Is Drag Political?: Trump the Rusical

Eating For Free

It's the 2016 Election. Queens everywhere are pulled into the debate from all sides of the political arena. As RuPaul pushes RPDR to new heights—even into the halls of Congress—Republicans go on the offensive.

About:

Hosted by journalists Joan Summers and Matthew Lawson, Eating For Free is a weekly podcast that explores gossip and power in the pop culture landscape: Where it comes from, who wields it, and who suffers at the hands of it. Find out the stories behind the stories, as together they look beyond the headlines of troublesome YouTubers or scandal-ridden A-Listers, and delve deep into the inner workings of Hollywood's favorite pastime. The truth, they've found, is definitely stranger than any gossip.

You can also find us on our website, Twitter, and Instagram. Or buy our merch! Any personal, business, or general inquires can be sent to [e-mail]

• Joan Summers’ Twitter: @laracroftbarbie
• Matthew Lawson’s Instagram: @_matthewlawson

Sources [may cut off in certain apps]:

• ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Highlights the Struggle for Acceptance, 05/15/16 [NYT]
• President Obama Designates Stonewall National Monument, 06/24/17 [WH Archive]
• Bob The Drag Queen: Where Activism Meets Fierce, 09/09/16 [HuffPost]
• By Day This Man Is An SNP Political Adviser, By Night He's A Drag Queen, 03/11/17 [Buzzfeed]
• RuPaul Believes 'Drag Race' Can Change the World, 04/04/17 [Vice]
• Drag Queens Can't Stop Serving Political Realness, 05/17/17 [Vice]
• How the Political Divide Boosted ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ to Its Most-Watched Season Ever, 06/09/17 [Variety]
• RuPaul: ‘Drag is a big f-you to male-dominated culture’, 03/03/18 [The Guardian]
• Why RuPaul's Drag Race is big business, 06/01/18 [BBC]
• Eight artists who use drag as a political tool of rebellion, 08/14/18 [Dazed]
• ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ EP Randy Barbato Discusses Hitting Season 10 Benchmark In A Politically Charged Year, 08/14/18 [Deadline]
• [SCENE] How drag balls went mainstream, 08/20/18 [BBC]
• “RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE” QUEENS TAKE TO TWITTER TO TELL YOU TO GET OUT AND VOTE, 11/06/18 [Logo]
• Inside Funny or Die and Billy Eichner’s plan to ‘Glam Up The Midterms’, (2018) [CNN]
• Why Is Everyone Up in Arms About Drag Queen Storytime?, 12/31/18 [Houstonian]
• 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Judges Defend 'Taking the Piss' Out of Politics with 'Trump: The Rusical', 03/20/19 [TooFab]
• Maebe A. Girl Is First Drag Queen Elected to Office in California, 04/11/19 [Advocate]
• She Could Be the First Drag Queen Elected to Congress: 'People Can't Ignore You,' Says Maebe A. Girl, 07/18/19 [People]
• ‘This Is My Calling’: Meet the Drag Queen Running for NYC Council, 09/05/19 [Out]
• Virtual Drag Out the Vote event features ‘Drag Race’ alum, 2020 [WB]
• Dragging out the vote in 2020, (2020) [Washington Blade]
• How Drag Queens Are Helping Democrats Turn Florida Blue, (2020) [Advocate]
• Drag Race Legends To Host Political 'Drag Isn't Dangerous' Telethon, (2023) [Pride]
• SCENE: ‘Drag Isn’t Dangerous’ Telethon Raises Over $500,000 in Donations for LGBTQ+ Charities, (2023) [Rolling Stone]
• SCENE: Trixie Mattel and Katya Talk “UNHhhh” Milestone, Anti-Drag Legislation, and Their Early Days, [TV]
• Can drag queens swing the election? Cynthia Lee Fontaine says they’re more powerful than you think., (2024) [LGBTQ Nation]
• Alaska doesn't want to vote for Joe Biden or Donald Trump in the 2024 election, (2024) [The Advocate]