Miss Davenport:  A Little Honey for Your Tea 

LA just a got a little sweeter as RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Honey Davenport (aka actor and musician Heath-Clark) made the move from the Big Apple to LA.  And she did not come quietly.  Eliminated too soon in what some fans call an unfair 6-way Lip Synch for Your Life, Honey did not just take her toys and go home.  She has used her platform to become a vocal spokesperson for social activism as well as equality in drag, all with a wink and a spoonful of sass.  Honey kept very busy this COVID season by donating her time for various digital Pride campaigns around the nation.  She does not shy away from spilling a little tea and has quickly become one of my favorite queens to interview. 

The road to her Drag Race appearance was not an easy one.  Davenport auditioned a total of 8 times before being cast and was dealing with being homeless and had to borrow almost $20,000 to complete the looks for the show to make it possible to compete.  She has joined many of her alum sisters in Pride appearances, music videos, YouTube series, and social activism events since.  Her drag looks are based on current political themes, drawing attention to situations that affect women and people of color, as well as gun control.   

Her performance on Drag Race reflects a full entertainment career.  Honey sang in the church choir in her youth and started writing music at age 13.  Honey studied at AMDA in NYC, toured the nation in the Broadway touring production of Hairspray, performed backup for Drag Race alum Peppermint for several years, competed in the Pageant system, and starred in many acclaimed off-Broadway shows, including The Orion Experience.  In 2019, Honey released her visual EP – Raw and Unfiltered. 

We chatted with Davenport about her career, Pride, BLM, and surviving quarantine… 

You grew up in the projects. How did that best prepare you for the rest of your life?  

My experiences growing up helped prepare me for the rest of my life. Because my whole upbringing was a never-ending battle to change the environment I lived in, I now find myself constantly aware of and grateful for all the luxuries life has afforded me. 

What does drag mean to you? 

I see drag as an art form where the performer is the canvas; the elimination of gender ideals serves as the medium.  

Tell me about the first time you did drag. 

My first-time doing drag was back when I was attending the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts. There was a “come as you are not” party; I went as my good friend Becky, and she went dressed as me. All I had was some lip gloss and a dream; let’s just say I have upgraded my look a bit since then! 

What are some of the realities of competing in pageants that the audience never knows? 

Pageants are really expensive! Granted, RuPaul’s Drag Race is the most expensive “pageant” I’ve ever done, but if people had any idea how much drag queens spend on pageants, they would be tipping more than just one-dollar bills! 

What did you learn most about traveling on the road with a Broadway show? 

I learned a lot from my life on the road. Every single city is different. Every single audience is different. Different crowds respond more to different parts of the show. But the very point of art is to create a reaction, so the most important thing is to elicit any response. And—trust me—when you look this good, they always respond! 

You have been very vocal about trans rights as it relates to the drag community. How do you respond to those that say trans competitors have no place in drag competitions? 

I think that as drag evolves, the ideas that do not adapt to this ever-changing art form will be replaced. Drag is moving toward inclusivity, not away from it, and should continue to do so.  The world is progressing, and old-fashioned views do not have the power to change or stop that. 

Tell me about day one of filming RuPaul’s Drag Race. 

It was a moment that I had always been waiting for. You know how, when a little kid gets a behind-the-scenes look at Disney World, a little bit of the magic dies? This was the complete opposite for me. The whole thing felt and still feels like a fantasy. 

What went wrong on your elimination episode of Drag Race? 

They mispronounced my name when announcing the winner and accidentally eliminated me. But for real, I think that the brief time I had on Season 11 was perfect. It gave me exposure and a global platform for my art. Now I get to write my own story, and I am grateful for that every day. 

If you were to come back for Drag Race All Stars, what would your strategy be? 

It would be to have fun, honestly! I think that on my season, I was so concerned with the outcome that I did not fully take in the experience. Knowing what I know now, the outcome of the competition has very little to do with the rest of your life. Bearing that in mind would allow me to enjoy myself more and not take it so seriously. 

Honey Mahogany

How can the LGBT community best support BLM? 

By listening. Right now, we should be having conversations with POC about their experience of existing in the world today and working together to implement change that benefits us all. Black Lives Matter is more than a protest. It is more than a movement. It is an ongoing discourse. 

How have you been surviving quarantine? Any tips? 

Your ring light and your smartphone can be used for more than just recording your digital content, if you know what I mean (wink, wink). 

Rapid-fire 

Celebrity crush:  Jake Gyllenhaal 

Strangest thing you have bought on Amazon since quarantine: Fancy lube 

Favorite binge-watch TV show during quarantine:   Hollywood. Maybe it’s because I just moved to LA, and I can see the Hollywood sign from my rooftop. It’s a little bit surreal because it’s a part of my immediate environment, but due to COVID, I do not really get to go outside and experience it. 

Who would you have sent home on your elimination episode of Drag Race? 

Everyone except me. 

Worst onstage mishap:
It was more of an off-stage mishap. I jumped off the stage and got eliminated from RuPaul’s Drag Race! 

You can follow Honey on Instagram: @HoneyDavenportOfficial and Twitter: @Honey_Davenport  

And catch her full Pride interview at www.OntheRocksRadioShow.com