RuPaul Honored By Congress On The House Floor
Rep. Robert Garcia called RuPaul "one and only queen of drag" and he's right to do so.
RuPaul has earned a lot of praise and honors throughout the years, including many Emmys and even a Tony Award, but this has to be a new one, even for him.
In a heartfelt tribute on the House floor, Rep. Robert Garcia lauded RuPaul in front of other elected officials. The openly gay California Democratic politicians recognized the immense talent of the supermodel of the world and pointed to his ongoing support and pioneering work in the drag arts. In his speech, Garcia also commended the entertainer for his unwavering dedication to uplifting LGBTQ+ individuals. And of course he discussed RuPaul’s Drag Race, because how could you not?
“I rise to commemorate the start of Pride Month by honoring the one and only queen of drag, RuPaul,” Garcia said early on during his time on the floor. “RuPaul Charles has become an American phenomenon and an icon; nobody has more charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent than Charles.”
It might sound like a lot of fluffy fun, and sure, there’s an element of that, but there really is a lot to applaud the queen for. “RuPaul also became the first gay black man to host his own talk show, The RuPaul Show,” Garcia pointed out. He also touched on RuPaul’s music career and RuPaul’s Drag Race, which has made the host the most decorated black person in the history of the Emmys.
For those who weren’t in the chambers at the time of his speech, Garcia shared the moment on social media.
To commemorate Pride Month, I am honoring an artist, philanthropist, and barrier-breaker, @RuPaul Charles on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.pic.twitter.com/oxRMbilL1H
— Congressman Robert Garcia (@RepRobertGarcia) June 7, 2023
Garcia is not the first politician to celebrate a drag queen in Congress. After Sasha Colby won the most recent season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Jill Tokuda, the Democratic representative for Hawaii’s second congressional district, recognized the native Hawaiian for her talents and commended her on being crowned the champion to he series.
Garcia’s comments come at a very important time for LGBTQ people and especially those who participate in the art of drag in this country, which is likely why he decided to honor RuPaul in this way at this time. This year, several states, including Tennessee, Florida, Montana, and Texas, have implemented bans or strict regulations on drag performances. Notably, Tennessee enacted a law that applied criminal penalties to public performances that could be viewed by minors, making it the first state to do so.
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