By NICHOLAS NEGRON
Contributing Writer
Despite the recent halt in social progress caused by the 2016 presidential election, ”RuPaul’s Drag Race” has maintained its stature as a pillar of strength for the LGBT community. The internationally broadcasted reality competition series, created by the renowned drag queen and recording artist RuPaul Charles, garnered its highest ratings yet with one million viewers in its ninth season debut. Previously, the series aired on Logo TV, a network present on 44 percent of American televisions. The season nine switch to VH1 has broadened the show’s reach to 69.6 percent of American households, resulting in an early renewal for a tenth season.
The World of Wonder-produced series celebrated its first Creative Arts Emmy in 2016 for Outstanding Reality Competition Host. The Emmy win is not only a triumph for the show but also a victory for the LGBT community as a whole.
Drag was once seen as taboo for challenging heteronormativity. Drag performers were picked apart by hostile audiences of 1990s talk shows, including Donahue and The Richard Bey Show. Viewers displayed genuine fear and anger towards drag performers and cross-dressers, believing that the lifestyles of others compromised their own morality.
Unlike Donahue, other television producers did not have the genuine will to explore controversial topics in the hopes of a better understanding. Depictions on “Trash TV” shows like Jerry Springer and Geraldo attributed to societal perceptions of drag performers and cross-dressers being erratic and mindlessly rebellious. These talk shows thrived on controversy and stagecraft, exploiting LGBT individuals for ratings.
“I remember people thinking drag queens were sad and lonely gay men or the butt of the joke as opposed to being the one making the joke. It wasn’t until movies like ’Torch Song’ and ‘Tootsie’ where I saw the humor in performing in drag,” said Sherry Vine, a New York City legend.
Vine recently celebrated her 25th year of professional drag. She rose to fame in the 1990s, performing in bars and clubs throughout Manhattan. Today, she has amassed over 41 thousand followers on YouTube. Vine did not let stigma deter her away from her passion. One can only imagine the scope of LGBT youth that were dissuaded from pursuing a passion or living in their true self, out of the fear of societal ignominy.
Drag Race has become the antithesis of these inaccurate portrayals, streamlining mainstream acceptance with viewers of all ages. The show has helped LGBT youth embrace their sexuality and inspired a new influx of drag performers.
“Before Drag Race, I didn’t know too much about it except for seeing amazing local queens. I saw them as beautiful god-like humans,” said Dahlia Sin, a drag performer in New York City. “Drag Race has totally transformed drag as a whole and opened the eyes of heterosexuals in America and around the world. The community is expanding and it can only go up for us”.
Sin had the fortune of being exposed to the most positive and realistic portrayals of drag, by participating in the art form in person and on Drag Race. The series has broadened the careers of 113 drag queens, one of them being the loveable and ever-quotable, Gia Gunn.
“I really had no drag or trans influence as a child. I grew up in an area where there was not a high population of queer people,” said Gunn.
Gunn recently made headlines by becoming the latest Drag Race queen to come out as transgender. She attributes Drag Race for magnifying her personal and professional growth.
“Drag Race has given me a platform to be whoever and whatever I want to be, on top of traveling the world and gaining life experience. I think it is what has allowed me to grow as much as I have within my craft, as well as a person,” said Gunn.
The show has also recruited a loyal fan base of viewers outside the LGBT community, particularly, heterosexual women.
“Drag Race is inspiring and gives me confidence. Knowing that they can be themselves and be successful, so can I,” said Saint Rose senior Dominga Gleason.
Gleason is one of the many females that have felt empowered by drag culture. Drag has allowed women to embrace their own inner and outer beauty through example.
“I feel it’s important for those of us who face intolerance and whose rights are in question to become allies. Together we’re stronger and, hopefully, we can make a change. While the past year has politically been a nightmare, it has shown that people from all walks of life can come together and rally against the status quo. We just have to keep at it,” said Saint Rose alumnus Kimberly Burgess.
Both these women are strong allies of the LGBT community. They feel that diversity should be celebrated and protected because, despite your gender, ethnicity or sexuality, everybody is entitled to an uplifting, hate-free life.
The show serves not only as entertainment, but as a vessel for education, bringing dialogue on heavy subjects such as eating disorders, child abandonment, bullying, the AIDS epidemic, and most recently, the Pulse nightclub shooting into homes around the country.
While the relevance of these issues is disheartening, RuPaul’s message of love still shines through. “Mama Ru” has become the maternal figure that many have never had, or even thought they needed. But now, it seems like television would be incomplete without her. She and her queendom of drag artists carry a torch of pride. ”RuPaul’s Drag Race” is a televised fixture of acceptance; the embodiment of perseverance, celebrating life with love, laughter and killer fashion.
