May 27, 2014
RuPaul Calls Out Logo Amid 'Tranny' Debate
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 3 MIN.
After defending the use of the word "tranny" on a podcast last week, drag icon RuPaul lashed out against Logo, which airs the popular reality show "RuPaul's Drag Race," this weekend after the LGBT cable channel released a statement to BuzzFeed, distancing themselves from RuPaul's comments.
"These comments did not come from Logo. We are committed to supporting the entire LGBT community and will not feature any anti-trans rhetoric on our shows," a spokesman told BuzzFeed.
The statement comes after Ru discussed language, like the words "tranny" and "she-mail," during an interview with comedian Marc Maron's WTF Podcast.
Ru explained he's not bothered by the word "tranny" and actually loves the word. Maron said a number of people in the trans community are offended by the word but Ru wasn't having it:
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... 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.
A day after Logo distanced itself from Ru in the statement to BuzzFeed, Ru went on a Twitter rant, calling out Logo and those who say they are offended by the use of the word "tranny."
"Forget an outside threat, the 'Gay Movement' will eat itself from the inside out #OrwellAnimalFarm," Ru wrote. "Orwell's book 'Animal Farm': The pigs didn't really want a revolution, they just wanted to BE 'Farmer John.' The absurdity! It's as if Jay Z got offended by Kanye using the word 'Nigga.'"
Ru added: "It's not the word itself, but the intention behind the word. Trust! @LogoTV hasn't "distanced" itself from me, not while I'm still payin' the f%kin' light bill over there. I've been a 'tranny' for 32 years. The word 'tranny' has never just meant transsexual. #TransvestiteHerstoryLesson. I'm more 'offended/hurt;[ by the misuse of the word 'community.' Pop will eat itself... So will the 'Gay Movement.' My intention is to always come from a place of love, but sometimes you just have to break it down for a motherf%ker."
On May 26, Ru tweeted, "I'd rather boogie than try to fit in," and on May 26 he wrote, "What other people think of me is none of my GD business."
You can listen to Ru's remarks to Maron below: