Former contestants of RuPaul's Drag Race are taking to social media to criticise RuPaul for comments he made regarding the eligibility of trans women to compete on the popular TV competition.
During an interview with , the Emmy-winning host was asked if he would allow transgender women to appear on future seasons of Drag Race.
"Probably not," he responded. "You can identify as a woman and say you’re transitioning, but it changes once you start changing your body. It takes on a different thing; it changes the whole concept of what we’re doing."
Regarding Peppermint (Agnes Moore), the popular trans-identifying finalist from Season 9, RuPaul offered some clarification: "Peppermint didn’t get breast implants until after she left our show; she was identifying as a woman, but she hadn’t really transitioned."
"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."
But former contestants of the program, including Season 9 winner Sasha Velour and All-Stars favourite Ben De La Creme have come forward, expressing their disappointment at RuPaul's comments.
Trans woman and drag queen Gia Gunn said in a statement on Twitter: “[It] makes me so sad that our own leader doesn’t even see us as valid competitors in a world that’s supposed to be ‘all inclusive’. I’ve felt this was the case for many years but now it’s presenting itself in the flesh and showing its true colours.”
Former contestant Willam said in an instagram post: "We work with trans women every night side by side and for them to be denied the opportunities because of someone’s narrowminded (sic) view on what they call 'drag' is f**ked."
RuPaul's original comments appear to have been exacerbated by a tweet, in which the drag superstar compared trans drag queens to doping athletes, saying: "You can take performance enhancing drugs and still be an athlete, just not at the Olympics."
He later took to Twitter to apologise, saying: Each morning I pray to set aside everything I THINK I know, so I may have an open mind and a new experience. I understand and regret the hurt I have caused. The trans community are heroes of our shared LGBTQ movement. You are my teachers."
