RuPaul makes history as the first ever drag queen to cover Vanity Fair
The host opens up about why 'true drag' will never become mainstream
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
RuPaul makes history as the first ever drag queen to cover Vanity Fair.
There’s not a name out there who will not know the name RuPaul or have never heard of RuPaul’s Drag Race and it’s no surprise.
Hosting 11 seasons of US Drag Race, four All Stars seasons and this year’s Drag Race UK, RuPaul has become a household name.
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And now, the Mama Ru has made history as the first ever drag queen to cover Vanity Fair for their January issue – out now.
While covering the publication, RuPaul says that although a ‘superficial aspect’ of drag has becoming mainstream, ‘true drag’ never will.
He says: “A superficial aspect of drag is mainstream. Like, the ‘Ooh, girl’ or ‘Hey girlfriend!’ or ‘Yaaas.’ That’s mainstream culture.
“But true drag really will never be mainstream. Because true drag has to do with seeing that this world is an illusion, and that everything that you say you are and everything it says that you are on your driver’s licence, it’s all an illusion.
“Most people will never in their lives understand what that is. Because they don’t have the operating system to understand that duality.”
Now Ru is preparing to release his first ever scripted Netflix season, AJ and the Queen.
Co-created by Sex and the City‘s Charles and Michael Patrick King, AJ and The Queen is set to arrive on the streaming giant on 10 January 2020.
The scripted series sees Ru star as Robert Lee, aka drag queen Ruby Red, who goes on a cross-country roadshow after being swindled by hustlers only to find himself landed with a 10-year-old street kid named AJ (Izzy G.) who stows away in his van.
Watch the trailer below: