Libs of TikTok Attacks RuPaul Over Emmy Win
Prompted by a post from Libs of TikTok, right-wingers blasted RuPaul over his acceptance speech defending drag at the 2024 Emmy Awards.
The right-wing Libs of TikTok account attacked media personality and drag queen RuPaul for a recent Emmy acceptance speech in which he appeared to defend Drag Queen Story Hour events.
The tweet prompted a number of online commenters on X to slam the annual awards ceremony, hosted by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, for honoring RuPaul’s Drag Race — now in its 16th season — with the Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition Program.
Several commenters also used the opportunity to accuse all drag queens of being pedophiles and seeking to “groom” children.
In his speech, RuPaul, out of drag, expressed gratitude for the award while flanked by fellow Drag Race judges Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, Ross Matthews, production assistants, and contestants from the Season 15 cast of the popular reality TV show, which has been nominated 63 times for various Emmy awards, and has taken home a total of 29.
“We are so honored to have this award,” RuPaul said. “Listen, you guys are just pure lovely for honoring our show and recognizing all these queens. We have released into the wild hundreds of drag queens and they’re beautiful. On behalf of all them, we thank you.”
Taking aim at recent laws seeking to ban drag performances in public venues, RuPaul added, “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. So listen to a drag queen.”
The Libs of TikTok account tweeted its disgust at the show’s win.
“RuPaul who facilitates kids dressing in drag and performing provocatively, and normalized drag for kids, won an Emmy tonight and used the opportunity to endorse drag queen story time. The audience erupted in applause. It’s not surprising. Hollywood is full of p*doph*les. They all support the sexualization and grooming of children.”
RuPaul who facilitates kids dressing in drag and performing provocatively, and normalized drag for kids, won an Emmy tonight and used the opportunity to endorse drag queen story time.
The audience erupted in applause.
It’s not surprising. Hollywood is full of p*doph*les. They… pic.twitter.com/xVlfWUagKl
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 16, 2024
Soon, several other profiles on X responded to Libs of TikTok’s post, expressing disgust at honoring RuPaul’s Drag Race, with more than a few replies including vomiting emojis. Those posts accused the show — and drag queens more broadly — of seeking to indoctrinate children or posing a danger to them.
“Question; Why is it that drag queens only want to read to our children? Why are they not reading to the elderly in nursing homes, to the disabled in adult care homes, to the cancer patients and why are they not volunteering to read to the blind? This is such bullshit. They ARE after your kids!” wrote one user.
Another user responded with a meme reading, “Don’t ask why children need to see drag queens. Ask why drag queens crave an audience of children.”
“Do what you want to do but leave the kids alone,” wrote a third X user.
“Oh wow, so RuPaul won an Emmy and used his platform to endorse drag queen story time, and the audience just lapped it up? How heartwarming. I mean, it’s not like there’s anything remotely controversial about introducing young children to drag culture and having them dress up in revealing outfits and perform suggestive dances. #TotallyNormal”
“No we’re trying to restrict your access to children,” a user wrote, appearing to address RuPaul. “It’s a big difference. Leave kids alone and keep your drag events at strip clubs where they belong.”
“All of the adults there [on stage with RuPaul] are pedophiles, and should be treated as such by law enforcement,” wrote one X account.
Others seemed to conflate drag with being transgender, when the two are not the same thing.
“He won for Reality Show. Transgenderigm (sic) is the denial of reality,” another account wrote.
“I heard they also won the award for being the reason Trump is getting re-elected this year,” snarked another, referring to how Republican politicians have embraced anti-LGBTQ positions in the hope of riding a wave of backlash against “wokeness” to electoral victories.
One user even appeared to blame RuPaul and the Drag Race franchise for stoking the existing prejudices of anti-LGBTQ individuals and reviving decades-old stereotypes of gay men, writing, “The damage @RuPaul causes to the LBG community, who fought for decades against the prejudice of pedophilia, is immeasurable and inexcusable.”
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