Needles is more suited at a Death Ball. After speaking to several Austrian locals, young and old, gay and straight, I realized there was nothing done wrong on my part--Life Ball was just trying to protect their sponsors. I was raised on such great transgressive artists as Divine, Lady Bunny, Shirley Q. Liquor, and the queen herself RuPaul, who taught me that boundaries have to be pushed, and history should not be forgotten.
As for the speculation of my behavior on a plane full of Club Kids, that's merely hearsay, speculation and exaggeration, and I would not expect anything less from New York's finest. Andy Warhol once said your worst day is your best tape. Man was that plane a great tape."
Well that made us want to see Sharon Needles in Willam's "Rupaulogize" vid again. Check it out below:
