Drag Race Down Under contestant Karen from Finance has issued a ‘remorseful’ apology for a disgustingly racist tattoo and toy collection.
It comes after Scarlet Adams issued her own grovelling apology last week (12 March) after being called out for Blackface and cultural appropriation.
Karen From Finance took to Instagram to apologise after several people noticed she had a tattoo of a golliwog doll. She said she had “long been remorseful” about the tattoo, which she got because of a collection of toys she has had since childhood.
The ‘golliwog’ is an anti-Black, racist caricature created by an American-English author in the late 1800s, based on characters from racist minstrel shows.
The post stated: “In the spirit of being open and upfront with my friends, family and followers, I would like to address and formally apologise for a part of my past – something that I’ve long been remorseful for – and admittedly ashamed to share.
“Eleven years ago, I had a collection of golliwog dolls – a collection that began when I was two-years-old – and I made the uninformed, ignorant and regrettable decision to have one of these dolls tattooed.
“In the years following, and more notably after being interviewed by someone writing an opinion piece in a tattoo magazine, I realised how insensitive and hurtful this was.
“Even though there was of course never any intention of malice, I realised how irresponsible and stupid I had been and so I disposed of the dolls to landfill and had my tattoo covered.”
Scarlet Adams also apologised on Instagram after Aboriginal drag queen Felicia Foxx shared a number of photos of Adams in culturally appropriative costumes.
