RuPaul Charles The network which airs RuPaul’s Drag Race in the US has distanced itself from its host’s defence of the use of words like ‘tranny’ and ‘she-male’. RuPaul Charles has appeared on the WTF With Marc Maron Podcast to address criticism of language on the show which GLAAD and transgender activists have described as transphobic. “Does the word ‘tranny’ bother me? No. I love the word ‘tranny,’” Charles said in the interview. “Don’t you dare tell me what I can do or what I can say,” he continued. “It’s just words. Yeah, words do hurt. ‘Words hurt me.’ You know what? Bitch, you need to get stronger. You really do. Because you know what? If you think, if you’re upset by something I said, you have bigger problems than you think. I’m telling you this.” Charles also claims “fringe people” are responsible for the backlash, not the transgender community. “That is what we’re dealing with,” Charles said. “It’s not the trans community, because most people who are trans have been through hell and high water and they know — they’ve looked behind the curtain at Oz and went, ‘Oh, this is all a fucking joke.’ But some people haven’t, and they’ve used their victimhood to create a situation: ‘No, you look at me. I want you to see me the way you’re supposed to see me.’ You know, if your idea of happiness has to do with someone else changing what they say, what they do, you are in for a fucking hard-ass road.” A Logo TV spokesperson has since told Buzzfeed “These comments did not come from Logo. We are committed to supporting the entire LGBT community and will not feature any anti-trans rhetoric on our shows.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Sunday, 25th May 2014 - 10:46am