McNeill, Michael

Relationships
Person Preferred Name
McNeill, Michael
Model
Digital Document
Publisher
Florida Atlantic University
Description
The art of drag, once looked down upon in society and criminalized for many years, has seen a recent surge in popularity and become celebrated and welcomed internationally. RuPaul and their Emmy-award-winning television franchise RuPaul’s Drag Race have created a whole new industry and career path for what was once seen as a menace to society and unwanted for its challenges against cis-gendered and heterosexual norms. Changing the media industry and political landscape for LGBTQ+ people, RuPaul and their show have positively uplifted queer performers by providing a platform to show off their talents and opportunities to make money they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. Despite the backlash from non-supporters, queens have been able to turn their television fame into large fanbases, international spin-offs, and financially successful cosmetic, media, and hospitality industries.