Out of touch politicians want to try to ban drag, but fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race aren’t going down without a fight.
In the aftermath of the sudden anti-drag political movement, the creators behind the Emmy-award-winning reality show partnered with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to create the Drag Defense Fund.
If you’ve seen the show recently, you’ve definitely seen the QR code prompting you for a donation. It’s a crowdfunding effort to help fight against all of those ridiculous attempts at banning a specific form of art. The good news: it seems to be working.
ACLU Drag Defense Fund: Defending drag, one dollar a time
The Drag Defense Fund has been in motion for a little over a year, and according to Variety, the total amount raised has surpassed $2 million. Wild, right? That’s a lot of $1 tips, and the news comes just in time for Pride Month.
What’s even better about this update is that the money is already being put to good use. Funds raised from the Drag Defense Fund have directly helped the ACLU block drag bans. They’ve done it in several states, like Texas and Florida. The money has also helped defend Pride festivals when local officials in Massachusetts and Tennessee tried to shut them down. Literally, the Drag Defense Fund is keeping Pride alive.
In celebration of the massive fundraising milestone, the outlet spoke to Josh Block, an attorney for the ACLU’s LGBTQ and HIV Project. He explained just how much the partnership has helped defend the rights of LGBTQ people
“Drag has a long history in the queer community as not only a source of joy and creativity but as a source of power,” Josh said. “Thanks to the hard work and promotion of MTV, World of Wonder, and the queens of Drag Race, the Drag Defense Fund continues to fuel our work defending LGBTQ rights across the country at a time those rights are under relentless attack.”
The Drag Defense Fund isn’t the only way that Drag Race is giving back to the community. In the latest season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, the contestants are competing for a $200,000 charity donation. Every challenge gives them an opportunity to win extra cash for a charity of their choice. Meanwhile, there are people out there claiming that drag is dangerous. Yeah, right.
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars is airing new episodes in the United States on Paramount+ every Friday. You can also watch all things Drag Race on WOW Presents Plus.
TELL US – ARE YOU SURPRISED AT HOW MUCH MONEY HAS BEEN RAISED THROUGH THE DRAG DEFENSE FUND? HAVE YOU DONATED?
