RuPaul nabbed his sixth Emmy for RuPaul’s Drag Race on Sunday. But as he and his team gathered on stage to accept the trophy for Best Reality-Competition Program, many couldn’t help but notice that Ru was alongside a largely white, cisgender male crew.
Every single person behind Rupaul on that stage is white.
On. Brand.
— Shut up already, damn! (@onlychyld) September 23, 2019
Afterwards, when Essence reporter Danielle Young asked Ru about the noticeable lack of diversity, he didn’t take the question as well as he probably could have.
“I’m curious about how you feel, especially as someone who represents so strongly for the LGBT+ community,” Young asked. “Do you feel like it’s important for that to be represented behind the scenes as well?”
In the press room at the @TheEmmys, I asked @RuPaul to address the diversity or lack thereof in his show @RuPaulsDragRace. And… pic.twitter.com/kL1EYxJQXK
— Danielle Young (@RhapsoDani) September 23, 2019
Ru responded first by interrupting Young to make joke about how he supports the “BLT community.”
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“I love myself from bacon, lettuce, tomato,” he said.
When he finally got around to actually addressing Young’s concerns, he avoided acknowledging the lack of diversity among his show’s crew by instead pointing out his own visibility: “Well, first of all, the host of our show is Black, gay, and a drag queen. So check, check, and check!”
He continued, “But we’re pretty diverse, there are lots of different types of people here. But is it important? Absolutely.”
Then he incorrectly quoted Oprah‘s “All my life I had to fight” quote from The Color Purple.
“You know, I grew up … I had to fight … I feel like I’m about to quote a movie right now,” Ru said. “It wasn’t easy getting here. You know what I had to do!”
Needless to say, Young wasn’t impressed by the response.
What bothered me about RuPaul’s response.
1. When I said he reps the LGBT community, he said also the BLT community. ?
2. He thinks bc he is Black, gay & a drag queen, that somehow is diversity quota is met.
3. He couldn’t quote The Color Purple.
4. Look at the “diversity.” pic.twitter.com/Kks07oYDsE
— Danielle Young (@RhapsoDani) September 23, 2019
Others felt similarly…
https://twitter.com/hausmuva/status/1175996059975323648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1175996059975323648&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.papermag.com%2Fres%2Fcommunity%2Ftwitter_embed%2F%3Fiframe_id%3Dtwitter-embed-1175996059975323648%26created_ts%3D1569214284.0%26screen_name%3Dhausmuva%26text%3DI%2Bdon%25E2%2580%2599t%2Bhave%2Bany%2Bone%2Bidea%2Babout%2BRuPaul%252C%2Bbut%2BI%2Bdo%2Bhave%2Ba%2Bwish%253A%2BI%2Bwish%2BRuPaul%2Bwas%2Bbrave%2Benough%2Bto%2Bembody%2Bthe%2Bsame%2Bcou%25E2%2580%25A6%2Bhttps%253A%252F%252Ft.co%252FAwNJvze1vt%26id%3D1175996059975323648%26name%3DMyles%2BE.%2BJohnson
like rupaul won an emmy and when asked about diversity… compared LGBTQ to a fucking bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich… pic.twitter.com/6ewnwvqUNL
— AALIYAH ? (@theaaliyahkylie) September 23, 2019
rupaul really said "no, we're pretty diverse, there are lots of different types here" with an array of beige last night.
where has the diversity ever been? i'm still not over having a majority black season of drag queens and a white queen still winning. pic.twitter.com/ZfLnkcAjN9
— zavier. (@zwingham) September 23, 2019
Rupaul can most certainly bring Black Queer creators to produce and direct his show and I think that’s the point on diversity. Drag Race gets its ratings from the diverse cast but when it’s award time Ru and the White folk in the back get the recognition. https://t.co/DlfN4w3p6U
— GET UP ? (@wyetthasspoken) September 23, 2019
Rupaul when someone asks him about diversity https://t.co/i2XXAMUVgf
— Dnellicious (@Dnellicious) September 24, 2019
We’ll admit, the optics weren’t great. But if there’s one thing we know about Ru, it’s that she’s a pro when it comes to reinvention.
Over the years, RuPaul has demonstrated an ability to grow and evolve with the times. It’s part of how he’s been so successful. We wouldn’t be surprised if this time next year, as he’s accepting his seventh Emmy for Drag Race, things look a little different.
Related: RuPaul makes a huge announcement about ‘Drag Race’ in 2020
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Scott Amundsen
I can’t stand RuPaul and I have never been able to. He’s nothing but a bitch ~ so much attitude for so little talent.
paul dorian lord fredine
sounds like someone who doesn’t have 1/100th the talent ru has. jealous much?
Bob LaBlah
I love Rupaul. But I do wish she would get the courage (and financial backing) to produce movies about several black gay men and women who before long are going to be long forgotten. There are three that come to mind (Gladys Bentley, James Baldwin and Langston Hughes). Minuscule documentaries have been done about them but its time to do it on a grander scale. HBO did an excellent job when they made Bessie (Queen Latifah and Monique playing the notorious lesbian Ma Rainey) a few years ago but Gladys Bentley unfortunately remains an unknown to most. Many people have heard of James Baldwin and Langston Hughes but few knew of the turbulence in their upbringing. Ol’ Gladys said to hell with all of them and lived her life as she desired. If Rupaul has to prove his blackness he should do so by producing a quality film regarding a black gay person before his time. That should put an end to this foolishness about who and what he hires and associates with taking center stage. I advise Billy Porter to enjoy his honeymoon whilst he can because they will be coming for him next with lil’ Nas to follow.
dmanhart
Perhaps you are unaware of this, but RuPaul is not a director or producer of movies. He doesn’t have that kind of clout.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
Dmanhart you sound like a typical queen who refuses to see things past the tip of his nose. Once you have been in television and entertainment you tend to want to branch out and I suggest those projects as examples of things he could do were he ever interested in branching out. What has been proven by this exposure is beginning to sound as though Rupaul is good for nothing but drag and theatrics in front of the camera and waits till he is told to open his mouth and say anything on his show. I mean really, is he asking me to believe that he didn’t see this coming up one day? Did he make the girls who appeared on his show sign a non disclosure argreement about what they saw going on backstage to the press? Yes, I know they have backstage shows about the cat fights that went on but now could those too have been staged? I love Rupaul, yes, but I sure as hell no longer see him in the light that I once did. He is being led by the hand and I’m glad it came to light. Is it REALLY his decision as to who goes and who stays? Does he even have a say in it or is his say written for him? I am now starting to wonder such things because he did blow that response and he clearly was not prepared for such a question to ever come up. It looks as though he is making appearances on a show that has his name on it and I bet I’m right after really thinking about it.
masterwill7
So American, always negative, always making it about colour of something else to be offended for! The show speaks for itself, lots of everything in there!
dmanhart
I am an American, and I soooo agree with you. One person made a comment here that they were upset that RuPaul wasn’t making movies.
stonercharles
couldn’t agree more and I too am an American
Aaron
I’m a Walrus from the Atlantic Ocean and I don’t understand why all you humans wear clothes. You all get so offended by nudity. In the sea, we don’t care about clothes at all.
DarkZephyr
The interviewer laughed at the BLT joke. She was all “Ha ha ha! BLT, Ha ha ha!” Now she’s pretending it bothered her.
dmanhart
Yup!
TheMarc
Indeed! Afterward, she realized this could be her “moment.” And proceeded to drown the internet in her “woke” fury.
rustyiam
Maybe they hire based on talent and experience and not the color of ones skin! IE they are not racits! 😉
Aaron
Right! There are absolutely no talented people of color. White males are clearly more talented. That’s why more than 80% of staff everywhere needs to be White males.
MISTERJETT
it’s his show and he can hire anyone he wants to. he doesn’t have to explain anything to anyone. i’m sure he hires whoever he thinks is the best person for the job. if you want to have some say in who gets hired, then get your own show.
Aaron
Agreed, if I have a subconscious preference for mostly hiring people within my own race and gender, I should have the right too.
boymikefl
This is not affirmative action. Hire the best. They screamed when boy george thought of having a female play him. Why do you care? Should blacks only hire blacks, whites whites, men men, women women, gay gay, straight straight? Hire the best. When you are successful and people want to tell you who to hire, you’d be just like Ru. Hire the best. Are you calling Ru racist? Get a life.
stadacona
“Diversity” is SJW-speak for getting ridding of white males.
Kangol2
Long time no see, did you just wander over here from the Klan rally? You really sound too triggered and fragile to make it through the day. Get some help, frau!
Aaron
Correct! White males are being oppressed. They are the most oppressed group on the planet. I cry incessantly every time I think about it.
BigJohnSF
They are probably all World of Wonder or Logo execs, so predominantly white gay men. And we know how y’all gate white gay men.
Kangol2
Who’s “gating” white men? Is that a thing? Is that your thing? Do tell.
RiBrad
Wow the identity politics obsessed crowd always find a way to eat their own. I would’ve thought Ru’s success would be something to celebrate, but there is always a reason to sacrifice people to the god of identity.
JessPH
Those are the executives behind World of Wonders. RuPaul doesn’t hire them.
People would whine about everything. Ugh
Miss Understood
Twitter:
Bob The Drag Queen
@thatonequeen
17h
Michelle Mills, Rupaul, Mandy Salangsang, Jamala Gaither, Alicia Gargaro-Magaña, Swaga Deb, San, and the late Jacqualine Wilson (who passed weeks before the Emmy Awards) all POC with producer credits on Drag Race. Plus 74%of the cast. The truth is the truth no matter who knows it.
Gay Veteran
It’s hard to take people who have been on the WOW payroll seriously.
sfhairy
Everyone trying to tear down a proud, beautiful, gay, black man. A man who has done more for gay rights and inclusion than anyone at the Emmy’s or this website.
IanHunter
If they are good at their jobs, it shouldn’t matter what race or gender they are.
Aaron
Yes, White males are generally more talented than any other race.
chaz54
Give it up…
Almost all these negative comments flow out of the mouths of those too young to know any reality; if you don’t know history, shut up!
Unlike everyone else, I’m not afraid to tell some truth here… am I the only one who remembers the 70’s?
It was hard enough being openly gay back then but if you were queer black and fem, your own black community treated you like dirt.
Furthermore many blacks dudes, after doing the “down low,” would thank their black brother (or sister) by beating the crap out of them as a “warning” to keep their mouths shut about what just transpired, being that the so called straight dude was the one doing the servicing.
There, is that clear enough for all you diversity divas?
Yup, sure thing, Ru loves being the black focus.. so what, he EARNED it. Everyday he walked around the city he took a virtual risk with his life, sounds like courage to me.
All I see here is a bunch of self righteous jealous loud mouth fools who aren’t satisfied that the diversity lies with the fact that a tall talented runway queen had the focus, instead of all you oh do more deserving brothers & sisters. Disgust for black queers is still alive and well in said “diverse” community … SHUT THE HELL UP.
[If you don’t get the BLT comment, you all are more ignorant then this 65 year old WHITE queer thought.. Yup WHITE and overjoyed to embrace Ru, and all those who actually did wind up. d e a d and the trans community who are still be butcher while you all pat yourself on your bully breeder backs.]
22 hours ago
stonercharles
Could we please for a moment look at what an accomplishment winning 6 Emmy’s really is considering the lack of positive representation of our community even in the recent past. Why must we constantly attack each other and find fault even in the positive accomplishments of members of the community??? Could the show be more diverse, yes, should we have more features of the leaders of the past who are leaving us, yes, could we be happy with what we have accomplished for at least a second, that is a question I would love to have answered.
justgeo
JUst like a boiling pot. Some/one/thing gets tothe top and everyonel else is sure they belong there too.
Roan
Bonus Points if any of you understand and know where that “BLT” comment came from.
Gay Veteran
The mayo trolls are out on this topic
jw8890
If people think that that was everyone who worked on the show behind them thdy are fools. There is diversity behind the scenes. People probably don’t even know that JuJube and Delta works do her hair and makeup on the show now. There was a producer that died recently she wasn’t white. Just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they’re not diverse. This was just another SJW being outraged over something thry probably have no business being outraged over.