Far be it from me to parse the motivations of the California schoolteachers who presented portraits of O.J. Simpson, Dennis Rodman and RuPaul during a Black History Month parade. Perhaps they were well-meaning, albeit misguided, in their efforts. Probably not. At any rate, thereโs been (predictably) a great hue and cry from those charging that the contributions of black folks were being mocked.
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Iโd be the last person to defend O.J. (Iโm convinced that he did it) or Dennis Rodman (clearly heโs got, shall we say, issues).
But I will, however, defend RuPaul, drag diva/author/singer/actor and host of Logo TVโs RuPaulโs Drag Race. Why lump him in the same category as a convicted felon and a fallen basketball star whoโs pled no contest to domestic abuse? Sporting stilettos and a blond wig while possessing no small quantities of testosterone does not prevent one from qualifying for black hero status.
Drag does not equal disgrace.
The outcry over RuPaulโs inclusion in the Black History Month parade has a lot to do with the black communityโs continued issues with homophobia and outdated notions of rigidly defined black masculinity. As The Rootโs Natalie Hopkinson noted in her excellent dissection of the Sidney Poitier syndrome, our yearning for โpositive imageryโ means that, more often than not, we like to see our heroes wrapped in neatly inoffensive packages, superheroes โslaying racial stereotypes.โ An Amazon armed with tucking panties, corsets and platinum lace-front wigs doesnโt fit neatly into our pre-assigned notions of race and gender.
โI'm not convinced this was an accident. Three white teachers pick Simpson, Rodman, and RuPaul โฆ arguably the three worst picks for black personalities, for their Black History showcase? Not buying it โฆ sounds like they're smearing the whole practice of the history month,โ wrote one Los Angeles Times reader.
Seriously? RuPaul, one of the โworst picks for black personalitiesโ? Someone who is a โsmearโ on Black History Month? Weโre talking about someone who took his hardscrabble beginningsโemotionally abusive mother, high school dropout, tormented as a kid for being gay, homelessโand transcended it, creating a one-drag-queen industry of books (two), hit records, movie roles and a reality TV show where homage is paid to what RuPaul calls the โcreative, courageous souls who do drag.โ
"I'm not the greatest actor, singer or even drag queen," RuPaul once told me. "I knew my biggest asset was my personality, but people couldn't see me just as I am. The truth is that I'm a man; the illusion is that I'm a woman. But of the two, the illusion is truer.โ
I interviewed RuPaul in Chicago back in the โ90s, when he was making headlines as the worldโs first superstar drag queen. I met up with him in his downtime, when he looked like your average, handsome, freckled, bald, 6โ4โ brother with a 5 oโclock shadow trolling Michigan Avenue in search of a cookie fix. He was, he told me, โworking a male realness drag.โ For him, his female, drag-queen persona is performance art, not a 24/7 thing. If you catch him at home, he told me, youโll find him, not in high heels and pancake, but in his boxers, remote control in one hand, beer can in the other.
I found him to be smart, funny, thoughtful, grounded. He was, simply put, a ray of sunshine.
We split up for the afternoon, so that he could make his top-secret, three-hour transformation into Miss RuPaul, queen of the giant glamazons. Later, I rode with him in his limo to his book signing. Folks of all colorsโbaby drag queens, moms with strollers, church ladiesโwere lined up outside the block, armed with books, photos and an outsized love. These were folks seeking acceptance, validation and a good laugh. RuPaul served it to them all, encouraging the wannabes (โSheโs working lower lashesโ) and cooing over babies. One young gay kid told me that, thanks to RuPaul, he no longer was depressed about his sexual orientation. The night was a total love-in, with RuPaul spreading his gospel of self-love and self-acceptance.
"I am representative of the black male experience," RuPaul told me then. "Because that's what I am.
"Some people say I've sold out. I turned my persona into a cartoon character so that I can appeal to more people. I wear blond hair on brown skin. I'm always happy and smiling. And I present serious issues in a palatable way.โ
Teresa Wiltz is The Rootโs senior culture writer. Follow her on Twitter.
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