‘Drag Race’ star Mrs. Kasha Davis reveals ‘agenda’ of Drag Story Hour

The season 7 alum exclusively tells EW how she’s impacted the lives of children for the better with Drag Story Hour — and shares how her sobriety journey led to a glow-up.

There’s always time for a cocktail of kindness with a twist of love, according to RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8 queen Mrs. Kasha Davis.

Before the season 7 alum — who first won audiences’ hearts as part of Ginger Minj’s adorable on-set clique, the Bitter Old Lady Brigade — returns to the Main Stage to compete for the AS8 crown, she exclusively tells EW why she’s spent the last few years fighting an even bigger battle against conservative politicians targeting drag performers with harmful legislation around the country.

Amid working on a new family TV show she describes as “Mrs. Doubtfire hosting Pee-wee’s Playhouse in Mister Roger’s Neighborhood,” Kasha regularly participates in Drag Story Hour readings for children, and hopes to foster a community of compassion for future generations amid the tumultuous political climate.

“After a wonderful experience at Drag Story Hour, we had several hundred kids, parents, grandparents, and this dad comes up to me in tears and says to me, ‘Thank you for showing me that my child has a community,’ and it just blows my mind, because I grew up in a difficult situation with my dad, and I know now as a 51-year-old fella dressed in drag that my dad was doing his best to protect me. He didn’t know, so there weren’t those examples,” Kasha tells EW. “So, if I can be that example for a parent that might be in a small town, and show them that their child has a community and a place and that they’re going to be not just okay, but they can thrive, that’s the payment, that’s the goal, that’s what it’s all about for me.”

She also hits back at conservatives accusing drag artists of using events like Drag Story Hour as opportunities to groom children, noting that she’s never seen a drag queen do anything inappropriate in front of a child at any of the numerous programs she’s participated in.

“They say you have an agenda,” she continues. “Absolutely, we do: If you happen to see somebody different in the world, treat them with kindness. It’s about kindness, its about inclusivity, it’s about community, it’s about celebrating who you are without abandon.”

Kasha, who finished season 7 in 11th place back in 2015, also went on a sobriety journey following her Drag Race debut, and says the perspective she gained from working on herself led to an impressive glow-up she feels truly “present” for in the AS8 Werk Room.

“The biggest gift I’ve had since season 7 is that I identified my alcoholism. My phrase is, ‘There’s always time for a cocktail,’ and that’s great for everybody — except some of us who maybe can’t handle it, or it maybe it gets a little bit too much. I was brought to my knees, and I made this kind of statement, whatever there is in the universe, that I’m powerless over alcohol, and everything began to change for me. We’re working on seven years of sobriety now,” she explains. “Specifically, in our community, many people find that they have to turn to — or they choose to turn to — drugs or alcohol, many times because their families disown them, etcetera, and you find comfort there. Here is an example of somebody who found a different way!”

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8 premieres May 12 on Paramount . Watch Kasha’s full interview above.

Subscribe to EW’s Quick Drag podcast for recaps of RuPaul’s Drag Race, including reactions with the cast, special guests, and more.

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