WATCH: The ‘We’re Here’ queens confront Don’t Say Gay bill, local opposition in urgent third season – Queerty

November 3, 2022 Kim Martel

With each passing season, it feels like the mission of We’re Here becomes more and more urgent.

The premise of the HBO reality show is simple: Each episode, three drag superstars—Bob The Drag Queen, Eureka, Shangela—arrive to a new small town, where they recruit three residents to perform in a spectacular, one-night-only drag show.

In the past, this often meant these queens were exposing people to the art of drag for the first time. Sure, they’d encounter pushback and prejudice, but with open hearts, a little queer magic, and a whole lot of lip liner, We’re Here always underscored the power of compassion, and shined a spotlight on the strength of the LGBTQ community, especially in rural America.

And while that certainly remains true for the GLAAD Media Award-winning series in its third season, it also sees these queens traveling the country at a time when anti-LGBTQ rhetoric is on the rise. Between “Don’t Say Gay” and laws of its ilk, restrictions on gender-affirming care, and a push to label drag queens as a danger to children, there’s an even greater need for the queer visibility and positive messaging that this show can provide.

“They’re more vocal and more visible in their hatred,” series co-creator Stephen Warren told EW when discussing filming in largely conservative areas. “There’s a brazenness to it that we didn’t really experience to a large degree in the past.”

Shangela echoes that sentiment in We’re Here’s new trailer: “This has been different than any other experience we’ve had in the history of doing this show.”

Still, she and her sisters march on—in stiletto heels, no less! This third season follows the queens on visits to Granbury, Texas to Jackson, Mississippi to Sussex, New Jersey to St. George, Utah, a town with a majority Mormon population where the show’s production was met with opposition from city officials.

The trio will also be heading to Brevard County, Florida—just outside of Orlando, where Disney has become something of a moral battleground in the wake of Governor Ron DeSantis’ “Don’t Say Gay” bill. In what sounds like an emotional episode, the queens will also pay a visit to Pulse nightclub, and recruit a survivor from the 2016 massacre to be one of their “drag children” for a triumphant, uplifting performance.

We’re Here season 3 is almost here, and it’s going to be one you won’t want to miss. The show returns Friday, November 25 on HBO, and will stream simultaneously on HBO Max. New episodes will air weekly.

Watch the trailer for We’re Here’s third season below: