RuPaul apologises for anti-trans drag queen comments
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA – JUNE 11: RuPaul speaks at the LA Pride ResistMarch on June 11, 2017 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images)
RuPaul has apologised for saying that he would not allow trans contestants on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
The Emmy-winning host faced backlash earlier this month after he said that he would not allow transgender drag queens who take hormones to compete on the show.
Talking to the Guardian, he said that he would “probably not” allow a trans woman to compete on the show, despite the fact that Miss Peppermint, who is trans, competed on season nine of the show and became a finalist.
Several other queens have also openly spoken about having feminising cosmetic surgery prior to competing on Drag Race.
“You can identify as a woman and say you’re transitioning, but it changes once you start changing your body.
“It takes on a different thing; it changes the whole concept of what we’re doing,” RuPaul said.
Related: RuPaul would ‘probably not’ let a post-transition contestant on Drag Race
RuPaul insisted that Miss Peppermint was an exception because she had not received gender confirmation surgery of any type when competing.
“Peppermint didn’t get breast implants until after she left our show; she was identifying as a woman, but she hadn’t really transitioned.
“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,” RuPaul said.
The 57-year-old doubled down on the comments on Twitter and compared taking hormones as a queen to athletes on steroids.
“You can take performance enhancing drugs and still be an athlete, just not in the Olympics,” he said.
The television personality has since apologised for the comments after being schooled on the importance of intersectionality by the likes of former contestants Courtney Act and Monica Beverly Hillz.
(Twitter)
Related: RuPaul compares transgender drag queens to doping athletes, doubles down on Drag Race ‘ban’
Hillz, alongside Miss Peppermint, identifies as trans. Big Brother winner Act has identified as non-binary in the past.
Other contestants who have publicly identified as trans include Gia Gunn, Kenya Michaels, Jiggly Caliente, Stacy Layne Matthews, Carmen Carrera and Sonique.
Mama Ru wrote on Twitter: “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.
“The trans community are heroes of our shared LGBTQ movement. You are my teachers.”
