Stephanie Yellowhair

Stephanie Yellowhair
Born(1976-12-13)December 13, 1976
Fort Defiance, Arizona
DiedMarch 30, 2018(2018-03-30) (aged 41)
Tse Bonito, New Mexico
NationalityNavajo
Notable work"Excuse My Beauty"

Stephanie Yellowhair (December 13, 1976 – March 30, 2018) was a Navajo transgender activist who inspired the use of the slogan "Excuse My Beauty" while appearing on an episode of Cops in the early 2000s.

Biography

Stephanie Yellowhair was born in 1976 to Shirley and Skeet Yellowhair Sr, in Fort Defiance, Arizona.[1] She was a member of the Táchiiʼnii and Zuni clans. She graduated from Window Rock High School and attended Cosmetology Academy for a degree.[1] She was arrested on an episode of Cops for being a "public nuisance," and was arrested again in August 2011 for DUI.[2][3] On March 30, 2018, Yellowhair died of chronic illness at the age of 41.[4]

The phrase "Excuse My Beauty," has appeared several times in RuPaul's Drag Race,[5] Latrice Royale released a song at a Drag Convention in Los Angeles 2018, called “eXcuse the beauty.” Royale said the song was inspired and written in homage to Yellowhair, who had "just passed away."[6] Her confrontation with the police also inspired a scene from Comedy Central's Reno 911!.[2]

Stephanie appears in the 2019 ContraPoints video titled Gender Critical.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b "Stephanie Yellowhair". Navajo Times. Window Rock, Arizona. April 5, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Leavell, Jeff (6 April 2018). "The Death of Stephanie Yellowhair and the Resilience of the Queer Spirit". www.vice.com. Vice News. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  3. ^ K, Michael (25 April 2012). "The Return of Excuse My Beauty!". dlisted.com. Dlisted. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  4. ^ Davis, Andrew (10 April 2018). "Anchorage vote, eighth trans murder, Grindr apology". www.windycitymediagroup.com. Windy City Times. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  5. ^ Drushel, Bruce E. (2017). Sontag and the Camp Aesthetic: Advancing New Perspectives. Lexington Books. p. xii. ISBN 978-1498537773.
  6. ^ Horbelt, Stephen (24 April 2018). "Latrice Royale and Epiphany Are About to Drop a Brand-New Track for the Ballroom Crowd". hornet.com. Hornet. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  7. ^ ContraPoints (2019-03-30). Gender Critical | ContraPoints. Retrieved 2024-05-22 – via YouTube.