Visibility as Resistance: The Power of Sasha Colby’s Stage
There are moments in American culture when performance becomes more than entertainment—it takes the shape of protest, a living declaration that refuses to be silenced. Sasha Colby’s new ‘Stripped II’ North American tour is set to do just that, moving beyond the glitz of drag stages and into the realm of social intervention. Announced to kick off this September in Seattle and journeying through 28 cities before culminating with emotional homecoming shows in Hawaii, Colby’s production arrives at a moment when anti-LGBTQ+ legislation is on the rise and free expression feels perpetually under siege.
More than a glittering victory lap for last year’s RuPaul’s Drag Race champion, this tour is a pointed statement: Queer stories belong in the spotlight, and trans narratives will not be erased. At a time when drag performances have been targeted by legislative bans and hate-fueled protests—from Tennessee’s infamous attempts to restrict public drag shows, to a flurry of anti-trans bills flooding statehouses nationwide—Colby’s tour lands as both cultural celebration and act of political defiance.
A closer look reveals why this matters: According to the Human Rights Campaign, over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced across the U.S. in 2023 alone. Each one seeks to marginalize, silence, or erase queer and trans folks from public life. In response, Colby tells Out magazine, the antidote is unapologetic visibility: “Be out, loud, and proud because that is the number one weapon in our arsenal to fight back against hatred and sheer stupidity.”
‘Stripped II’: Expanding the Narrative and the Audience
This year’s ‘Stripped II’ promises a bolder, more universal focus—an evolution from last year’s deeply personal journey to stories that resonate across the LGBTQ+ community. Rather than telling solely her own story, Colby steps into the role of conduit, amplifying the lived experiences of countless queer and trans individuals. Describing the new production, Colby emphasizes that it’s “not just about me,” but a platform for the broader collective.
The commercial success of the initial Stripped Tour provides solid ground for this expansion. Industry tracker Pollstar documented that the first tour’s seven reported shows grossed $256,563, with 5,420 tickets sold. Those numbers are more than mere metrics—they represent packed theaters brimming with fans hungry for representation, joy, and solidarity, even while local officials in some parts of America demand the opposite.
“There’s a sacred magic that happens when we come together in space—joy becomes a form of resistance, and our voices become impossible to ignore.”
Ticketing choices also reflect a drive toward inclusivity. Fans can purchase tickets through mainstream providers like Live Nation, but more community-centric options—such as Ticket Club, which eliminates fees and offers deals like a free one-year membership—help tear down financial obstacles in a landscape where, for many, simply being queer is now itself a political act. With tickets for the presale starting April 22 and general sales opening on April 25, accessibility becomes part of the advocacy.
Legacy, Leadership, and the Ongoing Fight for Equality
It’s easy to cheer Colby for her breakout on “Drag Race”—especially as the show’s first Hawaiian and openly trans winner, a milestone that shows how far the mainstream has traveled from the days of coded subtext and closet doors. But Colby’s legacy goes back far deeper, rooted in years of activist artistry: Before TV fame, she captured the prestigious Miss Continental title in 2012, cementing herself as a pillar of queer excellence for a generation of performers and fans.
Her trajectory mirrors the long arc of progress within LGBTQ+ culture—one where drag, once relegated to backroom clubs, now claims center stage in major theaters and arenas. Yet progress, as any honest chronicler knows, doesn’t move in a straight line. Each legislative attack, every wave of reactionary backlash, looks to put queer performers and audiences back in the shadows. Harvard historian Timothy Patrick McCarthy notes, “Cultural moments of backlash often signal both progress and peril. When marginalized groups speak louder, the forces of repression push harder.” Colby’s determination to remain visible, especially in conservative strongholds, is both courageous and necessary.
Beyond that, the emotional resonance of a homecoming in Hawaii provides a powerful bookend for this journey. In returning to roots in Waimanalo and culminating at Honolulu’s Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall, Colby brings the importance of indigenous identity and intersectional pride to the fore—an essential reminder that the LGBTQ+ movement is as diverse as America itself.
The fight for safety, joy, and equality onstage is inseparable from the larger battles happening in legislatures, school boards, and neighborhoods across the nation. Colby’s ‘Stripped II’ does not promise easy victories, but it does promise fierce community, shared experience, and unapologetic hope. Against the backdrop of rising hostility, such hope is not naïve—it’s essential.
The stakes could not be higher: For every child who wonders if there’s a place for them, for every parent seeking assurance that pride is not a political liability but a legacy worth embracing, events like ‘Stripped II’ write a new chapter. As the curtain rises this fall, Colby beckons all—drag fans, LGBTQ+ families, allies—to join, celebrate, and make it clear: “We’re here, and we’re not going anywhere.”
