F****t Ru Paul: ->-bleeped-<-s need to “get stronger”

[Natasha]

F****t Ru Paul: ->-bleeped-<-s need to "get stronger"

http://www.transadvocate.com/->-bleeped-<-got-ru-paul-->-bleeped-<-s-need-to-get-stronger_n_13725.htm
5/23/2014
by Cristan Williams

RuPaul Andre Charles, claims that trans people are "bitches" who need to "get stronger" with regard to his use of ->-bleeped-<-. In an interview on WTF with Marc Marron, RuPaul said:

    You know, if your idea of happiness has to do with someone else changing what they say, what they do, you are in for a ->-bleeped-<-*ng hard-ass road... I dance to the beat of a different drummer. I believe everybody — you can be whatever the hell you wanna be, I ain't stopping you. But don't you dare tell me what I can do or what I can't — say or can't do. It's just words, like, 'Yeah, you hurt me!' Bitch, you need to get stronger. If you're upset by something I said you have bigger problems than you think."

Within drag culture, ->-bleeped-<- has an in-group meaning that does not mean what the rest of the world means when they use the term. For the rest of the world, ->-bleeped-<- is a term one might use while beating or killing a trans person. RuPaul believes that because his in-group context does not align with the rest of the world's usage of the term, he should be able to associate the term with Logo's brand.

[Jessica Merriman]

Shows up at my house I will just show him how strong we can be, especially my skill set!

[Emmaline]

Strangely the same argument used to push through discriminatory policy. Under this line of thinking,  hate groups have a right to say what they like, it is the victims fault for being offended.

All true, but it is not purely offense we are talking about- it is the denegration of our kind to a less than human state with language.  We need to convince the stations that run drag race to place adverts along side it educating the audience to what the difference is and how transexuals are seperate from drag queens- how one is entertainment and the other an intersex condition.

So what was his argument for using ->-bleeped-<- again?

[Shantel]

Who cares what he said or what he thinks, two minutes from now it won't mean a thing to me anyway. He's welcome to his opinions, it's still a free country here.

[Kyler]

I don't really know if you just copy and pasted the title, if he identifies as that (since I couldn't care any less about him), or whatever other reason there could be, but why say ->-bleeped-<-got?

I think he's stirring the pot just to stay relative.

[alabamagirl]

Yeah... Because I'm sure RuPaul wouldn't mind at all if someone told him, "You know, ->-bleeped-<-gots are bitches and they need to get stronger." 

[L00T]

Ugh. Well I agree with Ru's original point of how he didn't mean the little skit "She-Mail" to be mean to transsexual folk. I always took that as a joke about Drag Queens only.

However this interview rubs me the wrong way. I do have thick skin. If I want to be offended by the word ->-bleeped-<-, I can be.

I really don't care if a drag queen uses that word just because they're playing around with gender themselves. It is really context though. There is a difference between someone in the LGBT community using it as a term of endearment versus a transphobic person using it right before they try to beat you up. Just my opinion.

But for Ru to tell me how I need to feel about the word is where I think he's wrong.

[Adam (birkin)]

I'm convinced that gays and lesbians that claim they've "reclaimed" words such as dyke and ->-bleeped-<-got, especially in the way that RuPaul claims we should reclaim "->-bleeped-<-", are just overposturing to cover their deep insecurities after experiencing discrimination. Like the girl who gets called a slut and then sleeps around to "own" her sexuality.

[robin s]

I am not saying I agree with ru pual but I understand the point. Being of mixed ancestry I grew up hearing certain words and now all of them bother me. Even if the negative words are not used to actually refer to a person or race they bother me. Everyone around me knows this. That being said they still use them just not as much when I am around. While I do give people nasty looks when they do it getting hostile about makes them use it more. Sometimes it's just a matter of ignoring it. Once they know it bothers you but it doesn't get a rise out of you they tend to stop. Personally if the worst thing I get called is ->-bleeped-<- while I transition I will do cart wheels. 

[bubbles21]

I think RuPaul could be a bit more respectful to other minorities. In reading this statement it shows he doesnt care much for discrimination against trans people. I like his show but I dont agree with his view that pretty much implies that trans people should suck it up and accept derogatory terms used towards trans ppl. This is not acceptable on any level.

[Dee Marshall]

I really wonder how he would react to the "N" word?

[Ltl89]

I don't hate Rupaul and he is entitled to live the life he wants just as the rest of us are.  The only thing that bothers me is that he seems to encourage the image that drag queens and transsexuals are one of the same.  Honestly, we really couldn't be more different.  I'm all for an inclusive transgender community where everyone can have a home, but let's also respect the diversity within it and realize how people wanted to be seen/treated. 

In any case, ->-bleeped-<- doesn't bother me as a phrase, but I can't understand why someone who isn't a transexual woman couldn't empathize for why we don't like the term.  As other people said, most wouldn't use the N word or F word to him, so why be so disrespectful in turn.   Whether people should flip out over the word is a whole other argument but realizing that and blatantly saying to people that are hurt by it is a whole other thing.