The X Change Rate: Peppermint

In "The X Change Rate," award-winning drag queen, entertainer and TV personality Monét X Change brings her signature wit, heart and style to BUILD Series. Trans activist Peppermint joined Monét to have a conversation about what she's been up to.

Video transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MONÉT X CHANGE: Hey, y'all. It's your girl, Monét, and welcome back to "The X Change Rate," a talk show where we have heard terrible news that balloon shops around the country are closing rapidly. Yeah, they just couldn't keep up with the inflation.

[LAUGH TRACK]

Today is going to be a really dope show, because honestly, one of the reasons I ever got up in drags, the iconic Miss Peppermint, S-I-E.

[APPLAUSE]

But first, let's get into the gig. Woo! Woo! Thumbs on this week, because I was feeling very ostentatious that I can get this bottle open. [GRUNTS]

Yes, that is-- that was the right use of ostentatious. Look it up. Look up ostentatious. Ooh! Ooh, you gonna look so crazy. Look up ostentatious. Y'all look it up at home, too. Because I know Pat be making shit up. For awhile, Patti would not-- I really could not-- [LAUGHS] Look at that. What-- do you guys know that there are six of these twirls? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6! You know who taught me that? Pam. Go, Pam.

What's the definition of ostentatious? What is it?

PATTI CASH: Characterized by vulgar-- so we're on the money-- vulgar or pretentious display designed to impress or attract.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Thank you. Cha-ching! Cha-ching! Cha-ching!

PATTI CASH: But you said it something in relation to opening the bottle.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Right. So it works. Are you joke? Are you-- bitch, were you drinking one of these before you started working today? Are you drunk? Oh my god, I was struggling. OK, there we go. Jesus Christ.

PATTI CASH: You know what some synonyms are? Obtrusive, gaudy, obnoxious.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh my God, can you pass me a Crystal Light, please? I realized I didn't take one. And we are-- so OK, so full disclosure, "The X Change Rate," we are taping on Wednesday. It's airing on Thursday, as you're watching it right now. So full disclosure, as we know, the election happened. And it's ever rapidly changing and evolving. So we don't necessarily know all the information that will be present when this is airing.

But I will say, I don't want to prematurely celebrate. But things are looking good for the Democrats. And I am very excited. We're going to dive in more into the elections. But I want to say, this is not just my show drink, this is a little celebratory drink of all y'all getting up there and voting. And letting your voices be heard, and not letting people scare you into not doing absentee ballots or mail in ballots. Like, mama, this is a democracy. And your choice and how you vote is valid.

And don't let nobody tell you differently, okurr? [ROLLS TONGUE] So yeah. Before we get into all that elections stuff though, I do-- what I found something really sad is Erika Jayne is filing for divorce. She's separating from her longtime partner. If you know, this has been her partner for a really long time. I think they've been together for, like, 21 years.

And I stan Erika Jayne. Erika Jayne was one of the first, not one of the first celebrities, but when I was a local queen back in New York, she came to my show, "Bad Drag Queen" at Industry Bar. And I mean, she made it rain on me. Tipped me that night, I want to say, about 500 bucks. And as a local queen, I was sitting there, like, bitch. I am about to be eating Domino's, ordering every day. I'm also am getting all the Ubers, I'm getting all the taxis. I was like, oh shit.

Like, she came to my show. She was really sweet. She was just tipping me $100 bills here, left, right, and center. And she is a really-- like, she is for the LGBTQ community. Like, she really is someone who really loves and embraces us. And we embrace her, because she is down for, you know, she's down with us. So I like Erika Jayne. So shout out to her. Hopefully it's not too tumultuous, and she's not in just, like, crazy legal battles.

I feel like if I ever got divorced one day and I married someone rich, oh, bitch, I'm taking you down. Because I'm so vindictive, and if you did me dirty, which will be the catalyst for our divorce. Because also, I'm one of those bitches-- bitch, once I'm in, I'm in. We will, you know, fight and stuff. But once I'm in, I'm in. So if I have to get to the divorce realm, that means you' really fucked up. And I'm going to take you for everything you worth. But that's beside the point. Shout out To Erika.

I also, yesterday, saw the trailer for the new "Saved by the Bell." It looks so good. Zack aged really well. I'm not going to lie. I'm a little-- that sounds surprised. I don't mean to be surprised. But Jack-- Jack. Zack looks good. Slater, well, Mario Lopez-- although, Mario Lopez-- oh my god, he's Republican, right? He's, like, known Republican. Can you look that up really quick?

Mario Lopez is, like, a-- I'm pretty sure-- like, conservative, conservative right wing dude. Elizabeth Berkley is on there, which she looks great. The kid, I mean-- it looks so-- I'm really excited. I'm really excited that Lisa is in there. Y'all remember Lisa Turtle, Lark Voorhies, I think her name is. She's gone-- I think she had, like, mental disorders. I think she had battled bipolarism and some other stuff like that.

Colleen is over there knocking shit over. She's about to get grounded. Get off of it. But yes, I'm excited. I'm really sad. And Dustin Hoffman, he-- not Dustin Hoffman. The guy who played Screech, Dustin something. He-- he flew over the Cuckoo's Nest a long time ago. He was on that reality show, That 70s House or something on VH1 back in the day. He's crazy. What happened? Mario Lopez?

PATTI CASH: I mean, it's hard to find something that, like, definitively says he's conservative. But apparently, he's not partisan and leans Conservative.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah, she-- she-- bitch.

PATTI CASH: He got in trouble for, like, some remarks over, like, transgender kids.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah, Mario Lopez is a little-- so I excited for everybody has except Mario. But let's get to the meat and potatoes of this episode, which is the election. So the election was crazy. Bob the Drag Queen and I decided to do a live stream of-- a four hour live stream on YouTube. And honestly, I was really nervous about doing it, because I was like, if we're watching this election and shit starts going down, I'm going to be on this broadcast probably sobbing, looking crazy.

Because four years ago, on November 3, 2016 when the last election with Hillary happened, I was a local queen. Again, and I was-- I remember I was on my way to my gig at Industry Bar. And by that time-- I had to be at the bar by 11:30, so I left my house, like, around 11 o'clock-- and by that time, we had already pretty much known that Hillary was not going to win. And I remember being so sad, being so depressed.

I remember being backstage, like, putting the finishing touches-- putting the finishing touches on for my show. And I mean, bartenders were, like, behind the bar, like, sobbing. It was such a somber, dark night. And I had to get on stage and be funny and crack jokes and yada, yada, yada. It all worked out in the end, but it was a really, really, really sad situation. This was not that. All night they were-- it was filled with hope.

And we want to give you guys a lot of the information we have now that will-- that we know now on today, Wednesday, at about 2:30 PM. So Joe Biden currently stands at 238 electoral votes, to Trump's 213. And nearly-- and so Biden has almost 3 million more than Trump in the popular vote. Which by the way, Biden-- when this is all said and done, Biden is going to be at roughly about 70-- 70, 71 million votes. They will be the most votes any presidential candidate has ever gotten in the history of our democracy. Isn't that crazy?

I think people really listened and really did their due and really paid due diligence and voted early, sent in mail in ballots, and sent in absentee ballots. It was all, all, all, all worth it so far. Fingers crossed, but I'm being hopeful and being optimistic. We're waiting on a lot of states to finalize right now. Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania-- like, all of those to finalize. But it is now looking-- well, Biden, I mean, Biden has passed him in Michigan and Wisconsin.

So bitch, if we get Nevada, Wisconsin, and Michigan-- again, I am not an official news source, so don't quote me. But I'm- I think that we-- that would bring us to 1-- like, 271, or really-- or, like, right at the number. So that's looking really good for us. We knew it would be a couple of days after the election before we knew the exact result. So this-- all of the political folks knew. And Joe Biden-- they-- they was saying, this is-- this is like we knew this was-- this was what it was going to look like.

Like, we knew it will come down to this. And you know Trump, of course, is trying to delegitimize the election, saying that-- going on that crazy ass speech. I was like, this motherfucker must be on oxy. He-- he popped some percs, because he sounds crazy, just literally, just talking. But again, this is not anything new. I think what's most shocking about this entire election is that Trump has-- had six million more votes than he did before-- than the last election.

So what you're looking at is that all the people who voted for him before were like, these past four years are fierce. We loved it. And six million more were like, and I-- you know what, I'm going to jump on. I want more. And I think that it's-- it's just really disconcerting. It's really disconcerting because what we're seeing is that--

Let's just be clear. This election was about whiteness. And we're seeing that. We're seeing this pervasive faux nationalism. And it's just people trying to preserve whiteness. People-- the conservative try to tout it as economic insecurity, and people are worried about their money, they're worried about their jobs. No. You're seeing these white nationalists and white supremacists and-- and just being really, really radical. And they I think they really want to preserve their whiteness.

And also you've seen the Latinos for Trump, and the Blacks-- and the gays for Trump. And the Blacks for Trump, it's like what-- y'all! Everybody must be popping the percs. Everybody just needs to hop on the Crystal Light and Prosecco bandwagon and get off the percs. Because y'all are making some crazy ass ridiculous decisions. And long story short, Biden is on the path to 270.

And just-- I just thought this while I was getting ready today. Pennsylvania just-- the governor of Pennsylvania just said that there are about 2.5 million absentee ballots needed to count in Pennsylvania. So-- so Joe Biden is not out of Pennsylvania yet. Yet to think, 2.5 million-- those are a lot of votes, A. And they're saying that a lot of the people who mailed in votes and then absentee ballots-- sorry I sound congested. Every morning I've been waking up with this, like, crazy congestion and sleeping.

Is it's flu season-- not flu season. Is it allergies? No, don't have the flu, bitch. Is an allergy season?

PATTI CASH: Yeah. Usually, like, every change of season, right?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah, I been, like, really allergenic.

PATTI CASH: It's, like, fall.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah, and the foliage, and yada, yada, yada.

PATTI CASH: According to Google right now.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh god, what?

PATTI CASH: Biden has 238 now.

MONÉT X CHANGE: That what I said.

PATTI CASH: Oh. I'm just-- I know, I'm just saying because looking at a thing right now. And what it's saying, like, what states are leaning-- what states are leaning red. Even if Trump gets them, he'll only get 264.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah, I think--

PATTI CASH: Even-- even if he takes Pennsylvania right now. He'll only get-- Pennsylvania and Georgia and North Carolina, he's still only around 264.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I'm going to be-- I'm probably in a live chat, saying like, Monét, bitch. Oh my god, this is like some, like, That's So Raven inception shit. Because this episode is happening in the future, and I'm in the chat watching it play out knowing the future but talking to my past self. Right? Or whatever. I'm super hopeful, and I think that-- bitch, this mother-- when this motherfucker gets out of office, even though he's tried to barricade himself in. I don't know what he-- I-- I think that Trump thinks that when-- like, bitch, when he loses that election, everyone in the White House who is secretly hating-- hating his guts and can't do it out loud.

Bitch, they are going to turn on him. It's going to be-- I don't watch Game of Thrones, but I imagine some game of Thrones shit. Shame, shame! Dragging him out of the office to the nail.

PATTI CASH: Like with the ones that are left, like, if-- if was like projection, like, is true, Biden will exactly have 270.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Which, it was-- it's still too close. It should not be this close. Full tea, the fact that we're this close is crazy.

PATTI CASH: It's literally by, like, two-- it'll be, like, by two electoral votes.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Jesus Christ.

PATTI CASH: Which you know that means he's gonna just--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, he's going to try to sue and yada, yada. But bitch, you lost. (SINGING) Na, na, na, na. Na, na, na, na, hey, hey, hey, good bye! Bye, bitch. Anyway, so that's my election little spiel. And on that, there is that gay Republican House Representative. Dan Zwonitzer I think. He's a-- he's a Republican, he's a gay Republican house member in Wyoming. He got into the house in 2005.

And I want to talk about him because he-- he's an example of working with people from the other side. When people say, oh, we have to have allies on the other side and people we can work with. It's people like this. Your allies should not be Donald Trump. Donald Trump is not going to do anything-- or Mitch McConnell or Lindsey, Graham or fucking Chris Christie. His useless, ridiculous self.

Like allies like this on the other side. He is someone who has-- he has helped defeat every anti-LGBTQ bill introduced into Wyoming. Now, he is a gay man. He's been married since 2013 with his husband. They have two sons, Nick and Ezekiel. And yeah. He's-- he's been labeled a rhino by Republicans. Which if you don't know what rhino means, rhino means Republican in name only.

So it seems like a lot of his policies and the bills that he supports and tries to pass, they're all pretty left leaning. But he identifies as a Republican. I also want to be clear that we shouldn't be demonizing the Republican Party. They are problematic because of the statues that they try to uphold. And he's an example, someone who is a Republican but votes in the best interests of his constituents and-- and-- and Americans. And not-- and not voting on things because he's religious, or because he's atheist, or whatever it is.

He's ruling-- he's-- he's making his decisions based on people and not his own fruition, which is what people-- which is what politicians need to do. Your politicians should not be making legislation based on what the Bible says or what the Quran says or what they learned in yada, yada, yada. Like, that's not cool. He's helped defeat six bills targeting LGBTQ people in the state of Wyoming. And-- and-- and outside of that. And a lot of them were about same sex marriage.

He says this, blocking these and other bills he considers bad for the state are what I do best. And which I feel is so cunty. He's like, bitch, I'm here, and I'm blocking shit. And that's like, that's like what I have am fierce for. Like, I feel like it's very cunty in that way. I know he's-- he ain't say it like that, but that's why I'm getting. That's what I'm deducing.

And if you don't know, Wyoming is a state, correct me if I'm wrong, that is the-- that's where the really tragic Matthew Shepard incident happened, which was a really gruesome and horrible hate crime, I want to say in '96, I believe, some thing like that. Patti factor, correct me if I'm wrong. And he also says this about the Republican Party, kind of going what I was saying later-- earlier. A place-- a place in the Republican Party for the LGB-- sorry, he argues that there is-- what?

PATTI CASH: '98.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Matthew Shepard was '98. He argues that there is a place for the Republican Party in the LGBTQ community. And that, you know, kind of thinking about what I said earlier. I was like, and I get-- but so much of the Republican Party is rooted in homophobia and xenophobia. And all that stuff. So maybe-- and I know we've been saying this for so long, to, like, start a new party and all this stuff.

But it's, you know, it's all really, really, really here. And he says this last thing to say, being gay is who I am. The Republican Party is, you know, a choice right now. Choices. And I'll be the first to admit it's getting a little tougher to be a Republican. But he did not endorse Trump by any ways. And but he-- but he remains ideologically aligned with the Republicans. Because they believe in, you know, in smaller government and yada, yada, yada. So working people like this is smart, working with these other fuckers, no.

And a little lighthearted story, which I saw-- I don't-- Patti, do you know what the city girls are? Are you-- like, that whole-- I'm really bad like this. Sweeties, City Girls--

PATTI CASH: I mean, I heard some of their stuff.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Right I could--

PATTI CASH: I know that they're a thing.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Who's tap, tap, tap in? Wrists on glitter, da, da, da. I think that's Sweetie. Well, Sweetie, Saweetie, sorry. She made a really controversial Birkin bag comment. And it was this, if he's not getting you a Birkin, if he not paying your bills, then throw that nigga back to the streets. OK? And like, we know why this is problematic on so many levels. A, you don't need no man to buy you that shit. A, if someone cannot afford these things, this does not make their love any less valid.

It just means that they don't have $15,000 to drop on a bag. When I see people walk around with Birkins, I'm like, you are walking around with someone's car. You waking around with a car on your elbow. Right? That's, like, on the lower end of Birkins. Some of them go up to, like, $45,000, $50,000. Like, that-- you walking around with a Range Rover, a Mercedes Benz, a G Wagon, a fucking Tesla. You walking around with a Tesla on your wrist. Like, that's so crazy to me.

She walked it back and cleared it up. And she was saying, you know-- well, you know, one thing that people have to realize is, I'm an entertainer, and I come to entertain. So that was an entertaining comment. I was having a good time promoting "Back to the Streets," which I think is one of her new songs. And you know, I'm popping my shit for my girls, but I feel like a Birkin symbolizes a gift of value.

Yeah, it's, like, a really nice monetarily valued gift. But-- and again, I have nice-- I have-- I'm not one to discount. I have an expensive luxury bags, stuff like that. I mean, I've never spent this kind of money on a luxury bag. Because the reason why I started buying a lot of luxury, Patti, is because-- I'm not talking to you. I was-- I said Patti, I didn't mean I was talking to you. I'm talking to everybody else.

Because-- what's her name-- Hasan Minhaj has this show, "The Patriot Act." And they do a whole thing on fast fashion and how bad fast fashion is for our planet and our country. And how fast fashion is literally killing us. Places like ZARA and H&M pretend to be conscious. And they be like, oh, if you bring-- wow, first of all, it's not fast fashion. I made this sweater.

PATTI CASH: From Primark.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS] The Primark. Well, ZARA--

PATTI CASH: --purchase.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS] ZARA and H&M pretend to, like, be socially conscious. And oh, if you donate this stuff. But we find out that in a lot of those bins where you can deposit old ZARA stuff, they literally take it and burn it up in landfills. So they're not being conscious. It's really, really, really gross. And his point was, like, if you buy a few more expensive items in your closet, you wear those things longer. Which is true. The more expensive things that I buy-- bitch, I will-- now, y'all people make fun of me on this online.

I repeat outfits all the time. Bitch, I will wear the same tracksuit and things for years. I have been wearing the same coat that I got-- now granted, this coat was from Primark. I'm not-- I'm not claiming that. I'm wearing that coat for four years now-- three years now. Because it's warm, and I think it's cute. And things that I spend money on, I will spend-- I will wear them for longer.

Saweetie, I get your point. You want nice things. But girl, don't place your love and-- and how much a nigga love you by if he can buy you a Birkin bag. OK? Granted, I don't want nobody to love me. [LAUGHS] So I'm the wrong one to talk. So you know what, you doing something right, go off, sis.

All right, Internet. I did it. I did it. I finally did the thing. Take a look.

Hey, girl.

JACKLYNN HYDE: How you doing, mama?

MONÉT X CHANGE: I'm good. I'm good. I'm ready to make this-- this sponge fantasy. You know, I get tagged in this video very often on social media.

JACKLYNN HYDE: I'll be honest. I love sponge cake. I love it so much, it's going to leave me soon.

MONÉT X CHANGE: You're going to make an army of Monét X Change fans very happy.

JACKLYNN HYDE: It's time to give it to the children. Let's do this. We're going to start here with dry ingredients altogether. So I'm putting my flour in there. It's about a cup.

MONÉT X CHANGE: She said-- it's about--

JACKLYNN HYDE: I know, and I'm also very nervous. Because cooking, it's like drag, it's an art, it's subjective. Baking is a science. We've also got the baking powder, which we're putting in. I've got it here. A half a teaspoon of baking powder.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Baking powder. Let me get my baking powder, honey.

JACKLYNN HYDE: OK.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Patti be moving my shit around. Didn't we use baking powder for something before? Why can't find it? I have corn starch. Found it, found it, found it. That is not baking powder. OK, what's going to happen I don't have baking powder?

JACKLYNN HYDE: Do you have baking soda?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yes!

JACKLYNN HYDE: 1/4 teaspoon seems great.

MONÉT X CHANGE: This looks like some Breaking Bad shit.

JACKLYNN HYDE: Oh, don't sniff that! Stop putting stuff in your nose, Monét! This is an intervention.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS] Well, you know, I'm so tired of putting shit in my ass, I was like, let me try my nose this time.

JACKLYNN HYDE: You got to-- you got to give all the holes equal opportunity. And don't put that in the video. [LAUGHS] And then you're adding a little pinch of salt to that. And that's all of your dry ingredients. Mix it up. And then we're going to set it aside.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh.

JACKLYNN HYDE: Then we're going to take our butter. You only need a stick plus 2 tablespoons, softened. And we're going to put it in a different bowl. This is a great way to stay in shape. It's going to be kind of like the consistency of, like, of, like, frosting. You know that frosting that comes in a can? You eat it by the spoonful when you have a breakup? That. I've got a lovely little mixture here. How's yours?

MONÉT X CHANGE: I'm still working on her.

JACKLYNN HYDE: OK. Do you keep it, like, real cold in your house?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yes. I have a-- because I have sphinx cat, and I want to make sure she's as uncomfortable as possible for having my apartment freezing.

JACKLYNN HYDE: [LAUGHING] You're-- you're like, take that, you bitch cat. Once you've got that, we're going to add our eggs one at a time. Once you've got all of those in, I'm adding the zest of to lemons. For anyone at home who wants to do lemon, I'm adding in about 3 tablespoons of lemon juice.

MONÉT X CHANGE: No one wants to do lemon. Let's be honest. No one wants to fucking do lemon.

JACKLYNN HYDE: Oh, fine. You don't even get the option. You get nothing.

MONÉT X CHANGE: No, I meant the drag queen.

JACKLYNN HYDE: Now we're going to add our dry ingredients and fold it in nice and gentle.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yep, I'm folding, folding it all together.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

JACKLYNN HYDE: Are you, like, a horror film fan?

MONÉT X CHANGE: I do like horror. I love horror.

JACKLYNN HYDE: Oh, no. I can't watch the spookies.

MONÉT X CHANGE: One of my favorite horror films, "Hurricane Bianca," I think it's called.

JACKLYNN HYDE: [LAUGHS]

MONÉT X CHANGE: So scary, girl.

JACKLYNN HYDE: Killer clown. I'm going to set my oven to 325. I have a green, and I have a yellow sponge. Remember that this is my first time, too. Be gentle. Let's add our yellow sponge to your baking pan. Gentle, like Bob Ross. Once I get that, I'm going to hit it a bit. Really get your anger out.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Wait, what are you doing?

JACKLYNN HYDE: You just really don't want to hit your cake, do you?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah, I don't want to be mean to it.

JACKLYNN HYDE: Are you ready to put it in the oven?

[BANGING]

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, my neighbor downstairs gonna love this.

JACKLYNN HYDE: I go through so much parchment paper, Al Gore is sending me letters, being like, it's your fault that the planet is dying.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHING]

JACKLYNN HYDE: I bet--

MONÉT X CHANGE: (SINGING) Have you ever heard the wolf cry?

JACKLYNN HYDE: [LAUGHS] I'm, like, the opposite of that. I'm the people who cut down the trees. I am a legend to the trees in the rain forest. I bought silicone mats, though. Take that, Al Gore. I'm a monster.

MONÉT X CHANGE: When you, like, buy your home, are you-- are you going to be one of those fucking chefs, who's like, you have to have, like, this, like, crazy kitchen? I couldn't date a chef.

JACKLYNN HYDE: Yes.

MONÉT X CHANGE: It would be too much.

JACKLYNN HYDE: No, OK. So I have MasterClass, and I've now seen Gordon Ramsay's kitchen. And I swear to god, it's the most beautiful kitchen you'll ever see. Gordon, if you're watching, have me over. We'll cook together.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I think he's so fucking hot. I would-- if he gave me the chance, I would suck the life out of his fucking penis.

JACKLYNN HYDE: [LAUGHS]

MONÉT X CHANGE: OK? I would be like Winifred Sanderson, girl. [SUCKING SOUNDS]

JACKLYNN HYDE: I don't-- now he's not going to invite me over. He's going to invite you over.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS]

JACKLYNN HYDE: Going be-- I'll do the same thing for $10 less, Gordon.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS] And-- and I'll do it like [INAUDIBLE].

[LAUGHING]

[FAST FORWARDING]

JACKLYNN HYDE: Now the cakes have cooled. But--

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS]

JACKLYNN HYDE: Now it's time. We're going to add a little jam to it. We're only using a teeny tiny bit.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Jam? I didn't get jam. Jam was not on my list.

JACKLYNN HYDE: Do you have anything, jam or marmalade or any of that? We're literally spreading on, like, a like tea-- [CRIES OUT] [LAUGHS]

We're spreading, like, a teaspoon of this. Must be jelly, 'cause jam don't shake. But never, ever jam today.

MONÉT X CHANGE: --jam yesterday. (IN MOCKING VOICE) You can wish if you want, and you can wish as you will.

JACKLYNN HYDE: That-- that's fun. I'm putting the green on top of that jam now.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Bitch, I am holding my green like it is a damn note-- an iPad. This is the new iPhone 12 Pro Max, honey. I'm like, hey, girl what's the-- what's the tea? Jacklynn?

JACKLYNN HYDE: Honestly, [LAUGHS] She's got-- stop! Am I getting reception? Oh my god, it actually looks gorgeous.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Not actually. She's-- she's dead ass surprised.

JACKLYNN HYDE: I'm dead ass surprised. Don't we say dead ass on television. Television's a strong word.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh my god, this is so exciting, yes!

JACKLYNN HYDE: But like, pooped and gagged. I think yours even looks better than mine this week.

MONÉT X CHANGE: This week? Every week. [LAUGHS] [SCREAMS] I just dropped it.

JACKLYNN HYDE: [GASPS]

MONÉT X CHANGE: It cracked. You willed this into existence, you fucking shady white bitch.

JACKLYNN HYDE: [LAUGHS] Monét!

MONÉT X CHANGE: You saw me striving for excellence, you said Jesus, I hope this bitch fails.

JACKLYNN HYDE: Monét!

MONÉT X CHANGE: No, I'm kidding. I didn't drop it.

JACKLYNN HYDE: Oh. Don't do that. I was like, this is the end. She dropped the sponge. I think that's a perfect sponge. This is probably one of the hardest things we've made, and you killed it.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Well, you know, I'd like to thank my mama.

JACKLYNN HYDE: My mama.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I'd like to thank Jacklynn.

JACKLYNN HYDE: Oh, thank you. This is the part that I honestly think is going to be hardest for you. We have to get just the egg white.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, girl. I-- excuse me, I'm offended.

JACKLYNN HYDE: I-- listen, you've made other things in the past very difficult. So you know how to do it, then? I've separated mine.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yes, I'm Julia Child.

JACKLYNN HYDE: Julia Child. We're going to whip this. Oh, wow. Yours is froth. OK, stop there.

MONÉT X CHANGE: This reminds me of-- of my dinner yesterday.

JACKLYNN HYDE: Is it just eggs? [LAUGHS]

MONÉT X CHANGE: I take a straw and blow bigger bubbles in mine. Yes, look at that.

JACKLYNN HYDE: Is it a beautiful bubble? I'm hip, I'm with it. I'll try it.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh my god.

JACKLYNN HYDE: I wouldn't recommend doing this before serving it to other people.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Cultural [INAUDIBLE] of sponges.

JACKLYNN HYDE: Honestly, it's so cool.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh my god, yeah! Look at that!

JACKLYNN HYDE: It's so, so cute. I am thrilled.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I'm so thrilled, bitch. I'm legitimately gagged. Guys, I have a sponge cake! Jaclyn, we did it. I am very excited. This is amazing. This-- I am-- this is fierce. This was a really, really fun one. I'm really happy that the internet finally got their moment. And we have a sponge cake.

JACKLYNN HYDE: Yes, your welcome, internet.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Thank you, Jacklynn. Be safe, wash your hands and your pussy, and I'll see you next time.

JACKLYNN HYDE: All right, I'll see you soon.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MONÉT X CHANGE: Now if you want to check out the full video, check it out on my YouTube Live tomorrow at 12:00 noon, 9:00 Pacific. I fucking did that, bitch. I did that. Mhm. With a brand new album out now, our next guest is being realer-- with that word, I don't even know-- than ever. Mama, fuck your watermelon sugar. All I need is some Peppermint.

MISS PEPPERMINT: [LAUGHING] I love it. And I do like watermelon. That's probably not appropriate for me to say.

MONÉT X CHANGE: You know, Pep, you know I'm not a watermelon-- I don't-- I'm not watermelon-- I don't like the taste. I'm not a watermelon eater. And I feel like I'm betraying my blackness.

MISS PEPPERMINT: I think-- I would agree. I would agree you are betraying. I'm sorry. Black folks like watermelon because everyone likes watermelon. I mean, it is delicious. It's water. And it's melon. What more do you need? [LAUGHS]

MONÉT X CHANGE: Pep coming in with the basic logic. Well, I also-- because I don't subscribe to that subsection of people who, like, are afraid to, like-- Black people who are, like, afraid to eat fried chicken or watermelon or whatever. I'm like, I'm like--

MISS PEPPERMINT: In public.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Part of our American heritage and our culture. And I gonna eat my goddamn fried chicken. And if I liked watermelon, I wouldn't not be embarrassed to say it. I just don't like it.

MISS PEPPERMINT: All right, well-- look, I'll see you at the-- don't be looking at me at the next picnic. Because I ain't sharing any.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS]

MISS PEPPERMINT: I'll keep-- I'll remember this. Don't ask me for a slice of watermelon. Don't ask me for no stick of watermelon gum. Don't ask to borrow my watermelon perfume. I'll remember that.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS] Pep, can I say, one thing you and I have never talked about is the Queens of Drag NYC. So before I ever got on Drag Race, before, like, years ago. I remember going on YouTube and seeing this Queens of Drag thing. Where it's kind of like Housewives of Atlanta-- Housewives of whatever city, but about Drag. And it was you, Dallas DuBois, Sherry Vine, and it was, like, following you guys around New York and Fire Island and your journeys. I feel like they should bring that back. How do you feel about it?

MISS PEPPERMINT: I would love them to bring it back. We were way beyond our time. This was way-- this was before-- this was that like one or two years where you heard about-- where they were calling these shows, now they call it streaming, this is that one or two years where content was either on a movie screen or on a television screen, coming from a service. And having something-- and then there was, like, YouTube. But YouTube was just, like, you know, like-- like, Instagram videos.

And there really weren't a lot of things that were called streaming. It was-- it was a webisode. They were calling it webisodes. And people didn't respond well to calling it webisodes. It found it sounded janky. We were before our time. I think people would eat it up. Because I talked to all these Drag Race fans these days who say, I love the show. It was so exciting, and-- and I watched every episode. I thought nobody watched it, but a lot of people did.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, yeah. It's really good. And you, like, get, like, a deep, like, look into the life of these celebrities and these-- these drag celebrities. And little inside tea, Peppermint doesn't have to comment-- comment on it if she doesn't want to, but Mimi Imfurst is on there. And she-- what I had heard, by the other girls, was that she fully hired someone to play her dad and have this whole story line about her life. It's crazy, but you know.

MISS PEPPERMINT: No comment.

[LAUGHING]

Yeah. I was-- it was-- I mean, it was-- in all fairness, they were really trying to, you know, hype up the-- the drama of it. But there wasn't a lot that we needed to fake, because, you know, it was just us doing our thing.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah.

MISS PEPPERMINT: And so, you know, yeah.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah. Pep, how we-- with-- again, full disclosure, we are recording this episode on Wednesday. So we know, by the hour, by the minute, by the second, honestly, news is coming in that we may not be current on because this is airing tomorrow. But I am feeling very positive, very optimistic about our future and this presidential election. How are you feeling?

MISS PEPPERMINT: I'm feeling a lot better than I did yesterday. On election day, I was feeling so-- I had this sense of anxiety. I had-- I wasn't in-- you know, we talked about it. I wasn't in the States for most of it. I voted absentee from away. And I was up first, so I was like, is my vote going to get counted? What's going on I was really scared because the president has been really successful or has definitely been trying to sow a lot of doubt about the process of voting, whether early, mail in, or absentee.

And the thing that's really interesting-- well, I arrived here and I had this-- I was instantly anxious. But after-- after seeing some of the numbers come in, I'm not sure how I would have felt either way. But today I just felt so much more relaxed, at ease and, like-- I had a-- my heart was, sort of, like, beating in a weird way, like yesterday. And so now, I'm feeling a lot better. Looking at the numbers, I feel even more better. [LAUGHS] Even feel even more better.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Which is so-- which is so interesting, because just like his own tactics have ended up working against him.

MISS PEPPERMINT: They backfired. They backfired.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Making his supporters feel like they should not do absentee ballots--

MISS PEPPERMINT: Mail in votes.

MONÉT X CHANGE: --should not vote early. They should not-- so they didn't. So I'm like, good, good, good, good. Fuck you.

MISS PEPPERMINT: Well, I mean, I think that just goes to show that with voting, you know, it feels like it's 50-50. It feels like there's exactly 100 amount of people, and you know, percent of people, and exactly 50% and vote red or blue. And that's not necessarily the case. The voting trends do-- they do trend towards the progressive. And so you end up getting a lot more people who actually do vote blue than red. And but the thing that offsets that, which was purposely-- purposely put in place, and sometimes it backfires, sometimes it doesn't-- is the electoral college.

Which makes it seem like, when you just look at the map, then you look at it. And you say, wow, only five or six, seven states around the outside of the country voted blue. And the rest of them voted-- voted red. It feels like it's a majority.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah.

MISS PEPPERMINT: And so Trump has more states who have voted for him and have won more states with electoral colleges. But those-- but those electoral votes are actually amount up to less. Right now, only about 213, at this moment in time. But it looks like, just based on the numbers, that Joe Biden, A, he already has the lead in the popular vote. And he already has the lead in the electoral college. And so he has enough-- more electoral votes, I think 221, than Trump at this point.

And like you said, all the votes that have yet to be counted are not last minute votes, not votes where somebody is running there today trying to get their their vote in.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Right.

MISS PEPPERMINT: These are votes that were ballots that were already accepted, many of them before the voting day. And they just happen to be primarily Democrat. And so it looks like the lead that Joe Biden-- Joe Biden has right-- if we took a snapshot and if we stopped where Trump claimed he wanted to stop now. If we stopped now, Joe Biden would win. And the interesting thing is, he is ahead in both the electoral votes and the popular vote.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Popular, yeah.

MISS PEPPERMINT: By the same amount and the same difference as 2016 between Trump and Hillary Clinton. Literally, it's almost the exact same thing as Trump and Hillary Clinton but in reverse.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Ooh.

MISS PEPPERMINT: But the only difference is, all the votes have not been counted yet.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Right, right, right, right. Switching gears a little bit, Pep, it is no-- you do not have to be-- if you don't know, you have been living under a rock. Peppermint is obviously a really iconic-- a you have set so many bars. And you have really, really, really done a good job of being such a beautiful and amazing advocate for trans voices and setting the standard. "Head Over Heels." Where you got the call for "Head Over Heels," were you aware of the gravity of it and how-- and the moment that you would be having four trans persons is also this iconic moment for your career?

MISS PEPPERMINT: No, I was really nervous and upset. I was just on tour when I--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Upset?

MISS PEPPERMINT: --yow know, because I-- well they didn't-- it's not like they just called and invited me to be in the show. They didn't just call and book me for the show. I actually had to audition. And-- and so, you know. And I had to go through a series of callbacks. All that was happening while I was on tour in-- in Europe. And-- and so I had already known about it. And I decided, you know, maybe this sounds like a good deal.

But you know, it came down to the last minute and they were like, OK we think we want to hire you. But we need you to fly back. Leave the tour, leave the job that's paying you to come back, to figure out if we might hire you. And I was like, that does not sound like a good deal to me. And so I was very spiteful. I said, if I leave this tour and get into that room. And if I get into that room, and if there's anybody that looks anything like me, nobody's making out of here alive.

[LAUGHING]

So they hired me. [LAUGHS]

MONÉT X CHANGE: Work, yeah. And again, you-- so you are, just for those who may not know, you are the first trans woman who has originated a role on Broadway, correct?

MISS PEPPERMINT: A principal role in a Broadway musical. Because I want to be clear, I'm not the first trans woman to be-- just like Drag Race-- I'm not the first trans woman to be on Broadway. That was just-- credited, it was Justin Vivian Bond, who wasn't necessarily credited as being out as trans then. But-- but she's-- she's always been trans as far as I've known. And so Justin was the first trans woman, that I know, to have been on Broadway.

There may have been more, and that really just speaks to the fact that a lot of Broadway-- even Broadway-- wasn't a safe place for people to be out and be themselves as trans people 10, 20, 30 years ago. There may have been a trans person who slipped through the cracks. There may have been somebody tap dancing in the back who was Miss Thing, but we didn't know.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Right, right, right.

MISS PEPPERMINT: But obviously, I'm out. People know, you know, had an idea of who I was when I started the show-- and certainly what my story was. And so that is rare, especially being a Black trans woman. Now that's-- I'm sho.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS] Not sure, sho.

MISS PEPPERMINT: I have to wipe off this. I'm shook. Look, this-- I had to wipe this damn thing off, y'all. Because can you see me? OK, that's better. Look how much better this is. Oh my god, sorry. I'm back.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS]

MISS PEPPERMINT: I just-- I wanted you to--

MONÉT X CHANGE: This is why I love Pep. Any time I [INAUDIBLE] Pep, I'm literally laughing. Not just like, for-- just watching Peppermint interact with the world is so funny to me. You-- you crack me up, Pep. You crack me up.

MISS PEPPERMINT: Girl, you hurt me.

[LAUGHING]

MONÉT X CHANGE: Doubling back to Drag Race a little bit. That's something I want to talk about. Because a lot of fans, so they don't-- so they say--

MISS PEPPERMINT: Girl, let's go in.

MONÉT X CHANGE: --Drag Race never had any openly trans contestant on the show. And then-- and then, I've been in this argument. I'm like, are you fucking kidding me? You have Peppermint. And they're like, well, Peppermint doesn't count. I'm like, who are you to discount Peppermint's identity and all that stuff. Can you please set the record straight of when people say there have been no openly trans contestants on Drag Race?

MISS PEPPERMINT: I'm setting it right now on "The X Change Rate."

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yes!

MISS PEPPERMINT: OK. First of all, I'm going to say thank you for going to bat and even jumping into this argument. I remember it got a little heated, and I really do appreciate you publicly talking about this and saying, you know, sticking up for me, you know, in a moment where I wasn't around to speak for myself. And I appreciate that.

A couple of years ago, there was definitely many, many, many, many queens who were-- many queens who were judging my transition based on what they thought a woman looks like and should look like. And for the most part, it was all about what I looked like. It wasn't who I was or who I am. It wasn't what I was saying. It wasn't what my identity was. It was what they thought I looked like and what they think a woman should look like.

And I think I can understand that. It is important for people who look like all different types of people to be accepted, with or without surgery. But I do think that if we measure trans peoples' bodies-- if you are not trans and you are judging who is trans based on what surgeries they have or haven't had or what their body does or doesn't look like, then you are doing a disservice to all trans people and all cis people, so pretty much everyone.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah.

MISS PEPPERMINT: Nobody wants to be judged just based just based on their body alone. Yes, we want to look cute. Yes, we do things to look more attractive. And some of us can do those things when we have money, and some of us can't. And that is oftentimes a story for trans-- that plays into a trans person, how they look. So people need to think about that before they try to say, oh, you look like you-- OK, I'll accept you as trans. Me being a woman has nothing to do with whether or not you believe that I'm a woman.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah.

MISS PEPPERMINT: And so-- and that goes for everybody who's ever been associated with Drag Race. Everyone.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah.

MISS PEPPERMINT: And so when there were queens that were saying, oh-- queens or people in the audience, [LAUGHS] who we don't even know who they are, trying to say, oh, Peppermint is not-- that Peppermint didn't count, because she's not acceptable. You know, we know that they would be saying something different if they were like, yes, she's, quote, unquote, "cunt". She's, quote, "fish," she's fierce. If they were feeling that way about me, if they thought that I was those things, then they would have perfectly accepted me as an example. But you know what, that's OK, boo.

Because I will be fighting for all of your asses, no matter what you think about me. I will go to bat for you, and you can just count that as lucky. I'm going to defend your queer ass, because those are the only ones talking, whether you like me or not, whether you think I'm cunt or fish or whatever or not. I'm going to defend your ass, and believe me, you're going to need my help one day. And so you better watch it you say. I'm talking to you-- and not you, Monét, you know who I'm talking to.

[LAUGHING]

MONÉT X CHANGE: I got you. Well, you know, and then it's these same kids, they're like, well, I know for a fact that the producers told her that she could not dress a certain way if she's going to be on the show. Like, I know for a fact.

MISS PEPPERMINT: No, they didn't.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Like, my friend--

MISS PEPPERMINT: Who said that? Someone said that?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, yes. Oh, girl, yes. People have got and read this situation like, the producers told Peppermint not to dress a certain way, so not to-- not do whatever.

MISS PEPPERMINT: Why would they do that if we were going to talk about me being trans? Listen, this is the thing. There is no-- there has not-- we are talking more about trans issues in Drag Race today than we ever were. Two, three, four years ago we weren't really talking about transness. And if anybody has a memory, then three or four years ago, were trans and Drag Race were really not getting along very well.

The trans community and Drag Race still have a tense relationship. But you have to think about it. Back three, four years ago, when we were talking about trans people being on Drag Race, there was an argument in the papers, and TV, on the internet about whether or not we can say the words, like, quote "shemale" and tranny, which are obviously offensive words.

I think people know-- people don't use those words as much today. They understand that those are offensive. But those were words that were incorporated into the show. And there was a big online controversy and discussion and argument around whether people-- people have the right to say those words. A lot of them were cis gay people saying, I'm going to say those words if I want. And they didn't like being told what to do. These are people that are not trans who are upset that we were there being told by the trans community that they didn't want to hear those words.

And-- and-- and-- and it carried over from-- from a TV show like Drag Race to people's timelines. And people are like, I don't want to be told in my personal life what I can't-- and nobody was saying all that. People were saying, on national television, is this appropriate to have? That's it. And people really took offense to that. And there was-- there was, you know, some moments that were really hurtful. I remember there were some-- some people, there was a line in this. It felt like we were in 2020 with the Trump election.

There was a line in the sand, and people were ready to fight. I remember hearing, you know, and I have to really pay some props to Carmen Carrera, who really put her-- who really went to bat.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah, with the whole thing for shemale, yeah, I remember that.

MISS PEPPERMINT: With the whole thing. And I remember-- and I'm so-- I'm close with Bianca Del Rio. I love her so much. But I was so hurt when I heard Bianca Del Rio say basically, you know, in a-- this is years ago, not now. Years ago, Bianca Del Rio said in a show, you know, in regards-- in relation to Carmen and her, sort of, public spat with Ru, you know, better not bite the hand that feeds you. You need to shut the fuck up and stick whatever is left of that dick in your mouth and shut the fuck up.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, did she really?

MISS PEPPERMINT: That's not the kind of-- Oh, yes, darling, it's on video. That's really not the kind of way to talk to a trans person when they're saying--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah.

MISS PEPPERMINT: --I don't want to be disrespected. And so that was the tone. Then I auditioned. That day, I was auditioning.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yes!

MISS PEPPERMINT: And so it didn't feel like a safe place to be talking about, I'm trans. It just wasn't. You know?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah, yeah.

MISS PEPPERMINT: And you know, I've done-- I've worked really hard. I've put a lot of time and energy and attention into helping people who aren't trans understand who trans people are, what queer people are, who gay people are, and fighting for those rights. I've put a lot of time into that. I don't know what I've succeeded in doing, but I put a lot of time into it. I've dedicated a lot of minutes of my life to that for all of y'all. So I don't want to hear anybody talking about who has the right to be trans and who doesn't.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I want to thank you. I'm grateful for that. I truly am, as a Black person and as a gay person.

MISS PEPPERMINT: Thank you. Well, and I feel like I have no other choice. But then to be-- to turn around, and I was afraid. Girl, I'm going in, I'm sorry. I don't know how many minutes we have.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, no, no, listen, we have all the time you need, Peppermint.

MISS PEPPERMINT: I was really afraid-- I was afraid that when I auditioned for the show-- I was afraid that being trans would be a disqualifier and that people would say, oh, she's trans, it's not fair. She's had, you know, maybe she's had surgeries, maybe she hasn't. But if she's just being trans, means that it's not fair because we want to see a transformation. And it's not enough drag. Because that was what people were saying back in the day. You know, like, oh, you're trans, well then, that's not drag. If it's trans, then it's not drag. And I remember hearing people-- that's what people were saying.

And so when I packed my bags to go to Drag Race, I was like, honey, let me pack the dragiest thing I can do. And I wanted to really bump up the camp for my drag. It's much more, like-- the styles that I was wearing on the show, was, I mean, you know, kind of, the drag style that I was doing on the show was a little bit more draggy me than what I would do in every day.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Than you would normally, yeah.

MISS PEPPERMINT: And I wanted to really bump it up, you know?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah.

MISS PEPPERMINT: Yeah.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah.

MISS PEPPERMINT: And then that worked against me. Because then people were like, see, she's a drag queen. She's not trans. She wouldn't be looking like that--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Right.

MISS PEPPERMINT: And I was like, good grief. And so it was hurtful to hear the Guardian interview where my name was invoked. And people said that, oh, she hasn't had surgery, so she doesn't count as a woman. And I just thought that was really-- to hear someone say your surgery means that you're not a woman. It just shows us where we are.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah, and like you said--

MISS PEPPERMINT: That women of people are not women based on who they are.

MONÉT X CHANGE: --surgeries. Yeah.

MISS PEPPERMINT: Exactly. Women are not women based on who they are. Women are women based on what other people's opinions of their body parts are.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah, yeah.

MISS PEPPERMINT: And that's a shame.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Well, you know what, Pepper, you've taken all of that adversity, and you've gone from "Hardcore Glamour" in 2009 to "A Girl Like Me: Letters to my Lovers" in 2020. 11-- that's over a decade of music, Pep. How are you feeling about these projects?

MISS PEPPERMINT: Oh, lord. Lord, I'm old.

[LAUGHING]

MONÉT X CHANGE: How are you feeling about it?

MISS PEPPERMINT: Put another ring light on. Put a ring light.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Do you feel like this project-- well, first of all, what is the project about? Who is it speaking to?

MISS PEPPERMINT: "A Girl Like Me: Letters to my Lovers" is basically my personal diary set to music. I was in a relationship. We had a breakup, surprise, surprise. And I started writing. And I basically wrote 15, 16 songs, a full diary, which is about 15, 16 songs of material. And I was like, this is too much for one album. So we decided to break it up over the course of three EPs, which is basically the beginning, the middle, and end of the relationship.

And that is going to be released over the next year, that whole project is "Letters To My Lovers." And so this first album is "A Girl Like Me: Letters to my Lovers." And it's the beginning of a relationship. [LAUGHS] And it's all the flirting. It's all the sex, it's all that goodness. And you know what, it's on one hand, it's, sort of, a bit of also a love letter to the trans community, to the Black trans community. I talk about a lot of the issues that affect Black queer folks, Black trans folks on the album.

And what it's-- you know, giving them-- I wanted to have the album that I never got to listen to as a young trans girl.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Right.

MISS PEPPERMINT: And so it was important for me to show us being loved and show that we're worthy of love. And that we are worthy of having healthy relationships. Right now, a lot of the relationships that trans women, especially Black trans women, find themselves in are relationships of convenience. Not all, but some. Because of the stigma against the trans community.

Because of a lot of the situations that trans people face, Black trans women oftentimes are in a situation where they rare engaged in survival sex work. A lot of those transactional sex encounters-- sexual encounters-- end up becoming dangerous. Which is why the murder rate-- we're up to 34 right now-- of murdered trans women, most of whom are Black trans women. 20 of them are Black trans women, 15 of them--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Lord.

MISS PEPPERMINT: --are Black trans women under the age of 25. And they were murdered, most of them--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Crazy. These young women who had their whole lives ahead of them, a whole life gone. That is-- Jesus, Lord.

MISS PEPPERMINT: Mhm. And so that's why I wanted to do the album, to show the trans community, look you can have something. Look, at what we-- let's show some joy. On the other hand, I also wanted to show cis people, people who aren't trans, that we are worthy of being loved and being looked at as equal. And our relationships, you know, should be valued. And if you find out that a man is dating a trans woman, don't call him gay. Don't attack him just be like, oh that's your partner, and we respect you. You know?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah, yeah.

MISS PEPPERMINT: And so that's what's on the album.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Are you-- are you-- are you currently in any relationships? Are you feeling the butterflies currently?

MISS PEPPERMINT: No, darling. She's free. She's single. I'm advertising!

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS]

MISS PEPPERMINT: Honey.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Have you--

MISS PEPPERMINT: Girl, you ain't got no potential suitors on--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Have you had any Zoom dates in quarantine, Pep?

MISS PEPPERMINT: I did. I've done a few. But--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Uh-huh.

MISS PEPPERMINT: [SIGHS]

MONÉT X CHANGE: Right? Mm-mm. Mm-mm.

MISS PEPPERMINT: Pickings are slim. Pickings are slim. I am happy to see that they did put video chatting on many of the dating apps now. So the main one that I use-- now, there's video chatting, like, today. And so we'll see. It'll make it easier. Because there's a lot of catfish out there, too.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Well, are you-- I'm sure-- are you on that secret celebrity dating app? Are you-- do you know which one I'm talking about?

MISS PEPPERMINT: Raya?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Raya, yes. Are you on there?

MISS PEPPERMINT: Maybe.

[LAUGHING]

MONÉT X CHANGE: Child--

MISS PEPPERMINT: They're all the same, though. Can I be honest with you? They're all the same.

MONÉT X CHANGE: --they were like, we don't know who you are, chop.

MISS PEPPERMINT: It's no-- there's no point. They're all the same.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Right. Right.

MISS PEPPERMINT: They're all the same. It is nice for some privacy, but they're all the same.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Got you. I feel you. I feel you. I feel you. Do you know my favorite song of yours, well, one of favorite songs of yours. I actually had it, like, two of my drag numbers, back when I was working the city. (SINGING) I work it on Monday, I work it--

MISS PEPPERMINT: A working girl--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Girl, that song is honestly, Pep. You should, like, revamp her, re-release her. It is such a great song.

MISS PEPPERMINT: Thank you. [LAUGHS]

MONÉT X CHANGE: It's so fucking good.

MISS PEPPERMINT: Yeah, that was-- those were some good-- thank you. Yeah, that's some good times. Some good times. That was--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah.

MISS PEPPERMINT: Who did I write that with? I wrote that with Adam Joseph.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Adam Joseph. With Pep Talks, how long is your Pep Talk season? I did an episode. It was super fun. We talked about "Remember The Titans." It was such a kiki. We spilt a little tea at the beginning, about Manila and some other stuff. How many episodes--

MISS PEPPERMINT: We spilled a lot of tea, girl.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS]

MISS PEPPERMINT: We're not sure how long this season's gonna go, but I think it'll go through the rest of the year for season 1.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Got it.

MISS PEPPERMINT: And then we'll probably take a break, like, you know, at the end of the year. And then start up in the new year for season two. And so upcoming, we have--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Streams every Tuesday.

MISS PEPPERMINT: It streams every Tuesday except this week. We're doing something similar to what you-- oh, yesterday it streamed with Sasha Velour. And next week I think is-- it might be Manila Luzon. So I'll get to hear what she has to say about what you said.

[LAUGHING]

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh! Well, you know, Manila's feeling a little salty from All Stars, so take what she says with a grain of salt. Or as Bianca--

MISS PEPPERMINT: Grain of salt, OK, OK, OK, OK.

[LAUGHING]

MONÉT X CHANGE: Pep, I love you so much. Again, and I've said this before, we've done so many things together. And I've let it be known. Peppermint is literally one of the reasons I started doing drag. Peppermint is one of the most iconic, inspirational queens that has ever been on the show. I love you so much. Love you, love you, love you, love you. Stay safe, be healthy, and turn it out in DC and LA and all the things you're doing.

MISS PEPPERMINT: You better believe it, honey. Give my love to Kenya Moore.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I will, I will, I will. [KISSING SOUND]

MISS PEPPERMINT: I love you, mama.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Love you, babe.

That's all for this week. I hope you guys enjoyed our show. I have to say this here, though. I'm going have to go get me a man on 125th, honey. Look at these bundles. This is-- this is Plastique Tiara. Before Plastique was on the show, I got this on Christmas Tour 2018. And Plastique made me this wig. And I love it, girl. She is voluminous. This is like-- what you laughing at?

PATTI CASH: Before or after they let you go?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Before or after they let who go?

PATTI CASH: Mark and Peter.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS] I know. Mark and Peter, oh, don't talk about them.

PATTI CASH: Before or after they cancelled--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Girl, Madonna. Thank y'all for watching the show. If you enjoyed it, again, we have a podcast. If you just want to listen to the audio form of this episode, it's on Apple, Google, Spotify, all the things. I love you guys. And until next time, remember to always keep your currency in check. [KISSING SOUND]