Mr. Showbiz, Murray Hill, says his job is simple: “I make people laugh, I make ’em feel seen, and I make sure everybody’s got a seat at the showbiz table, even if I have to pull up a folding chair myself.” With Hill writing his memoir, hosting Revry’s King of Drag, and winning a Critics Choice Award for HBO’s Somebody Somewhere, that table has added many more seats.
As conservatives attack trans people, the actor, comedian, TV host, and drag king faces them head-on “by remembering the beauty and power of our community and by meeting their hate with joy, kindness, and unshakable pride. They may be louder, but we are loud — and we are many.”
Hill also encourages the LGBTQ+ community to be more inclusive in its fight for queer and trans rights. “After decades in this game, I still see drag kings, butches, masc folks, lesbians, and trans men treated as an afterthought,” he observes. “I love the spirit of ‘trans is beautiful’ and ‘protect the dolls,’ but I hope our language expands to include everyone. ‘Protect the Ken dolls’ too.” @murrayhill
