In showbiz, there’s no such thing as bad publicity as long as they spell your name right. But it’s bad policy when Facebook strips the rights of creative individuals who have blossomed into something even more fabulous than the name their mama gave them.”
— RuPaul speaking with The Hollywood Reporter about the ongoing controversy of Facebook forcing drag performers and others to use their legal names
Discover more
iggy6666
Creative individuals, or people that like attention? Facebook isn’t targeting gays….. You’re self sabotaging your own cause!! Get over it and stopwhining.
Mark
If you don’t like their rules don’t use their service. Does Facebook give a reason for this?
Xzamilio
I’m not even a fan of Facebook’s newer policies, but the slant of the reporting here needs to be called out. It’s not a policy directed at drag queens or specifically targeting them; it applies to EVERYONE, including my non-drag queen cisgender gay friend who had to change his FB name to his real name or his account would be suspended. This is some half-assed questionable reporting, guys.
Don’t mark this account as spam, too, Queerty lol
Xzamilio
And my other straight friend who tried to market his tattoo company by using his company’s name as his real name… guess what? He had to change his too…
Gothrykke
@ Mark, iggy6666: Oh, gee, you two are just so well informed. Tell that shite to Lady Gaga and every other performer who aren’t being forced to use their real names. A rule selectively enforced is not a rule, but a suggestion.
adventuretime
@Gothrykke: I’m pretty sure the performers you’re talking about, like Lady Gaga, only have fan pages on Facebook, not actual profiles. If they had actual profiles and were posting on their own behalf and such, they would probably be made to use their real names too. But for fan pages/companies/etc, I’m pretty sure you can name it whatever the hell you want
Xzamilio
@Gothrykke: You DO realize that these celebrities have fan pages, right? You’re not requesting that they be friends with you when you “like” their page. Fan pages are not subjected to these rules, and these drag queens can easily make fan pages and direct their followers and friends to that page.
To reiterate, FAN PAGES ARE NOT PERSONAL ACCOUNTS
Shannon1981
I had my real name with the word “EQUALITY” in it as a middle name for four years. While “EQUALITY” is obviously not my middle name, my first and last name were authentic. Yet, FB will still not let me have that name. To me, that is unreasonable. And, further, what about trans people who have no legal documentation of their new names? That shit can take AGES. They could be living as one identity and legally another for YEARS, quite literally. To be so LGBT friendly, Facebook is woefully ignorant and shortsighted.
Large Marge
I don’t use my ‘real’ name on facebook. Suck it.
QJ201
This all started because of haters reporting drag queen’s profiles…so YES IT IS ABOUT HOMOPHOBIA…and the fact that FB is selectively targeting drag queens and not other performers for enforcement of their BS policy
Cam
I love all of the people attacking this.
Look, FAcebook wants all of your real information so they can sell your information and make money.
NCSilverBear
You go, RuPaul. I like your style.
Bob LaBlah
Does MySpace require the same thing?
Mark
@Gothrykke: that’s a fan page. Not a personal page…