RuPaul’s shout-out to drag-queen story hours at the 75th Emmy Awards drew pushback from those leery of grown men wearing sexually provocative women’s garb reading books at public libraries to children.
RuPaul used his acceptance speech to promote drag-queen story hours after “RuPaul’s Drag Race” won the Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Program for the fifth time.
“If a drag queen wants to read you a story at a library, listen to her, because knowledge is power, and if someone tries to restrict your access to power, they are trying to scare you,” RuPaul, a gay man who was not dressed in drag at the Monday awards show in Los Angeles. “So listen to a drag queen. We love you!”
His speech was taken apart by All-American swimmer Riley Gaines, host of the “Gaines for Girls” podcast on OutKick, who has joined Kirk Cameron on his Brave Books children’s library readings aimed at countering the drag-queen events.
“RuPaul is right. Knowledge is power,” Ms. Gaines told The Washington Times. “What RuPaul is wrong about is that a drag queen can provide knowledge. Drag queen story hours are not meant to provide knowledge to kids. They’re meant to push an agenda that scares the most vulnerable people — our children — into thinking they have to listen to drag queens read stories to them or they’re not being inclusive enough.”
Not the Bee, the non-satirical arm of the conservative Babylon Bee, reported: “RuPaul took the time during his Emmy win last night to remind us that we should let drag queens read to our kids at the library.”
Conservative commentator Armstrong Williams, who hosts a long-running public affairs show, said on X that “RuPaul decided to voice his unwavering support for men scantily dressed in public reading stories to your children.”
“What has this country come to? I mean, just listen to the applause in the audience. It’s absolutely sickening. All of them support this craziness,” Mr. Armstrong said. “Will America ever get back its morality.”
RuPaul won an Emmy, and what did he do when he got the spotlight?
— Armstrong Williams (@Arightside) January 17, 2024
He promoted Drag Queen Storytime at libraries.
You heard that right. In front of a national audience, after winning an award, he decided to voice his unwavering support for men scantily dressed in public reading… pic.twitter.com/noa5zwFHTb
Those cheering RuPaul’s speech included the left-of-center free-speech group PEN America.
“@RuPaul offered a powerful defense for Drag Queen Story Hours at libraries while accepting the outstanding reality competition award at the Emmys on Monday night,” said PEN America on X.
Interestingly, RuPaul and the transgender community haven’t always been on the same page. In 2018, he drew the movement’s ire by suggesting it would be unfair to allow competitors undergoing medicalized gender transitions, saying that it “changes the whole concept of what we’re doing.”
“We’ve had some girls who’ve had some injections in the face and maybe a little bit in the butt here and there, but they haven’t transitioned,” he told the [U.K.] Guardian.
RuPaul quickly walked back his comments after an outcry, saying on X that “I understand and regret the hurt I have caused. The trans community are heroes of our shared LGBTQ movement. You are my teachers,” according to Vox.
A record five of the show’s 14 contestants in last year’s season were transgender, as was the winner, Willow Pill.
At the Brave Books See You at the Library event in August, Ms. Gaines said she witnessed “a wealth of knowledge pour out of the parents and children who attended.”
“They are the ones with the power, our future generations, and we ought to listen to them and the stories they tell before we ever lend an ear to a drag queen,” she said.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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