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On Friday night, RuPaul became the newest member of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the first drag queen ever to be inducted. Dressed in a red tartan suit and wearing his trademark glasses, the entertainment mogul admitted that he was “overcome with so much emotion.” In a moving speech he declared, “This is absolutely the most important moment in my professional career.”
The 57-year-old media titan was honored by friend and actress Jane Fonda, who said that RuPaul’s star “should be at least three sizes bigger than any other star on the walk of fame, because I don’t think anyone else has ever launched an industry like RuPaul has. He created an industry that has given hundreds and hundreds of jobs, and dreams to so many.”
“Behind the glamour, behind the drag queen is a man of great depth, incredible intelligence [and] compassion,” she continued, to mass applause from the Drag Race fans lining the street. RuPaul launched his namesake series in 2009, and it’s quickly ascended the ranks from cult favorite to part of the mainstream entertainment zeitgeist, picking up Emmy wins and a loyal and celebrity-filled fan base along the way. In between the glittering makeovers and extreme lip-synch challenges, the show is never afraid to confront the pertinent issues affecting the LGTBQ community. In the past, contestants have come out as HIV-positive on the show and opened up about losing loved ones in the Pulse Nightclub shooting, while RuPaul himself is widely recognized for revolutionizing the portrayal of the queer community and bringing drag culture into the mainstream in a way that’s never been done before. For that, a gold star is the least he deserves.
