Should a Christian watch RuPaul’s Drag Race? This is a question that has crossed my mind a few times, but the short answer is, yes! I started watching RuPaul’s Drag Race a couple of years ago when season 2 began. I saw an ad for the show on a bus stop in the Loop and decided to check it out. I had heard of RuPaul, but really didn’t know much else.
I was treated to a fiercely entertaining show that as a cosplayer especially appealed to me because of all of the creative costuming the show features every week. And as a crossplayer, I could learn a lot from the queens to take my craft to the next level. But as a Christian, I was presented with some unexpected challenges. For one thing, I had no idea what LOGO was until I watched the show, and it wasn’t until near the end of season 2 that it even dawned on me that all of the contestants were gay!
Now I’m not as naive as that might appear. During my years as a cosplayer specializing in crossplay, I’ve made plenty of gay and transgendered friends. So maybe a GLBT oriented TV network and gay drag queens wasn’t a big shock to my system. Still, talking about the show with Christian friends was something that, well quite honestly, just wasn’t to be done. So the question stands, is it okay for a Christian to watch this show?
When asked by a young man what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus told him two things. One, love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your soul, and all of your might. And two, love your neighbor as yourself. I’ve had a lot of fun watching RuPaul’s Drag Race, but I’ve also had a chance to get a little peek into gay culture and to see that they have the same hopes, dreams, and problems that anyone has. It’s hard to love your neighbor if you hardly know him/her, and learning that they’re not so different from you makes it a lot easier. And ultimately we love God in Heaven best when we love the neighbors He’s given us right here on Earth.
