8/26/09: The Executive Vice President has issued an apology to Ericka Aviance and the LGBT community“Much of the success of The Wendy Williams Show is due to our incredibly diverse and colorful audience and we all agree that fashion is a true form of self expression. But in an attempt to explain and enforce our show’s dress code, I was not as sensitive as I could have been to Ericka, the LGBT community or drag’s long history of being a target of discrimination. And for that, I sincerely apologize as it was never my intention to offend in any way.” ~ Lonnie Burstein, Executive Vice President, Programming & Production, Debmar-Mercury (GLAAD).
8/14/09: The Wendy Williams Show is a syndicated talk show by the "shock jockette" herself who talks about a range of topics. Wendy Williams has been considered a friend to the gay community, often appearing to be a drag queen herself, and using many gay terms on the show. That's why it came as a surprise to drag singer Ericka Toure Aviance who was blocked from appearing on the show due to her outfit.
Aviance says "she wore "a black baby-doll dress, heels, tights, and standard makeup — not even anything sparkly … a ponytail piece and a bang piece".What is really hypocritical is the fact that the Wendy Williams website does state this about their dress code policy:
While standing in line outside the studio Wednesday morning, the group was approached by a female intern who noted the fact that Aviance was a drag queen. “She took my name down, so we thought we were about to get VIP treatment,” Aviance recalls. “After another hour we got to the door, and there’s this little white man standing there giving us the eyeball. He gets in our way to prevent us from going in, and he says, ‘You’re in violation of our no-costumes dress code. We usually don’t do this, but we know you’ve been waiting out there for a while, so we’re going to let you in. But you can’t appear on camera, and if you get up for Hot Topics or try to ask Wendy a question, you’ll be removed from the building" (Advocate).
Is there a dress code?So it appears that Aviance was mistreated for being a drag queen and not based on her attire because her outfit certainly is not a costume.
YES! All audience members may appear on camera. Think trendy…think stylish…think chic! Above all else, think WENDY! Bright colors look best on TV and we ask that you refrain from wearing white. Floral prints and other crazy patterns don’t look good on camera, and we know you want to look your best! Absolutely no hats, sunglasses, costumes, shirts with logos/writing, shorts, or casual tank tops will be permitted.(Wendy Show).
The Wendy Williams show does not have an official contact form, I urge you to leave a message on her blog, use the Ask Wendy on her site, or contact her via twitter to request an apology.
