While RuPaul’s Drag Race hopes to target itself at all and be one of the most inclusive shows on air it has been absolutely dogged with controversy. Among numerous other complaints, the show has been repeatedly slammed with accusations of racism, a complaint which has been reignited recently with season 7 runner-up Pearl posting an image to Instagram of herself with darkened skin.
The post saw the New York-based queen forced to delete the image and issue an apology on social media. The photo attracted accusations of blackface from a number of people on social media including a few other former Drag Race stars, like season 10 competitor The Vixen, who wrote on social media that,
“When people carelessly play with blackface and using slurs etc I think the public outrage overshadows the private hurt that we go through. These daily reminders that this world isn’t safe, welcoming or sensitive to our feelings is overwhelming,” she said, adding,”white people paint their skin the shade of people who have to defend their skin shade and their surprised they have to defend their choice.”
This is in light of The Vixen’s own race-based controversy which sparked discussion during season 10. The Vixen was then seen saying that Aquaria’s tearfulness made her look like an “angry black woman,” before she stormed out of the reunion when she wasn’t supported by Ru.
Fans and critics have pointed out for some time that while some Queens of colour have succeeded by deliberately playing up to stereotypes others, particularly those who don’t speak English as a first language, tend to get pigeonholed and quickly eliminated on the show. In season ten, Season eight winner, Bob The Drag Queen weighed in by highlighting the disparity in social media followings between Caucasian and queens of colour.
The All-stars series brought new controversy as well with the winners of the first three series all being skinny, white and blonde. When a queen of colour Monet X Change won in All Stars 4, she was forced to share her victory with Trinity The Tuck. Social media did not hesitate to point out that this contradicts RuPaul’s previous criticism of what he calls, “participation trophy culture.” “It also, unfortunately, undermines what could have been an important solo win for Monet as the first queen of colour inducted into the Hall of Fame,” said one online critic.
Here are some of the more memorable controversies the show has endured in the past:
1. Valentina’s Masked Lip Sync (Season 9): Oh, Valentina—her name is now forever linked to one of the most cringe-worthy moments in Drag Race herstory. During Season 9’s unforgettable “Maskgate,” Valentina found herself in the bottom two and was tasked with lip-syncing for her life. However, she failed to remember the lyrics, and crashed out of the competition. The controversy wasn’t just about a lip-sync mishap, however, as Valentina’s toxic fans took it upon themselves to slander other contestants on social media, particularly Alexis Michelle. During the reunion show Alexis mentioned the awful messages she had been receiving about her weight and appearance. Naturally the other contestants asked Valentina why she had not tried to stop this, to which she asserted that she wasn’t active enough online. Did we believe her? In short, no we did not.
2. Willam’s Disqualification (Season 4): RuPaul’s Drag Race is no stranger to shock eliminations, but none have sent shockwaves quite like the disqualification of Willam Belli in Season 4. Known for his outspokenness and irreverent humour, Willam’s sudden departure left fans clamouring for answers. It was later revealed that his elimination stemmed from a series of undisclosed violations of the rules, including contraband and outside contact. The secrecy surrounding Willam’s disqualification gave rise to countless fan theories, making it one of the most discussed moments in Drag Race history. In a Twitter conversation with SNL star Leslie Jones, Willam confirmed his rule-breaking got him booted off the show, but claimed he’d done so deliberately because working conditions were so poor. He claimed the set was unsafe; accused staff of harassing him and being racially insensitive to Latrice Royale, and that cast members’ dietary restrictions were not met.
3. Phi Phi O’Hara’s Villainous Edit (Season 4): No discussion of RuPaul’s Drag Race controversies would be complete without mentioning the divisive portrayal of Phi Phi O’Hara in Season 4. Reality TV thrives on drama, and editors crafted Phi Phi into the season’s antagonist, pitting her against fan-favorite Sharon Needles. The resulting “villain edit” led to a wave of backlash against Phi Phi, both on the show and in the fandom. While Phi Phi herself admitted to playing into the drama, many viewers felt that her portrayal was unfairly one-dimensional. This controversy ignited discussions about reality TV’s responsibility to accurately represent contestants’ personalities and questioned whether the edit was a mere product of editing or a calculated narrative. Phi Phi O’Hara returned for “All Stars 2” to prove that she wasn’t a “villain” after all. But old habits die hard, and Phi Phi was eliminated mid-way through the competition after rubbing everyone the wrong way. She also claimed RuPaul didn’t interact with the girls off-camera, adding, “We’re just game pieces for her show.” Considering Ru has been caught on camera struggling to remember queens’ names, there might be some truth to this. Ru responded to Phi Phi’s comments by unfollowing her on social media.
4. Trans people can’t compete: The show also found itself mired in controversy when its namesake, RuPaul, made a statement about transgender contestants. In a 2018 interview, RuPaul expressed reservations about allowing transgender women to compete on the show, stating that transitioning could give them an “unfair advantage.” The comments sparked a firestorm of debate within the drag community and beyond. While RuPaul later clarified his stance and expressed support for all drag artists, the incident underscored the ongoing complexities surrounding gender identity, drag, and inclusivity. This controversy served as a stark reminder that even within a space meant to celebrate diversity, misunderstandings and challenges surrounding the intersection of identities can arise, sparking important conversations about the evolving nature of drag and its place in the broader LGBTQ+ landscape.
