RuPaul at the 75th Emmy Awards in January 2024 Photo: Kevork Djansezian-USA TODAY via IMAGN
With LGBTQ+ rights under fire across the U.S. and around the world, RuPaul of Drag Race fame is following her own prescription for fighting back: “You better work!”
Since starting the Drag Defense Fund in April 2023, the drag icon and her popular television franchise have raised over $2 million in partnership with the American Civil Liberties Union, Drag Race producer World of Wonder, and MTV.
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Over 500 bills in the last year alone were introduced to roll back LGBTQ+ rights, including bans on drag performance in states like Tennessee and Kentucky, inspiring both boycotts and performances that dared state officials to enforce the draconian laws aimed at drag artists.
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“Drag has a long history in the queer community as not only a source of joy and creativity but as a source of power,” Joshua Block, senior staff attorney for the ACLU’s LGBTQ and HIV Project, said in a statement.
“Thanks to the hard work and promotion of MTV, World of Wonder, and the queens of Drag Race, the Drag Defense Fund continues to fuel our work defending LGBTQ rights across the country at a time when those rights are under relentless attack.
“We’re so thankful for this partnership and the support it provides our critical work defending LGBTQ people, our rights, and our families.”
In September, the ACLU filed suit against Blount County District Attorney Ryan Desmond in Tennessee after he threatened to shut down a scheduled Blount County Pride event featuring drag artists. He did so despite a federal ruling that the state’s drag ban is unconstitutional.
A federal judge sided with organizers and barred Desmond and local law enforcement from interfering with the event, which went off without incident.
The previous May, Lizzo dared officials to shut down her concert in Knoxville when she brought on 20 drag performers, including several Drag Race alums, for the song “Everybody’s Gay.” Voguing ensued, and officials refrained from interfering.
“I was told by people on the internet, ‘Cancel your shows in Tennessee,’” Lizzo told the audience. “But why would I not come to the people who need to hear this message the most?”
Donations for the Drag Defense Fund have been powered by a QR code that appears at the end of episodes of RuPaul’s RuPaul’s Drag Race and the RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars spin-off, encouraging fans to donate.
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