Since 2009, RuPaul’s Drag Race has dominated queer media. With its iconic one-liners and contestants going on to gain incredible notoriety, it’s a show that people of all walks of life can appreciate. It’s also introduced this niche form of queer expression to mainstream media and, in turn, has made people a little more accepting towards the LGBT+ community. However, RuPaul has recently come under fire for making certain comments regarding transgender contestants on his show.
He said to the Guardian, “You can identify as a woman and say you’re transitioning, but it changes once you start changing your body.” Additionally, when the interviewer asked Ru if he would accept a contestant who had “really transitioned”, he responded with, “It takes on a different thing, it changes the whole concept of what we’re doing.” Many people, such as myself, saw this as a kind of erasure for people who may not be seen as the conventional performers of drag, such as women and transgendered people.
Ru has since apologized for his comments made, but many of the former queens on his show have publicly replied to these statements. Famed queens such as Monica Beverly Hillz and Peppermint are openly transgender. From the information I could find, ten former contestants have come out as trans either during or after their season.
Charlene, a trans drag performer from Brooklyn who has not been on Drag Race, spoke out about Ru’s comments on Instagram, saying, “Legends like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were referred to as drag queens and never batted an eye, and Lady Bunny responds with a high-pitched giggle if you call her transgender. Here’s the gag: most straight people still don’t see the difference. They see effeminate gay men, drag queens, and trans women all as faggots and do not bother to dissect any further.”
Season 8 winner Bob the Drag Queen spoke out in response to Ru’s comments on Instagram, saying, “Let me say this in no unclear words: DRAG IS NOT ONLY FOR CIS MALES. I don’t think anyone is pushing that narrative. It’s not for anyone else to determine when someone’s transition has started or ended. Nor is that anyone’s business. Now let me say this in no unclear words: FIGHT THE REAL ENEMY. There’s a lot of work to be done in this community. Let’s do it whilst strengthening ourselves.”
The entire concept of drag lets people explore their gender identity and redefine what it means to be a “man” or a “woman”. It’s an art form. Little-known forms of drag such as drag kings (women who dress as men) and “bio queens” (women who adopt the traditional style of male drag queens) are swept under the rug. I’m happy that some form of this performance is being widely recognized, but for someone who preaches about knowing one’s Herstory, RuPaul can be awfully selective. We need to celebrate this form of expression and recognize that at its core, it’s for everyone: not just white gay guys.
