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In an interview with the Guardian last week, RuPaul expressed her hesitation over allowing transgender drag queens onto her show. Drag is considered by many to be a symbol of rebellion against patriarchy and toxic hyper-masculinity in modern culture.
Trans women who have undergone any kind of gender affirming surgery as part of their transition will “probably not”… https://t.co/tYOgvrCT4F— INTO (@INTO) 1520105850.0
"Drag loses its sense of danger and its sense of irony once it's not men doing it, because at its core it's a social statement and a big f-you to male-dominated culture," RuPaul told the Guardian. "So for men to do it, it's really punk rock, because it's a real rejection of masculinity." One contestant on Season 9 of Drag Race, Peppermint, identifies as transgender and became a focal point of RuPaul's comments.
When asked if Peppermint should be allowed to compete, RuPaul replied, "it's an interesting area... Peppermint didn't get breast implants until after she left our show; she was identifying as a woman, but she hadn't really transitioned." Essentially, RuPaul is saying that even though Peppermint was still "technically" a man, at least physically, her participation in the show was questionable.
It saddens me to witness prolific LGBT icons such as RuPaul disregarding & disrespecting the trans community like h… https://t.co/x3eWMi7cJv— Conor (@Conor) 1520295144.0
"Probably not. You can identify as a woman and say you're transitioning, but it changes once you start changing your body," RuPaul said when pressed further. "It takes on a different thing; it changes the whole concept of what we're doing. We've had some girls who've had some injections in the face and maybe a little bit in the butt here and there, but they haven't transitioned."
His comments have drawn ire from both drag performers and transgender people.
Some views RuPaul's comments as not only transphobic, but misogynistic as well.
RuPaul has since issued an apology for his comments, wherein he insists he meant no offense. In his apology, RuPaul said that the trans community are "heroes of our shared LGBTQ movement. You are my teachers."
RuPaul called the trans community “heroes of our shared LGBTQ movement” in his apology 🏳️🌈 https://t.co/do7V7kTGUQ— BBC_HaveYourSay (@BBC_HaveYourSay) 1520347945.0
He also issued a tweet saying that "each morning I pray to set aside everything I THINK I know, so I may have an open mind and a new experience. I understand and regret the hurt I have caused."
Each morning I pray to set aside everything I THINK I know, so I may have an open mind and a new experience. I unde… https://t.co/S7YLFTMHDz— RuPaul (@RuPaul) 1520294274.0
Peppermint issued a succinct, heartfelt response to RuPaul's apology.
As humans we are constantly growing, evolving and most importantly, learning. A special thanks to @billboard for al… https://t.co/wpbWGLG2FP— Peppermint (@Peppermint) 1520380977.0
But not everyone was satisfied with the apology.
@RuPaul we love you but we still mad https://t.co/v56ZyNnonP— fernando (@fernando) 1520294359.0
One fan of the show, Phil, felt that "there's no apology over there, she didn't say sorry or anything like it."
@McDreaBean @KylerRomme @DerekPlease @heartedkaty There’s no apology over there, she didn’t say sorry or anything like it— Phi (@Phi) 1520295415.0
But at the end of the day, RuPaul did the right thing by apologizing.
@colddesire @McDreaBean @KylerRomme @heartedkaty She did apologize. Re-read it. Including the word "sorry" might ha… https://t.co/a0JCjjOqSW— Derek (@Derek) 1520295595.0
