And I'll further clarify that I was paraphrasing what I read and definitely could have misquotes Rupaul. From what I remember, he has never said he was "just" Transexual or "just" anything. I do remember that Rupaul has talked extensively about drag as performance (and not necessarily in those terms but the flavor of it).
I've always read and observed Rupaul (and yes, giving homage to the packaged value of what he and his managers present) as extremely body, gender, and self positive. I've appreciated Rupaul as one of the most visible Drag Queens in the world who has always appeared to handle racist and gender-phobic comments from his detractors with class and dignity. In short, I think Rupaul is pretty fucking fabulous.
Language is a tricky thing. Like, I love to identify myself as a fatass. A Dyke. A Faggot. A Honky. A Cunt.
I know several of those words make other people really uncomfortable. I've even had other people who don't fall into any of those categories tell me that I shouldn't use those words to describe myself because it makes them uncomfortable.
So here's where I get hung up. I've also had people who DO fall into those categories with me tell me that I'm "upholding the Patriarchy by calling myself a cunt" or "supporting racism by calling myself a Honky" or "exercising Fatphobia by calling myself a fatass" or "being Lesbianphobic by calling myself a Dyke" or "being Homophobic by calling myself a faggot".
And maybe all of those things are true.
Until they're not.
Can a fat, white, queer woman really be fat phobic, racist, Lesbianphobic, and Homophobic? Sure.
But that's only until I am speaking about myself and my own experiences by reclaiming language of a category that I fall into.
My views on language have changed a lot in the last few years. Hell, my views on what marginalizes and disempowers has changed a lot in the last few years. It might change again.
Right now, today, I feel like I get to describe myself howeverthefuck I want to describe myself. (caveat, caveat, caveat)
And, in large, I feel like Rupaul does too.
Now, caveat the fuck out of all of that by adding that Rupaul clearly has a responsibility to his community and the use of the T-word. I think if he wants to be accessible to Transfolks that he needs to listen to the concerns of the folks telling him that the use of the T-word hurts them. Whether or not he actually chooses to do anything about it might be up for discussion.
I also recently read that Heklina of the Bay area show "Trannyshack" will be changing the name of the show and even that has been drawing some severe criticism on both sides. Some folks arguing that she shouldn't "give in to the bullying of the word police" (or something to that effect) and some arguing that "she's only changing it because people are breathing down her neck". So basically, she's damned if she does and damned if she doesn't and hopefully, in the end, she'll do what her heart tells her is right.
Which leads me to ask folks this: Does the performance of art or the use of offensive terminology in artistic performances change your views at all about what words are allowed or not?
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