RuPaul. (Screenshot/Instagram)
RuPaul, a 12-time, Emmy Award-winning drag queen, television personality, actor, musician and model called out conservative Republicans and extremists who are engaged in legislative and media attacks on LGBTQ Americans March 8.
In a video posted to his Instagram account, the drag superstar labeled Republican lawmakers passing anti-transgender and anti-drag performance bills as “bullies,” saying “Hey, look over there! A classic distraction technique, distracting us away from the real issues that they were voted into office to focus on: Jobs, healthcare, keeping our children safe from harm at their own school.
“But we know that bullies are incompetent at solving real issues,” he continues. “They look for easy targets so they can give the impression of being effective. They think our love, our light, our laughter and our joy are signs of weakness. But they’re wrong because that is our strength.”
RuPaul continued, calling drag queens the “Marines of the queer movement.”
“Don’t get it twisted and don’t be distracted,” he said. “Register to vote so we can get these stunt queens out of office and put some smart people with real solutions into government. And by the way, a social media post has never been as powerful as a registered vote.”
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RuPaul’s call to action comes as Republican-led legislatures across the country are introducing bills to make drag illegal. In Florida, GOP lawmakers filed two bills, House Bill 1423 and Senate Bill 1438, that would authorize the Department of Business and Professional Regulation “to fine, suspend or revoke the license of any public lodging establishment or public food service establishment that admits child to adult live performance.”
While the term “drag” does not appear in the bill’s text, Florida Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican from Brevard County who introduced HB 1423, made it clear in a Facebook post who he was targeting with this legislation.
“HB 1423 which will protect our children by ending the gateway propaganda to this evil – ‘Drag Queen Story Time,’” he wrote.
Other states, including Idaho, Kentucky, North Dakota, Montana, Oklahoma and Utah, are all looking to ban drag shows in their states as well. Tennessee become the first state to restrict drag this month when Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill banning drag shows in public spaces.
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