May 26, 2014
RuPaul Responds to Criticism of Transphobia
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 2 MIN.
RuPaul and his popular reality show "RuPaul's Drag Race" has come under fire this season for using anti-trans language, like "tranny" and "she-mail," which offended some. Now the iconic drag queen has responded to the controversy in a new interview with comedian Marc Maron.
RuPaul explained on Maron's WTF Podcast that he is not bothered by the word "tranny" and that he loves the word. Maron said that a number of people in the trans community are offended by the use of the word and Ru explained his views on the language.
No, it is not the transsexual community. These are fringe people who are looking for story lines to strengthen their identity as victims. That is what we're dealing with. It's not the trans community, because most people who are trans have been through hell and high water and they know -- they've looked behind the curtain at Oz and went, 'Oh, this is all a fucking joke.' But, some people haven't... You know, if your idea of happiness has to do with someone else changing what they say, what they do, you are in for a fucking hard-ass road.
Ru also talked about the producer's decision to re-edit most of the recently-ended season to cut out the host saying the word "she-mail" in every episode.
My 32-year career speaks for itself. I dance to the beat of a different drummer. I believe that everybody, you can be whatever the hell you wanna be. I ain't stopping you. But don't you dare tell me what I can do or say. It's just words. Yeah, words do hurt... You know what? Bitch, you need to get stronger. You really do, because you know what, if you think, if you're upset by something I said, you have bigger problems than you think...
"You know, I can call myself a nigger, faggot, tranny all I want to, because I've fucking earned the right to do it. I've lived the life.
"I've actually stayed away from this dialogue forever because it's a lose-lose situation. You cannot win with this. I believe what I believe. You believe what you believe. Let's just call it a truce."
Earlier this year, "Drag Race" some found the language on the LOGO reality show to be transphobic and former trans contestants Carmen Carrera and Monica Beverly Hillz spoke out about the incident.
"'Drag Race' should be a little smarter about the terms they use and comprehend the fight for respect trans people are facing every minute of today," Carrera wrote on Facebook. "They should use their platform to educate their viewers truthfully on all facets of drag performance art."
Listen to Ru's thoughts on WTF Podcast below:
