LEGENDS
Photo courtesy of Government of California, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
RUPAUL AND THE
TRANSGENDER
COMMUNITY BY DIRK SMITH, (HE/HIM/HIS)
RuPaul Charles is an absolute LGBTQIA+ icon and media mogul who has gained popularity far beyond the gay community. His extensive career goes back to the 1980s where he began performing at various LGBTQIA+ bars and clubs as a drag queen, DJ, fashion model, singer, actor and performer. Along the way he’s inspired many young LGBTQIA+ people, showing them that queer people, especially those of color can be successful while still being their authentic selves. As host of his TV show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and the subsequent Drag Race spinoffs airing globally, RuPaul has elevated the art of drag and the representation of LGBTQIA+ drag artists to heights never before seen. It’s now a given that for any drag artist to reach a wide audience and make real money performing, they have to be seen on one of RuPaul’s shows. Of course with that kind of fame and power also comes increased attention, scrutiny and, as any drag queen or Drag Race fan can tell you, drama! One of the more recent troubling pieces being RuPaul’s relationship with the transgender community. In his “What’s the Tea” podcast, he often regales his listeners of stories from drag culture of the 1980s and how he found friendship and inspiration from many drag queens in his community; more than a few of whom also identified as transgender and have since transitioned. On “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” several transgender women and genderqueer/ genderfluid contestants have participated in the show, most notably Carmen Carrera,
26 COMPETE march-april 2021
