MASTERCLASS

Meet

R uPaul Charles’s chameleonic qualities have

made him a television icon, spiritual guide, and
the most commercially successful drag queen in
United States history. Over a nearly three-decade career, he’s
ushered in a new era of visibility for drag, upended gender
norms, and highlighted queer talent from across the world—all
while dressed as a fierce glamazon.

“Be willing to become the shape-shifter

that you absolutely are.”

Born in San Diego, California, RuPaul first experienced

mainstream success when a dance track he wrote called
“Supermodel (You Better Work)” became an unexpected MTV
hit (Ru stars in the music video). The song led to a modeling
contract with MAC Cosmetics and a talk show on VH1, which saw
RuPaul interviewing everyone from Nirvana to the Backstreet
Boys and Diana Ross to Bea Arthur. He has since appeared in
more than three dozen films and TV shows, including Broad
City, The Simpsons, But I’m a Cheerleader!, and To Wong Foo,
Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.
RuPaul’s Drag Race, Ru’s decade-old, Emmy-winning reality
drag competition, has gone international, with spin-offs set
in the U.K. and Thailand. He’s also published three books:

2
 RuPaul

1995’s Lettin’ It All Hang Out, 2010’s Workin’ It!, and 2018’s
GuRu, which features a foreword from Jane Fonda. Recently,
he became the first drag queen to land the cover of Vanity
Fair. His Netflix debut, AJ and the Queen, premiered on the
streaming service in January 2020.
RuPaul saw drag as a tool that would guide his punk rock,
anti-establishment ethos. For his first drag look, he dressed
in combat boots, smeared lipstick, and a ratty wig with
the goal of shocking a polite society in the Reagan era.
These days, he’s also using drag as a kind of Trojan Horse
to spread self-love and challenge notions about gender
and identity.
In this course, you’ll discover how drag offers a unique vantage
for thinking about the self and your relation to others, you’ll
learn more about how to embrace your own fierceness while
discarding what no longer serves you, and you’ll gain practical
advice for putting together a gag-worthy drag look—makeup,
hair, dresses, and all.
RuPaul sees drag as a conduit to becoming a more vibrant,
fully fleshed-out human being—a mystical exercise as much
as an aesthetic one. He’s embraced it as a life practice. After
taking this class, you’ll understand why. Now grab those heels,
and get to the runway!

WELCOME TO RUPAUL’S MASTERCLASS.

Connect With Other Queens

Want to kiki with RuPaul’s other
students? Then head to community.
masterclass.com to talk about
handling haters, finding your
frequency, and (of course) all things
Drag Race.

3
 RuPaul

Dr a g
BY THE 2hours
to 3
NUMBERS THE AVERAGE
LENGTH OF TIME
IT TAKES DRAG
QUEENS TO DO
THEIR MAKEUP

50,000 600%
Number of people REPORTED BOOST
who showed up
to Los Angeles’s
IN BOOKING FEES
FROM APPEARING 18
DragCon in 2018 ON DRAG RACE Number of students
who first enrolled
in the New School’s
semester-long

55%
PERCENTAGE
$10,000
Maximum amount
course on Drag Race

that RuPaul says

OF DRAGCON
VISITORS WHO
he’s willing to
spend on a gown
$ 60
IDENTIFIED COST OF A SINGLE
AS FEMALE HIGH-END LACE
FRONT WIG

124
$
1
Million+
Number of Drag Race
episodes that have
aired domestically
ALLEGED
ANNUAL SALARY
15
Number of Drag Race
since the show OF TOP U.S. stars who’ve recorded
premiered in 2009 DRAG QUEENS Billboard hits
Finding Your
FREQUENCY

I f you’re trying to be somebody else, you won’t be happy

with the results you get. But when you find your own
frequency, there’s an ease to life: It feels like a warm
jacket, a well-worn boot, or the home you’ve always wanted to
live in. And if you’re paying attention to your emotional land-
scape, you’ll recognize it when you find it.

“There’s a frequency that is unique to you,

and your job is to locate it.”
It took RuPaul decades to realize elemental things about his
personality, like the fact that he loved the way the color orange
made him feel and that he didn’t have to like everybody (also,
not everybody had to like him).
These were seismic revelations. ASSIGNMENTS
Even when he was immersed in the
1. If you had five other lives to lead, what would
punk rock scene, he still wanted
you do in each of them? Is there something
people to like him. He still changed you loved as a kid that you’ve stopped
himself so others wouldn’t feel doing? Why? How could you rekindle that
threatened. “It was such a waste passion in adulthood?
of time,” he says, because when 2. Schedule a one- to three-hour block of
your own energy shines through, creative time this week. You could spend this
people and like-minded energy time doodling in a notebook, learning to
sources will naturally gravitate play an instrument, taking an improv class,
or turning off the lights and dancing to your
toward you. You don’t have to favorite song. The point is to get in touch with
do anything but be true to your your own creative energy source and let it
own frequency. begin to guide you.

6
 RuPaul

Like maintaining a garden, ASSIGNMENT

staying attuned to your own
Find a quiet place in your home, turn off the
frequency requires work. You lights, and sit on the floor with your eyes closed.
have to continually cultivate Breathe naturally. Focus on your breath and
and manage your inner self by how your body moves with each inhalation and
exhalation. If your mind wanders, don’t worry—
performing an inventory and
just bring your attention back to the breath. See
discarding that which no longer if you can do this for three minutes.
works for you.
It can be jarring to realize that many of the things we were
taught as kids don’t align with reality. The tooth fairy didn’t put
that quarter under your pillow, and the 9-to-5 job your parents
hoped you’d take isn’t necessarily going to bring you joy
and stability. When the rug gets pulled out from under you
and you suddenly see the Matrix for what it is, it’s easy to find
yourself trapped in anger, cynicism, and bitterness. But the
next level of recognition is to realize that if life is an illusion,
the goal should be to take it all in stride. Don’t get stuck in the
bitterness. Get to the next level, which is where the joy is.
You want to operate accord-
ing to what Ru calls your Mindfulness: THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT
“frequency,” or your own natural If self-guided stillness isn’t your jam, try one
energy source. You can locate of these meditation apps to get you started.
the source through being still, Headspace
which is as simple as getting Headspace can help motivate you to
silent and listening to your body meditate on a more constant basis. Offering
structured and educational courses, the
and breath. The idea here is app has options for beginners and more
to clear out all the noise and experienced meditators.
distractions: the tweets, break-
Calm
ing news updates, and Pavlovian Calm offers guided meditation exercises,
pulls that muddy our days. breathing visualizations, and sleep-stories
(which allow you to fall asleep to the sound
Through this daily practice, you
of a calming voice). The app’s library of
can create a space for your own ambient music and sounds can also help
ideas and inspirations to flourish. quiet your nerves.

Ten Percent Happier

As you tap into your own energy
Developed by ABC News anchor Dan Harris,
source, all sorts of revelations Ten Percent Happier offers both courses
may come up. Open yourself up and meditations taught by well-known
teachers. It also features a chat function
to possibilities and become a
that allows you to connect with your own
vessel for creative discoveries. meditation coach.

7
Cultural Lighthouses
FOR THE SOUL

M any of us live vicariously through our pop

culture icons. When we see Lady Gaga or
Beyoncé slaying a performance, we feel
that fire, ever so briefly, within ourselves. (It’s called mirror
neurons, honey!) Your favorite artists unlock something deep
inside of you and give you a taste of the creative freedom that
you crave.

“I looked to people in pop culture to help guide me,

like northern stars. And I hitched my wagon to
these stars to tag along.”
RuPaul had an intuitive sense growing up that pop stars could
guide him, so he hitched his metaphorical wagon to his favorite
performers. In effect, he used them to help locate previously
hidden parts of his own personality.
You can do the same by starting to think about the artists who
inspire you. When’s the last time an artist seismically shifted
the way you perceive the world? Who makes you feel like the
creative possibilities are endless? Think of these artists not as
famous people you’re copying but as visionaries who are inspir-
ing your craft; no matter whom you emulate, you will surely end
up contributing your own flavor and personality.

9
 RuPaul

These influences will likely be as eclectic as your personality.

RuPaul was inspired by Monty Python’s savage caricatures,
David Bowie’s otherworldliness, and Diana Ross’s overtly
evident star power. He loved the aesthetics of Cher and Dolly
Parton, whose outfits inspired
his glamazon look. (Before, he’d ASSIGNMENT
been dressing like a streetwalker, Who are your pop culture icons? Make a list
and before that he’d gravitated of their names, along with attributes of theirs
toward a “genderf*ck” look.) that you admire. What’s one thing you could
What Ru’s influences all had do today that would help you channel their
essence? Maybe it’s signing up for karaoke,
in common was a desire to learning how to do a dance routine, or even
break rules and a strong allergy just allowing yourself the pleasure of watching
to convention. your favorite music videos back-to-back.

10
RuPaul
PICK A FABULOUS VACATION: PICK A QUOTE:
Mostly A’s

Finding
A) E
 xploring the catacombs A) “Being booed off stage is just an applause You’re a goth queen! When you’re
of Transylvania from ghosts.” —Sharon Needles not watching horror movies or listening
B) G
 etting a VIP tour of a doll factory B) “I like my men like I like my coffee: to death metal, you’re thinking up

Your Drag
incapable of loving me back.” new and innovative ways to shock
C) A Monty Python tour of Scotland —Trixie Mattel and appall your neighbors. Your spirit
queens are Sharon Needles and Alaska.
D) A Mamma Mia situation on Mykonos C) “ Trinity reminds me of a dear friend

Identity Mostly B’s

E) Berlin for a year (or five) of mine from New Orleans…she’s dead.”
—Bianca Del Rio
You’re a pageant queen! You embrace
D) “ I didn’t mind being slapped across all the traditional markers of feminini-
the face. I was happy for the airtime.” ty and work tirelessly to ensure your
Becoming an all-star queen PICK A STATEMENT THAT —Jinkx Monsoon drag is flawless and elegant. Your
MATCHES YOUR OUTLOOK:
requires just the right mix of E) “The only vers I am is Versace.” spirit queens are Alyssa Edwards, Asia
A) I feel most at home with the O’Hara, and Trinity Taylor.
charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and —Aquaria
freaks and outcasts of the world.
talent. It also requires digging deep
and finding a drag identity that fits B) I am fascinated by traditional Mostly C’s
markers of femininity. You’re a comedy queen! Whether on
your personality. Whether you spend PICK A GAG-WORTHY stage or among your nearest and dear-
your days at Hot Topic searching C) I love drag because of the COSTUME ACCESSORY: est, busting everyone’s chops is your fa-
freedom it gives people to say
for great finds, going to galleries, A) A bucket of blood vorite feeling in the world. Your spirit
whatever they want.
singing at the top of your lungs, or queens are Katya Zamolodchikova,
D) T
 he idea of hitting a perfect vibrato B) Tweety bird feathers Bianca Del Rio, and Jinkx Monsoon.
cracking jokes on Twitter, there’s a
in stilettos excites me. C) An IKEA lampshade
drag career that fits your passions,
aesthetic, and social critique. E) I just want to come up with some D) Collapsible angel wings
Mostly D’s
gag-worthy outfits. You’re a musical theater queen! Per-
E) A rainbow fish on a silver platter forming is in your blood—the wig is just
icing on an already ultra vibrant cake.
You slay the musical challenges and
PICK A BREAKFAST: PICK A PERFECT NIGHT: bring tears to the eyes of your audi-
PICK A DREAM HOME: ence. Your spirit queens are Pepper-
A) B
 lood sausage and a black charcoal latte A) M
 aking friends with all the scare actors mint, Courtney Act, and Trixie Mattel.
at a haunted house A) A
 gothic mansion that was listed
B) S
 pecial K with berries and under mysterious circumstances
a side of low-fat Yoplait B) Sob-laughing at a cheesy romance on
the Hallmark Channel B) Barbie’s Dreamhouse, but real
Mostly E’s
C) A muffin you found under your bed You’re a high-concept fashion queen!
C) “Yes and”-ing your way to comedy gold C) A
 Village loft near that hot dog guy you When you’re not sipping champagne
D) C
 ontinental breakfast at the honestly draw all your inspiration from at fancy art parties or monitoring the
same hotel as the touring cast of D) B
 elting out the classics on karaoke night style blogs, you’re performing at edgy
Kinky Boots—what a coincidence, with all your talented frenemies D) Just a pied-à-terre above the Moulin downtown venues and cavorting with
just happened to be here! Rouge, NBD club kids. Your spirit queens are Sasha
E) Getting into an exclusive Art Basel
E) A
 cluster of bananas you will after-party by being charming and weird E) A
 former auto parts store that’s now a Velour, Detox, and Aquaria.
later use for performance art with the bouncer bunch of artists’ lofts
Cultivating
YOUR TRIBE

R uPaul first drew inspiration from the cast

of Monty Python, a scabrously funny British
comedy troupe whose surreal sketches mocked
everything from politics to identity. But it wasn’t until he
found himself at the School of Performing Arts in Atlanta
that he actually began meeting other people who shared
his sensibility.

“You’re gonna need to find people who can not only

support you but who you can support and
bounce ideas off of.”
At that time, some of the most creative, groundbreaking, and
just plain weird art was being broadcast live on public access
TV—locally run programming that had a low barrier for entry.
RuPaul became particularly fond of a program called The
American Music Show, a haven for avant-garde artists and
bohemians. He wrote a letter to the producers and was invited
to perform on the show with the punk rock group he fronted at
the time, RuPaul and the U-Hauls.
It was crucial for RuPaul to find himself a tribe of people who
believed in his creative vision. Creativity, after all, doesn’t
happen in a vacuum—you need all the love and support you
can get, especially when you’re starting out. Many people

14
 RuPaul

won’t understand your journey; they may ask irrelevant ques-

tions or recommend mind-numbing corporate jobs when
they see you struggling. But your tribe will see you through—
especially people who are able to see outside of the box.
Meeting with others face-to-face is crucial, RuPaul says.
Too often, we mistake social media interactions for genuine
communication. Better to brainstorm with another human
being and open yourself up to their influence.
Older gay mentors also helped RuPaul learn more about the
history and culture of the LGBTQ+ community and gave him
important frames of reference—from Federico Fellini films to
the drag documentary Paris Is Burning. Others, like Randy
Barbato, inspired him to go further than he ever would have
thought possible on his own.
Who inspires you to push yourself further? Who believes in
you—perhaps even more than you believe in yourself? Are
these the people you talk to
every day? Consider making ASSIGNMENT
these friends your highest prior-
Make a list of the most supportive people you
ity. And don’t forget to give back know. Call them up. Propose a brainstorming
and support them in the same session where you discuss creative projects that
way they support you. you can work on together in your free time.

15
Drag
Around
You Better Work
A drag queen
attends Hong
Kong’s International
Day Against

The World
Homophonbia

Walk On
Demon-
straters in
front of the
Russian
Embassy in

Germany
Berlin
Thailand China
In the 1920s, Berlin was home to
around 100 LGBT bars and clubs and
Russia
Drag’s history in Russia dates
Through the premodern era, both
cross-dressers and trans folks have
played large roles in Thai culture.
Female impersonation in Chinese
culture dates to feudal times, back
when women were forbidden from

South
some of the world’s foremost organi- to the days of Perestroika and Those who identify as “kathoey”—a performing on stage. Drag in that
era was chiefly concerned with re-

India
zations pushing for the decriminal- the years after the collapse of the term used to describe male-to-female
alism, not satire. But during the Cul-

Africa
ization of homosexuality. At the time, Soviet Union. In the late 1980s, trans people, third sex individuals,
Eldorado, a Jewish-owned nightclub, the character actor Vladislav and feminine gay men—enjoy great- tural Revolution, traditional Chinese
hosted trans women and drag queen Mamyshev-Monroe performed as Traditional Indian folk arts—in- er visibility than in most other Asian opera was banned and replaced
performers (complete with lap danc- Dracula, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marilyn cluding theater, dance, and ritualized South Africa has a thriving drag countries: Many Thai models, singers, by plays that drew on class strug-
es). The Weimar era would later be Monroe. In the early 2000s, Birds of performances—have long embraced scene in major cities like Cape Town. and movie stars are kathoey, and the gles and other Communist themes.
immortalized in countless books and Paradise, a four-member drag collec- cross-dressing, but donning women’s The oldest and most popular drag country’s newspapers often print the In recent years, the Communist Par-
films. It also ended brutally as soon tive, toured Russia and even scored a clothes for political performance art queen contest in the country is the winners of both female and kathoey ty of China has intensified its efforts
as the Nazi party seized control of contract with a cosmetics company. is a relatively recent phenomenon. It’s annual Miss Gay Western Cape, which modeling competitions side by side. to censor Western influence in Chi-
the country—an estimated 100,000 These days, however, the drag also still a politically risky act in India was held in secret from the 1950s until Drag, however, is a relatively re- nese pop culture, blurring out tat-
LGBT individuals were eventually ar- community has been forced under- to subvert gender norms. Despite In- 1996—around the time homosexuality cent import. Once relegated to the toos, earrings on men, and any other
rested between 1933 and 1945. ground because of the country’s hos- dia’s gay sex ban being struck down was finally legalized in that area. red-light district, there are now drag queer subtext in films and TV shows.
Nowadays, Berlin has been re- tile attitudes toward the queer com- in 2018, homosexuality is still deeply But that same sense of freedom shows across Bangkok run by caba- Any televised representation of drag
stored as a queer mecca, and the drag munity. So-called gay propaganda stigmatized within mainstream soci- isn’t as present in smaller townships. ret performers who ride water buffa- is verboten.
scene in other major German cities is laws have had an outsize effect on ety, while effeminacy is frowned upon Even though South Africa’s constitu- lo, fire handguns, and rock climb while Even so, the Chinese drag scene
robust: In 2017, queens in Germany gay culture, starkly limiting creative within the queer community. tion offers the queer community ex- dressed in drag. Mainstream accep- is still thriving, particularly in Shang-
launched their own political party to freedom. When a bearded drag While there are many forces bear- tensive protection against harassment tance is coming along, too. One fa- hai. What was once an underground
take on white nationalists, and locals queen, Conchita Wurst, won the in- ing down upon the art form, India’s and discrimination, many queens in mous performer named Pan Pan is phenomenon has taken root in bars
say that Drag Race pushed drag fur- ternational Eurovision Song Contest drag queen scene is resilient: Annu- those areas must suppress their queer credited with recently popularizing a and nightclubs across the metropolis.
ther into the mainstream. Among the in 2014, many Russian conservatives al shows like Bombay Ballroom fea- identities for safety reasons. #Black- dance craze called waacking, which Many queens retain day jobs—drag
most famous German drag queens were outraged. Despite the backlash, ture nearly a dozen drag performers DragMagic is a photo project that’s he pulled from ’70s-era L.A. disco cul- rarely pays the bills—but with young
is a performer by the name of Gloria drag queens persevere against all who weave traditional Indian themes challenging these norms by featuring ture. When Drag Race needed anoth- people flocking to shows, there’s hope
Viagra, who towers over her fans at odds, performing at parties across like Bollywood and female saints into township queens in drag versions of er filming location, Thailand was the that the scene will grow and become
seven feet, two inches (with heels on). Moscow and St. Petersburg. their shows. traditional African clothing. winner—and it’s not hard to see why. more established in the near future.
Seeing
YOURSELF

R uPaul’s childhood was full of turbulence. He

remembers his parents fighting on a near-con-
stant basis. At one point, RuPaul’s mother
attempted to get his father’s attention by dousing the family
car in gasoline and taunting him with a book of matches.

“What do you see? What can you see? What do you allow
yourself to see? What are you not seeing?”
In that moment, RuPaul remembers clamping down his feel-
ings as a self-protective measure. “What happens is that the
human body shuts down trauma that might kill you,” he says.
He remembers becoming “a camera,” watching the world
unfold around him without the ability to feel.
Many of us build identities around our childhood traumas,
whether we realize it or not. An absent, alcoholic, or abusive
parent can end up influencing the way we think about
ourselves. For years, RuPaul was haunted by memories of
waiting, fruitlessly, for his father to pick him up from his front
porch. He relived that experience in all kinds of relationships.
Subconsciously, he says, he was pursuing his career in order to
get his father’s attention.

19
 RuPaul

But his father wasn’t present enough in his own life to see the
effect he was having on his son’s. Instead, he was doing everything
he could—whether it was drinking or compulsively gambling—to
avoid the present moment.
In order to transcend his feelings of rejection, RuPaul had to
first realize that his father’s absenteeism had nothing to do
with him. A child can’t rouse an unconscious parent. What
an adult can do, however, is embrace his or her inner child
and show them love and kindness. By walking through his
childhood pain and emerging on the other side, RuPaul gave
himself an opportunity to construct a self that wasn’t rooted
in victimhood.
The point is not to repress painful ASSIGNMENT
childhood memories but to be Close your eyes and conjure up a picture of
mindful of how they influence your eight-year-old self. What would you tell
your work and identity. Treat him or her if you could? Write a letter that
addresses all the challenges you faced as a
your inner child with the respect kid. What have you learned about the world
and love they might not have since then? How would you treat yourself with a
received from a parental figure. bit more kindness?

RuPaul’s Reading List

A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson
In this psycho-spiritual undertaking,
Williamson explores how to surrender oneself
to the power of love—embracing it as a tool
of divine expression and using it as a force
for good.

Toxic Parents by Susan Forward

Drawing on case histories and real-life
examples, this book teaches adult children
of toxic parents how to heal from child-
hood abuse.

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

This spiritual self-help book encourages
readers to transcend ego-based states
of consciousness by undergoing honest
self-evaluation.

20
Handling Haters:
NAVIGATING THE
WORLD AROUND YOU

M any people live in a permanent state of fear

and shame. To these folks, your own freedom
and creativity might represent a threat. Your
own self-actualization reminds them of how stuck they are, and
it makes them angry. They may lash out. Be wary of statements
like “Oh, you think you’re better than me?” or subtler comments
like “Seems you’ve changed.”

“The simplest act of human kindness is to

acknowledge one another.”
It’s vital to understand what does and does not belong to you.
Someone else’s resentment and self-loathing is not yours to
solve; it is their struggle to overcome.
We are all driven, to various extents, by the ego. For some, the
ego is a devil on their shoulder that needs to put others down
in order to feel superior. The only time bullies feel visible is when
they’re creating pain or getting a
rise out of someone else. You can ASSIGNMENT
take solace in the fact that the The next time you find yourself thinking about
joke is on them. As a bully tries to someone who’s mistreated you, schedule time
satisfy their ego and feel superior, to exercise, meditate, or do something else
that creates joy for you. Repeat this any time
the opposite happens: They dig one of these negative thoughts crosses your
themselves deeper and deeper mind until you create the habit of choosing joy,
into self-loathing and insecurity. not negativity.

22
 RuPaul

When grappling with your bullies, be careful not to dig too

deep into their psychology. “You can look at the darkness, but
don’t stare; it’ll make you crazy and cross-eyed,” RuPaul says.
Focus instead on creating environments where you can find joy.
You can also try extending compassion to them. After all,
almost all of us know what it feels like to be stuck and frus-
trated. Practice letting go of the hurt and pain they’re causing
you. It won’t make the abuse stop, but it will help you.
Practice embracing your fierceness. The mask you live in limits
your creativity. It constricts you and stunts your growth. Often,
we settle for a mask that makes the people around us comfort-
able, yet doesn’t reflect the truth of who we are.
Questioning everything can help you understand the origins
of your mask. “Where did this come from?” is always a good
question to ask. Also, “Why am I afraid of being perceived a
certain way?”
We often unconsciously conform to expectations of what we
should be rather than embark on our own journey of self-dis-
covery. But when you realize that you’re living in a kind of simu-
lation—and that everything and
everyone around you is faking it
ASSIGNMENTS
till they make it—you can start to
have some fun and play around 1. Many of us harbor destructive doubts about
our own career goals. The more ridiculous
with the way you present yourself
your fears, the likelier it is that you never
to the world. verbalize them. This week, write down all
of the worst-case scenarios that keep you
Many of us diminish ourselves from pursuing the kind of work you know
out of fear—of the judgments of would make you happy. The sillier and more
others, of what would happen if outlandish, the better!
we allowed ourselves to embrace 2. Keeping a journal can help you come alive.
our dreams. Instead, we can This week, try writing a few pages stream-
begin to discard what doesn’t of-conscious. Maybe something painful
propel us forward while keeping or awkward will get dredged up—good!
Have compassion for yourself. Get it all out.
what we love. Remember: Life is You can’t get over it unless you confront it.
not meant to be an endless slog. Learning to let your emotions flow through
Your life’s work is to shine. you is a lifelong practice. Why not start now?

23
Owning
THE ROOM

R uPaul believes everyone should try drag and see

what emerges. He sees the act as transformative
and revealing—not only of who you are but of
what lies beneath. “You will be a much bigger, more realized
person” once you try it, he says, and it will help you understand
your relationship with femininity and your own body.

“The way to own a room is to walk in with all of your energy.

You are an energetic phenomenon. Your soul is
made of stars. Stars shine.”
It does require confidence. Even chutzpah, some might say. If
the prospect makes you nervous, it’s worth investigating those
fears. Often, people are afraid to let themselves shine—afraid
to be illuminated by their own frequency—because of the
attention and judgment they think it will bring. Perhaps they’re
afraid they’ll be perceived as overly vain or sexual. But, as
RuPaul says, it is your life’s work to shine: “You were not born
to fit in. You were born to stand out.”
Coming up with a drag persona is a spiritual exercise as
much as it is an aesthetic one. You might realize you’re drawn
to a look that’s safe rather than one that actually fits you.
When RuPaul first wanted to hit the big time, he went out and
performed in an androgynous David Bowie look. It took time

25
 RuPaul

for him to realize that a glamazon aesthetic made him feel

most powerful. Once he learned he could present himself to
executives and other gatekeepers as the RuPaul we know and
love, huge opportunities began to land in his lap.
If fear continues to stand in the way of your pursuits, you may
need to give yourself some more TLC. When performing for the
first time, RuPaul recommends imagining being surrounded
by unconditional love. He plays a trick on himself whenever
he’s on stage by pretending
he’s performing in his mother’s ASSIGNMENT
living room. She loved watching There are as many ways to come up with a
him perform. He felt a power- drag name as there are stars in the sky, but if
ful kinship with her that gave you’re having trouble getting started, here’s a
him confidence. quick exercise that will get your gears turning.
Write down:
So, instead of imagining what • 5 favorite characters from film or TV
a crowd may or may not be
thinking, imagine yourself • 4 of the weirdest foods you love

basking in the love of a friend • 2 bizarre video game avatars

or family member. Envision
• 3 of the funniest nicknames your friends have
yourself performing for your given you
silly gang of high school friends
• 6 of the most inspiring ferocious animals
who made you snort-laugh or
a favorite aunt who always • 3 pet names that make you laugh
made you feel whole. Trying to Take a look at your answers and think about
gauge the pulse of an audience what makes you laugh as well as what feels
is a fruitless exercise in self-de- most memorable. Then try to package that
feat. Treat yourself like you’re word in a way that’s surprising to read out loud.
already a star. And if every- Alternatively, you can try to think of words that
one is gawking at you—good! make you laugh and feminize them—like Avery
They should be. You’re fabu- Goodlay, Sham Payne, or Lucy Stoole.
lous. Breathe and tell yourself: The only rules are to have fun and let your
I’m fine. imagination run wild.

26
 RuPaul

THE HERSTORY
of D r a g 1

I
t’s not hyperbole to say that for as long
as there’s been a stage, there’s been
someone in drag performing on it. The
history of cross-dressing stretches all the way 2
back to ancient Greece, when the very idea of The Early Years
theater was first born. Women at the time were 1 A 1943 issue of
barred from participating in productions be- Reynolds News
2 American
cause of the perception that acting was too vaudeville
dangerous, meaning men acted all of the roles. perfomer Julian
Later, in the Middle Ages, the Christian church Eltinge
continued that trend, declaring the stage
off-limits to females out of concern for their
sexual propriety. In Elizabethan dramas—most
famously Shakespeare’s tales—it was common
for men to play both male and female roles.
It wasn’t until 1660, when King Charles II lifted
gender restrictions on stage, that women were
finally allowed to play themselves.
In Japan, this history repeated itself, with the-
aters banning female actors from the 17th to the
19th century. tumes,” and the word probably referred to men
Even if you were to travel to 1800s England in the 1800s whose petticoats “dragged” when
after the gender ban was overturned, though, they performed as women.
you’d probably still run into more than a few By the 1920s, the word was being used as part
men dressed as women. Pantomime blos- of a secret language called Polari, a slang born
somed during that era, with masculine-look- out of the criminalization of homosexuality in
ing performers acting ladylike for laughs. And England and that drew on the vernacular of
in the United States, traveling vaudeville shows the theater. (Words like camp, trade, and butch
often included men portraying women in satir- all come from Polari.) In 1927, Russian American
ical fashion. psychiatrist A.J. Rosanoff’s Manual of Psychiatry
But none of this was called drag. That word defined drag as “an outfit of female dress worn
wasn’t coined until 1870, when the Reynold’s by a homosexual” or as an actual event where
Newspaper (later Reynolds News), a tabloid men wore female dresses.
in the U.K., printed what many see as the first The modern drag movement, however, can
mention of drag in a gender-bending context. be traced back to Julian Eltinge, an American
The article referenced an invitation for men vaudeville performer, singer, and actor in the
to come to a party dressed in “women’s cos- early 20th century who brought a new level
 RuPaul

of artistic cachet to the act of female imper-

sonation. His audiences, mainly women, were
brought to ecstasy by his performance, accord-
ing to the comedian W.C. Field. (Men were said
to “go into the smoking room.”) Eltinge made his
Broadway debut in the 1904 musical comedy
Mr. Wix of Wickham and soon even performed
for England’s King Edward VII. He went on to
become the highest-paid actor in the world.
But Eltinge was careful to emphasize his 1
butchness off stage lest anyone get the wrong
idea. (Among his favorite extracurricular activi-
ties were boxing matches.) Even towards the end Making Herstory
of his career, in the late 1920s, the queer com- 1 Drag queen Divine
munity was still largely underground, revolving (left) and director John
Waters pose in a promo
around bars in big cities like Chicago or New for Hairspray 2 Divine
York. Drag was common at these venues, lead- attends the 1975 pre-
ing to the so-called pansy craze of the 1930s. miere of Waters’s Female
These drag shows drew on Harlem’s storied mas- Trouble 3 Cher was one
of RuPaul’s many guests
querade balls, a tradition dating to the 1860s, on The RuPaul Show
and by then the phenomenon had gone global. 2
A visitor to Berlin’s gay bars in the 1930s would
have found a similarly thriving drag scene (be-
fore the Nazis ruined the party, of course).
In the United States, these performers had
to contend with a legal system that punished
non-normative gender expression. Between
1848 and the lead up to World War I, 45 cities 3
passed laws against cross-dressing. But in spite
of all this, the drag tradition continued to flour-
ish, with queens playing a significant role in
the Stonewall riots (a catalyst of the gay rights
movement) and gay liberation.
Changing ideas about masculinity in the ’70s look at what it takes to become a drag queen.
affected drag, but the art form found ways to The decade also saw the first international Drag
stay relevant. John Waters’s Pink Flamingos King extravaganza—in which women dress as
(and later Hairspray) featured a filthy-mouthed men—and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen
queen named Divine who was so scandalous of the Desert, which starred two drag queens
that he was later named Drag Queen of the in lead roles. The RuPaul Show came along in
Century by People magazine. (It’s said that his 1996 and became the second-ever television se-
performance inspired the creation of The Little ries to be greenlit by VH1. Over two seasons and
Mermaid’s Ursula.) 100 episodes, the show would attract illustrious
By the ’80s, drag was all about realism: The guests like Cher, Tina Turner, and Diana Ross.
idea was to look as much like a woman as pos- In 2009, RuPaul’s Drag Race premiered, and
sible in high-fashion evening wear. This era saw over the course of 10 seasons, the series intro-
the birth of Wigstock in Manhattan’s East Village. duced drag to an entirely new generation. The
In the ’90s, Paris Is Burning offered a searing rest, as they say, is herstory.
There Is No Such Thing
AS FAILURE

A t age 28, RuPaul was sleeping on his sister’s couch

and trying to put his life back together. He’d
moved back to Los Angeles after working as a
go-go dancer and performance artist in New York during the
height of the AIDS crisis. Now, he was penniless and wandering
the streets, wondering where he’d gone wrong.

“Failure allows you to find the places

that you had no idea existed.”
A friend, Larry Tee, jolted him out of his malaise. “What are you
doing?” he asked Ru over the phone. Larry bought his friend a
plane ticket back to New York so that RuPaul could “remember
who he was.”
That was January of ’89. By September of that year, RuPaul
had been crowned the Queen of Manhattan. He’d changed up
his aesthetic, gone full glam, and begun to entrust his profes-
sional life to mentors Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, who
encouraged his solo music career.
“In hindsight,” RuPaul says, “I realized I needed to hit rock
bottom to have the energy and the gumption to fight for
my position.”
Many of us go out of our way to try to avoid the possibility of
failure. And yet it’s crucial to our success. Whether it’s the loss

30
 RuPaul

of a job, a project that isn’t received the way you’d hoped, or

just a feeling that you’re not fulfilling your dreams, life’s hard-
ships can become catalysts for tremendous growth—so long
as you don’t get mired in self-blame and shame.
Failure represents an opportunity to improve. Seeing it that
way can help you grow and learn from your mistakes rather
than expecting perfection right off the bat. Pushing yourself
and failing is a great way to eventually succeed.
“Many of the worst things that happened to me were gifts
because they taught me what worked for me,” RuPaul says.
Most things don’t work: Out of every five things RuPaul creates,
he says that only one works. But there’s no such thing as failure
because even the things that
don’t work eventually lead to ASSIGNMENT
something that does. Without thinking too much, make a list of things
you’d try if you weren’t afraid to fail. Would you
The goal, he says, is to stay in write a book? Start a podcast? Choreograph a
the game—and to be of service dance routine? Bake an upside-down cake? Aim
to humankind. for at least 12 goals.

31
Serving Body:
PROPORTION AND
PRESENTATION

S moke and mirrors are a drag queen’s best

friends. To shine on stage, in the boardroom, or
at a friend’s party, it’s fine—encouraged,even—to
embrace a little bit of illusion.

“It’s time for you to make your move.”

Ru manipulates, or “corrects,” his silhouette in drag to make
himself seem more proportional. “I have very long legs;
when I have high heels on, they’re even longer,” he says.
“So I have to create more head space.” No one is perfectly
symmetrical and no one has the perfect proportions. Rather
than lamenting your body type, think about your clothing
as a way of experimenting with shape-shifting.
Striking a pose can trick a camera, too. When you’re
in the crosshairs of a lens, try elongating your neck,
dipping your chin, expanding your chest, moving your
shoulders back, and making sure your hands are doing
something other than explor-
ing your pockets (which implies
ASSIGNMENT
that you’re hiding something).
Ultimately, fashion is about Go to a secondhand store and pick the most
playing with the expectations outrageous item you can find—the one that’s so
weird and out-there that it makes you a little bit
of other people and finding nervous just holding it. Wear it in public and see
new ways to surprise them. how it makes you feel.

33
Building Your
DRAG MAKEUP
ROUTINE

“Every single person within the sound of my voice

should get into drag and see what emerges.”

35
RuPaul

36
RuPaul

37
 RuPaul

DRAG ECON 101

DRAG’S POPULARITY HAS LED TO AN INCREASE IN
CASHFLOW—BUT SOME QUEENS JUST CAN’T MAKE IT REIGN

A
sk most queens and they’ll tell you that vorite from Drag Race season 4, started LRI Tal-
they didn’t get into this industry for the ent and Management, which now represents
money. Any monetary reward pales in fellow queens Alexis Mateo, Shea Coulée, and
comparison to realizing your own beauty and Kennedy Davenport.
power on stage. When starting out in a big city, you can expect
But drag’s ascendency around the world has to make anywhere from $50 to $250 per gig
made it easier for many performers to make the plus tips (which can be plentiful). But expenses
art form their primary income stream. Some top can skyrocket into the thousands—sometimes
queens today are reportedly millionaires. Lu- upward of $10,000—when you factor in costs
crative revenue streams include wig and cos- for makeup, costumes, and travel.
metic lines, merch like T-shirts and enamel pins, To make more, you’ve gotta go prime time,
YouTube advertising, and touring deals. honey. The heftiest paychecks are being doled
Still, there are no unions, no company- out to stars who made the biggest splash on
mandated health insurance plans. The hours Drag Race. Alyssa Edwards, Trixie Mattel, Bob
are long, the prep work intense (two to three the Drag Queen, and Katya Zamolodchikova
hours at minimum to do your dress- have all appeared on Netflix shows,
ing and makeup, all unpaid), while Mattel has two country
and the process of finding music EPs and an album that
a trustworthy promot- climbed to number one on
er can be a real head- Billboard’s Heatseekers
ache. Stories abound Albums chart. Other
of fly-by-night com- queens have written
panies embezzling books, landed in ad
appearance fees campaigns, starred
and tour revenue. in films, and even
Many queens created their own
now rely on word- drag-themed mo-
of-mouth to find bile games.
the right manage- And to think: All it
ment, while others took (at least initial-
have gone into busi- ly) was a wig, some sti-
ness for themselves. lettos, a few pounds of
Latrice Royale, a fan fa- foundation, and a dream.
Putting On the
FINAL TOUCHES

R uPaul’s obsession with wigs can be traced back

to an early encounter with fake hair. As a kid in
San Diego, he remembers gathering his friends to
investigate a mysterious wig that had fallen into a canyon near
his house. “It was like an alien that had just landed,” RuPaul
says. The blond mop so fascinated him that it sparked a life-
long love affair.
After he was bequeathed two wigs by a friend in Atlanta, RuPaul
experimented with stacking one on top of the other, pushing
his hair to new heights. He appreciated the way multiple wigs
allowed him to tap into multiple personas, which ultimately
transformed his look. Today, he’s practically a wig evangelist.
“Wherever you can put a wig, I say go for it,” he says.
Thankfully, it’s easier than ever to find a wig that goes over your
scalp and emulates your natural hair. Lace front wigs should
do the trick. While they once cost as much as $1,500, you can
now find a great lace front wig for less than $60.
RuPaul still wears two wigs at once to achieve his desired
volume and height. Because his legs are long and his torso is on
the shorter side, he says he needs to even out the proportions
of his figure with sky-high hair. He’s not a big fan of human
hair; the synthetic kind, he says, holds better. “The apocalypse
could happen and the [synthetic] hair would stay in that style.”

40
 RuPaul

Wig Care T ips From Drag Queens

From storage to styling, these little hacks will help you keep your (fake) hair pristine.

STORAGE CLEANING / RESTYLING

Queens who know their way around a wig say you You’ve got to be careful when washing your wigs.
should store them in very large Ziploc bags, and If they’re synthetic, you’ll need to use a wig-specific
then when you’re traveling, place those bags in a shampoo and conditioner. First, fill a sink with cool
part of your suitcase that’s been partitioned for water, then add wig shampoo to the sink. Soak the
the wig. When you’re back at home, feel free to wig for five minutes or so. After that, snatch that
stick ’em in a box under your bed or on a manne- wig and dip it up and down in the water. You can
quin head. tackle any makeup stains with a small brush (like
a toothbrush). Then rinse the wig off in cool water
STYLING and repeat the process with conditioner. Rinse
Synthetic wigs react differently to styling than again, dry with paper towels, and voi​là! A squeaky-
human hair and can be hard to manage on your clean head of hair.
own. When styling a wig for the first time, make
sure it’s completely dry. Plop it on a mannequin WHAT TO BUY
head so you can get a 360-degree view of your Lace front synthetic wigs are better than the
hair art. Then go to town, using a stainless steel human hair kind, both in terms of durability and
brush (for synthetic wigs) or a boar bristle brush (for looks. But if you’re anticipating wig damage or
the human kind). Be sure to only use wig-specific you just want to experiment before going all in on
styling products, and lightly mist the wig to start. a pricier hairpiece, you can find all kinds of wacky
To add volume, separate the wig fibers using your wigs at the local dollar store.
fingers and direct the spray at the roots. Wait a
few minutes after spraying to allow the style to set.

41
Parting Words
FROM RU

“You are the reason why this course was created. I hope that
by applying these teachings, you can clear away the baggage
that stands in your way and become a more fully realized
human being. The world needs you to step up and give the
gift of you.
Now that you’ve learned about all the hidden booby traps that
exist and how to disarm them, now that you’ve learned how
to apply both makeup and a new persona, now that you’ve
understood that it’s not your fault but it is your responsibility,
now that you’ve realized that we’re all insecure but we are not
separate from each other, it’s up to you to take all of these
lessons and apply them to yourself. Don’t miss this opportu-
nity—it has your name written all over it.
Life is hard whether or not you choose to become the person
we both know you really are. So why not go for it? Why not
choose your own path?
Our secret weapon against all the darkness in the world is our
joy, our love, dancing, colors, wig, lip gloss, and chiffon for
crying out loud! Live a fabulous life. Can you handle it? I think
you can.
You are a sweet, gorgeous, beautiful child. Give your love to
the world and allow the world to love you back.”

43
 RuPaul

CREDITS

T he Rupaul Show (1996) RuPaul's Drag Race — various clips

VH1’s “The RuPaul Show” & “RuPaul’s VH1’s “The RuPaul Show” & “RuPaul’s
Drag Race” used with permission by VH1 Drag Race” used with permission by VH1
©2020 Viacom International Inc. All ©2020 Viacom International Inc. All
Rights Reserved. Rights Reserved.

T he Ed Sullivan show — Diana Ross and 'RuPaul' — Season 1, Episode 11

T he Supremes — Always (1968) Licensed by Warner Bros. Entertainment
“The Ed Sullivan Show” courtesy of SOFA Inc.
Entertainment/Historic Films Archive, LLC.
Zaldy from Vogue
Contact sheet of RuPaul images Courtesy of Condé Nast, Corey Tenold,
©Al Clayton Vogue (c) Conde Nast

David Bowie C BC interview VanityFair_Holiday2019:2020.jpeg

CBC LICENSING Courtesy of Condé Nast, Annie Leibovitz,
Vanity Fair (c) Conde Nast
Monty Pythons T he Meaning of Life
Courtesy of Universal Studios Licensing
LLC

44