RuPaul Says Drag Is His Punk Rock Statement

RuPaul can’t believe people think drag is his life. He calls it his “punk rock statement”.

The US entertainer rose to fame thanks to his drag act, fronting TV shows and releasing music under the blonde-haired alter ego. There’s more to RuPaul than this, but he admits many people have that misconception.

“That drag is my life or something that I couldn’t live without,” he told Britain’s Grazia magazine of what people get wrong about him. “Drag has always been a punk rock statement for me. Drag queens think of identity as a joke, so we make fun of it.”

Despite his self assurance now, the 55-year-old performer hasn’t always been so confident. In fact when asked what he’d love to delete online from his own past, RuPaul stated he’d clear away the majority of it if he could.

“All of it,” he admitted. “When I was in my twenties I so wanted everyone’s approval. When I see videos of myself from that time I’m so desperate to please, poor thing.

“(But the best lesson I was ever taught) I learnt it in the 10th grade from my teacher. He said, ‘RuPaul, do not take life too seriously.'”

As for regrets, the entertainer doesn’t beat around the bush.

“I should have had more sex when I was younger, I was scared,” he laughed. “People terrify me!”

RuPaul’s most famous TV show Drag Race will soon be back for an eighth season. The reality series sees RuPaul search for America’s next drag superstar, and the 2016 finalists will be announced on 1 February (16).