RUPAUL

THERE ARE FEW BIGGER STARS IN QUEER CELEBRITY CULTURE THAN RUPAUL. EARLIER THIS YEAR, RU CONQUERED ATTITUDE AS OUR GLORIOUS COVER STAR AND DELIVERED A MIGHTILY THOUGHT-PROVOKING INTERVIEW IN WHICH HE GOT REAL ABOUT A FEW BIG GAY ISSUES. NEVER ONES TO GO WITHOUT, WE WERE CHOMPING AT THE BIT TO MEET THE MAN FOR MORE WHEN HE SWUNG BY THE UK ON HIS LATEST VISIT...

Words: Cliff Joannou

Ru the World

It’s pretty cool when your icons actually turn out to be the most awesome people in the world. RuPaul is not just your average celebrity drag queen. He is the ultimate celebrity drag queen/gender discombobulist/pop diva/film actor/TV star that all future of the same will be compared to. And rightly so. RuPaul has proven himself to be more than just a mere finger snapping, sharp talking wig and heels wearing wonder — he’s intelligent, eloquent and fully aware of the most pressing political and social issues affecting our LGBT community.

On this latest visit across the Atlantic, Ru’s on a mission. Along with celebrity judges Jonathan Ross and Katie Price — and on behalf of TruTV — he’s here to crown one lucky drag queen ‘UK Ambassador’ for RuPaul’s Drag Race. At a spectacular show at London’s Café de Paris, over twenty stunning drag artistes battled it out for the honour, with the winner The Vivienne walking away with the top prize. In addition to being flown out to LA, The Vivienne will also be reporting exclusively for Attitude from behind the scenes of the next series of Drag Race.

Ru’s hired out an entire hotel suite at the trendy Ham Yard Hotel in Soho for this run of media meet & greets. You always know when you’re about to meet a ‘big deal’ when they arrange a posh hotel suite as the location for the interview. I nibble on a cookie and make small talk with his cheery manager before I’m ushered in to meet Ru.

What’s the protocol for meeting a true queen? (Does one curtsy? Do we shake hands or kiss cheeks? Can I ask for a selfie?) I am introduced to Ru by one of his fierce female team members (all of whom could easily be auditioning for a reboot of the Charlie’s Angels movie franchise). I feel special. She stays in the room, watching on bodyguard-like waiting to pounce on me when my time is up (or even drop-kick me if I were to endanger the life of Queen Ru).