It's complicated ya'll!
Legendary drag queen and black gay icon RuPaul shocked fans when he abruptly deleted all of his social media postings. In these chaotic times, it's completely understandable why anyone would want to take a break from all that's going on. According to one notable Icon City affiliate, there may be more to the story.
In the post below from openly gay comedian and "Icon" in his own right, Sampson Mccormick shows Rupauls apparently in blackface in one picture and sporting the confederate flag in another. Could this be the reason for him ghosting the public? Maybe he wants to turn away from public life.
Why Context Matters:
Some fans were quick to point out that the picture of Rupaul in the confederate flag-inspired ensembles was a character named "Rachel Tensions" that Rupaul created challenge anti-black bigotry through humor and subversion. Although those pictures might be easily explained, the minstrel-styled make-up will require a more in-depth explanation. Can black people do blackface? Is that even a thing?
While there is a legitimate reason to expect that we will get some sort of response from Rupaul soon enough, the conversation that is happening now involves names and catchphrases like sell-out, coon, or cancel-culture. The fact is that Rupaul Charles has a long history of supporting our community, right? Well, actually, it's complicated.
RuPaul has been so quiet of the Black Lives Matter movement back when it began that "The Advocate," a national LGBT newspaper had to ask him point-blank if he supported the campaign. While his answer wasn't outright dismissive, he did question the efficacy of all types of group efforts for change, including marathons for disease cures. The Advocate also openly mused why he didn't join some of "Rupaul's Drag Race's" most prominent stars in a PSA they recently recorded for Black Lives Matter.
One comment summed it all up!
Is Ru for us the way we've been for him?
