Kornbread Opens Up About How 'Hairspray' Helped Her Realize Her Gender Identity
| 05/03/23
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Kornbread Opens Up About How 'Hairspray' Helped Her Realize Her Gender Identity
Gotta love Kornbread!
\u201cStory Time: \nPeople ask me \u201cwhen did you realize your gender identity\u201d and I could never give a solid answer until now. I got to see Nina in Hairspray tonight as Edna (flawless) and it unlocked a joyous moment in my life I was forced to suppress as a kid! *continue down below*\u201d— Pan de Elote \ud83c\udf3d (@Pan de Elote \ud83c\udf3d) 1683117123
RuPaul’s Drag Race season 14 Miss Congeniality winner Kornbread “The Snack” Jeté shared a heartwarming story about how the Hairspray musical helped her understand her gender identity.
The original Hairspray musical was created by John Waters as a film in 1988. The movie was then adapted into a Broadway production that opened in 2002 and won eight Tony Awards the following year.
This week, a very particular memory was unlocked after Jeté recently watched fellow Drag Race alum Nina West perform in the musical as the character of Edna Turnblad. This touring production of Hairspray is currently playing in Los Angeles at the Dolby Theatre.
Jeté wrote in a tweet:
“People ask me, ‘When did you realize your gender identity?’ And I could never give a solid answer until now. I got to see Nina [West] in Hairspray tonight as Edna (flawless) and it unlocked a joyous moment in my life I was forced to suppress as a kid!”
\u201c9th grade was the first time Tevin put on a dress in front of a crowd to perform. We danced to You Can\u2019t Stop The Beat. And I had the section Edna sang. That day was the day where I felt I was more than just a queer kid. And that was the first day I ever felt 100% COMFORTABLE\u201d— Pan de Elote \ud83c\udf3d (@Pan de Elote \ud83c\udf3d) 1683117123
Jeté continued:
“9th grade was the first time Tevin put on a dress in front of a crowd to perform. We danced to ‘You Can’t Stop The Beat,’ and I had the section Edna sang. That day was the day where I felt I was more than just a queer kid. And that was the first day I ever felt 100% COMFORTABLE.”
\u201cI spent my life hating myself for not having the courage to love who I was. I trained myself to push that away. Fast forward to now\u2026 Hairspray was my origin story in discovering a part of me that didn\u2019t deserve to be hidden!\u201d— Pan de Elote \ud83c\udf3d (@Pan de Elote \ud83c\udf3d) 1683117123
“I spent my life hating myself for not having the courage to love who I was. I trained myself to push that away. Fast forward to now…” the Drag Race star noted. “Hairspray was my origin story in discovering a part of me that didn’t deserve to be hidden!
\u201cI\u2019ve been in a very dark place lately but tonight I learned to love myself more. Love what I do completely. Suppressed memories aren\u2019t all bad but suppressing your happy place can hurt. I wore a red 60\u2019s dress. And tonight Nina as Edna did. That coincidence woke me. Thank you.\u201d— Pan de Elote \ud83c\udf3d (@Pan de Elote \ud83c\udf3d) 1683117123
“I’ve been in a very dark place lately, but tonight I learned to love myself more. Love what I do completely,” Jeté wrote. “Suppressed memories aren’t all bad, but suppressing your happy place can hurt. I wore a red 60s dress. And tonight, Nina as Edna, did. That coincidence woke me. Thank you.”
\u201cAfter the performance I kept it on as long as I could knowing that I\u2019d be going home without it and without being able to express this new found joy I discovered even if it felt right. That was the last day I felt free. I forgot about this memory until last night.\u201d— Pan de Elote \ud83c\udf3d (@Pan de Elote \ud83c\udf3d) 1683117123
She went on: “After the performance, I kept it on as long as I could knowing that I’d be going home without it and without being able to express this new found joy I discovered even if it felt right. That was the last day I felt free. I forgot about this memory until last night.”
\u201c@NinaWest art resonated to a part of me that I neglected to love. Edna taught me who I was in 9th grade. RuPauls Drag Race taught me to love the trans woman I am. Seeing a fellow Drag Race sister perform and unlock such a memory for me really completed the puzzle of \u201cWHO AM I\u201d\u201d— Pan de Elote \ud83c\udf3d (@Pan de Elote \ud83c\udf3d) 1683117123
“[Nina West’s] art resonated to a part of me that I neglected to love. Edna taught me who I was in 9th grade. RuPaul’s Drag Race taught me to love the trans woman I am,” she explained. “Seeing a fellow Drag Race sister perform and unlock such a memory for me really completed the puzzle of ‘WHO AM I.’”
\u201c@hairsprayontour is in LA for 3 weeks. And I\u2019m going as many times as I possible can!! Everyone should go!! For me it unlocked such grand memory. Our stories may not be the same but the message they displayed tonight IS CURRENT AND REAL AND WELL DONE. \n\nhttps://t.co/bEGb1pWn3V\u201d— Pan de Elote \ud83c\udf3d (@Pan de Elote \ud83c\udf3d) 1683117123
Jeté concluded with a tweet encouraging other people to go see West in this production of Hairspray, writing:
“[Hairspray] is in LA for 3 weeks. And I’m going as many times as I possibly can! Everyone should go! For me it unlocked such grand memory. Our stories may not be the same but the message they displayed tonight IS CURRENT AND REAL AND WELL DONE.”
Hairspray is playing at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles from May 2 to May 21, 2023.
