User:Tarastrasser/sandbox

I plan to edit the Wikipedia article about RuPaul's Drag Race. I noticed that there was some out of date information about transgender contestants participating on the show, so I hope I am able to update this information using interviews from RuPaul on his views about transgender people and regarding their role as drag queens after transitioning.

Format
Casting calls are announced online, where prospective contestants submit audition tapes in hopes of being cast. All contestants selected must be 21 years of age or older at the time of taping. Applications of any sexual orientation or gender identity are accepted, although most contestants to date have been gay men. Transgender women are also eligible to compete and have become more common as seasons have progressed. Sonique, a season two contestant, became the first openly transgender contestant; she came out as transgender during the Season 2 reunion special. Monica Beverly Hillz, from season five, became the first transgender woman to reveal her status during the competition. Other transgender contestants have begun transitioning after their elimination. Carmen Carrera, a season three contestant, announced her transition during an episode of ABC's Primetime: What Would You Do? Season 4 contestant Kenya Michaels announced her own transition via Facebook and Twitter. Other transgender contestants include Stacy Layne Matthews, Jiggly Caliente, Gia Gunn, and Peppermint. Peppermint is the first drag race contestant to have been out as a transgender woman prior to the airing of of her season, but after filming. Although transgender women have competed in the show, none of the contestants had come out as transgender prior to being casted on the show. All transgender contestants have come out as transgender either during the course of the competition, or after their respective season had ended. RuPaul has stated that transgender women contrast with his view of what the art of drag is defined by.

Criticism[edit]
RuPaul's Drag Race has been criticized for appearing to favor glamorous drag queens over comedic or camp queens. For example, Popbytes commented Drag Race has been accused numerous times of keeping some of the more unpleasant but feminine queens in the competition for the sake of keeping the drama high[citation needed]. However, Common Sense Media commented, "RuPaul's Drag Race combines the fashion design drama of Project Runway with the modeling excitement of America's Next Top Model to create an entertainingly voyeuristic glimpse into the performance art world of drag queens. There's plenty of over-the-top stuff, but rather than simply treating drag performers as people to be laughed at and/or scorned, the show also focuses on the hard work and talent that goes into drag performances." Entertainment Weekly cited the elimination of comedian and eventual season two fan favorite Pandora Boxx as the season's most controversial.

In March 2014, Drag Race sparked controversy over the use of the term "She-male" in the season 6 Mini-challenge "Female or She-male?". Logo has since removed the episode from all platforms and has addressed the allegations of transphobia by removing the "You've got she-mail" intro from new episodes of the series. This was replaced with, "She done already done had herses!"

Host RuPaul has additionally come under fire for comments made in an interview with the Guardian, in which he stated he would "probably not" allow a transgender contestant to compete on Drag Race. RuPaul compared transgender drag performers to doping athletes on his Twitter, and has since apologized. Contestant Sasha Velour has expressed her disagreement via Twitter, stating "My drag was born in a community full of trans women, trans men, and gender non-conforming folks doing drag. That’s the real world of drag, like it or not. I thinks it’s fabulous and I will fight my entire life to protect and uplift it".