The folks over at The Advocate might need to start taking ginkgo biloba. While CNN and various other LGBT media outlets (this one included) covered the story about Mary Cheney’s Facebook post where she questioned the social acceptance of men in drag versus white people in blackface, The Advocate posted its own online article with one glaring omission — Cheney was inspired to make the comparison after watching a promo on TV for RuPaul’s Drag Race. Other than a quick reference to RuPaul above the byline in the article, there is no mention of Drag Race; an important piece to the story considering it was what prompted Cheney to post her question on Facebook.
If this sounds odd, let’s go back in time to last year when Parker Molloy was a freelance writer for Advocate.com. During the airing of season six of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Molloy wrote several unflattering hit pieces about the show and its host and executive producer, RuPaul. While the posts sparked quite a bit of debate, they were biased and one-sided since they were written from the perspective of an outraged individual. Of course, we all know how that story ended. Molloy and Advocate.com parted ways last October after several messy fiascos involving her inability to stop lashing out at people on social media and in private messages.
Now as RuPaul’s Drag Race gears up for another season, it seems the editors over at The Advocate would prefer to not give the show any notable mention on its site at all. In addition to yesterday’s omission in the Mary Cheney story, the Advocate also neglected to sufficiently report on LogoTV’s announcement earlier this week regarding the premiere date for the groundbreaking crossover hit’s upcoming seventh season, merely offering a cursory mention of the “battle of the seasons tour” in an entertainment roundup column. Although the announcement was covered in depth on its sister site, Out.com, it just seems curious that a publication once considered a leader in LGBT media wouldn’t give more substantial coverage to RuPaul and LogoTV — especially in light of the negative write-ups from Molloy that it posted last year.
Cam
Sounds like they tried to get RuPaul for an interview and he said no and now they have decided to be pissy about it.
Hey, HRC spent more time attacking gay groups advocating for marriage then they did actually fighting for our rights, why should a large gay magazine be any different? Easier to attack your own than to actually do real reporting.
jvcarroll
Drag is more than some fella putting on a dress. It’s not about mocking women either. On the contrary, it celebrates strong women. Drag is a long-standing cultural tradition born from LGBT oppression. It’s a mirror reflecting pop culture and absurd societal and gender norms. It takes a lot of hard work and skill to do it right and to maintain a persona. There are many much easier ways to make money. Performers do it for the love of the art. And yes, it is very much an art form. Most of all – it’s fun!
Statements like Cheney’s are the very definition of ignorance. A person forms an opinion from a limited perspective and look no further than their own experiences. Such people are missing out. Growing up gay in a politically conservative family partially responsible for running one of the most bigoted presidential campaigns in American history must be tough. I don’t envy her. But she has largely stayed silent when our rights were in question only to selfishly speak-up when statements mention her personally. If Ms. Cheney is seeking some sort of claim in our community, she must first establish herself as part of it and invest in it.
Imagine the kind of change the support of someone like Cheney could facilitate in the lives of marginalized, at-risk LGBT youth. Just think of what her support could have done for the It Gets Better campaign. Her involvement could actually save lives. Instead she tries to tear apart an important part of LGBT heritage by insulting drag queens. Honey, crawl back under your self-loathing rock and leave the media appearances to those better suited for the limelight. As for blogger Ms. Molloy – respect your elders. Life may be hard for you, but it was much harder for those who came before you.
Desert Boy
Who cares about the Advocate? If you try to read an article on their site, you’re forced to sit thru a 30 second ad. Pathetic.
Harley
The Advocate? Is that rag really still being published? I thought it went out of publication years ago. It certainly has no relevance in my or any of my friends lives. Really, they should just go away. Nobody cares about it anymore.
KM201
The Advocate Magazine is so far gone now it’s not even funny. They used to be an amazing news source for gays and lesbians, but now they largely a place for fluff pieces and nonsense. There was a time last time where they may have made a comeback, but those days are over. Like with In the Life, I’ll always remember it for its heyday. There’s other news outlets online that’ll serve my needs. There’s is not a source that I need any longer.
Dee Omally
RuPaul is an embarrassment to the LGBT union. He has yet to apologize for making transphobia a part of his show. He is representative of the part of the gay establishment that engages in transphobia. He is NOT transgender but cross-dresses for entertainment, which is admirable but it is damnable that he chose to speak for transgender females. You all know exactly what I am talking about but probably won’t care anyway. A gay male and a trans female are far from being one and the same.
The Advocate, having seen RuPaul’s true colors, wants no part of the embarrassment. RuPaul’s comments, public display of transphobia, and above all lack of remorse prove that he is no friend of the transgender community. He has found success and that is admirable. However by trashing the transgender community, aided by other drag entertainers, one of which disgustingly created a trans-violent video depicting a trans murder, RuPaul has become insignificant to the greater LGBT good. The Advocate, by keeping this trans menace at bay, has exercised sound wisdom.
badtungsten
@Dee Omally: I knew it was only a matter of time before drag queens became targets of the lunatic PC fringe. I disagree with Mary Cheney’s assertion that drag=blackface, however, one would have to be an idiot to not see the wide open door that the crazies like Dee Omally are walking through. As for you Dee Omally, please calm your self-righteous outrage before you have a stroke. Life is too short!
level75RDM
@badtungsten: I agree. What does being respectful towards others matter so long as I’m having fun?
ChgoReason
We’re all adults here. No need to read too much into drag personnel decisions.
Cam
@Dee Omally: Dee Omally,
Remind me of something will you….Has the Trans community apologized for using the legalization of Marriage in New York State to attack the gay community? Oh, they haven’t?
So just so I completely understand you, the Trans community can attack gays, lesbians, and bisexuals non-stop and that is ok and is never supposed to be talked about.
Funny how people like you never mention that RuPaul actually had a Transgender woman come out on his show multiple times, putting them before a wide audience as a sympathetic person, but wait, acknowledging THAT would mean that you wouldn’t be able to continually attack RuPaul and continue your anti-gay ways.
If the Advocate is in with all of the little Parker Molloy clones, then they aren’t even worth the paper that they are no longer printed on.
jason smeds
RuPaul is ridiculous. I have never taken to him. I hope his show is taken off the air.
Merv
@Dee Omally: The trans community doesn’t have exclusive ownership of the words “tr*nny” and “sh*male”. They’ve been used in the drag community since forever. If drag queens want to use it to describe themselves, and you’re not part of that community, then you get no say in that decision.
BritAus
@jason smeds: It’s starting it’s seventh season next month and the show just keeps getting bigger & bigger, so good luck with that 😀 lmao
odawg
@jason smeds: You are just TRAGIC. Now sit down, Felicia.
Arconcyyon
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mbfmark
Its sad to see what has become of the Advocate since I came out 35 years ago. Try to imagine a world with no internet or social media, pre “Will and Grace” where equal rights for gays and gay marriage were barely conceivable and most gay people lived in the shadows of society. Back in those days, the Advocate was the only nationwide media voice the gay community had. I waited expectantly for every issue to come in the mail and give me hope that we might be headed to a better future. But the older we get, the more difficult it becomes to adapt to the rapidly changing zeitgiest and I guess the Advocate and myself haven’t done the best job of keeping up with the times. But just remember, that it was once there advocating for equality for the LBGTQ community when almost nothing else was!