On the thirteenth season of the highly popular reality tv show RuPaul’s Drag Race, viewers got to see and know 13 new contestants; among them Tamisha Iman. Miss Tamisha may be a new face for most fans, but she is no newbie to the culture that is drag.

Long before it ever went mainstream, Tamisha was a pioneer of female impersonation and a front runner on the national and international drag scene; winning close to 100 pageants over the years including prestigious drag titles such as Miss National (1996), Miss Black Universe (2000), and Miss Gay USofA (2005). She also placed third at National Entertainer of the Year (EOY) 2002 and 2003. She became a leader within her creative field through orchestrating complex performances that required stamina, athleticism, flexibility, and high energy. Beyond just traditional lip syncing, she also incorporated skills such as baton twirling, rhythmic gymnastics & ribbon, and professional level choreography.

For 30 years and counting, Tamisha Iman has been one of the most influential drag performers in existence; building a dynasty of entertainers, entrepreneurs, make-up artists, choreographers, designers, hair stylists, and lawyers simply known as the IMAN Dynasty. She is the Drag Mother of 60 performers - 25 of them who are no longer with us - and is, simply put, nothing short of a muse, icon, and legend within her field. Her legacy and influence are monumental and deserve to be recognized as such, which is why we are petitioning for her to be made a permanent fixture on the judges’ panel of RuPaul’s Drag Race, where her experience and industry knowledge would serve as an absolutely invaluable source of inspiration and guidance for younger performers, and her charisma, warmth, and humor an attractive presence for viewers as well.

Any artistic community should value, recognize, and honor its industry elders - it is time for the world of drag to publicly do the same.

With neverending love and support,

Drag Race viewers from around the world