What RuPaul Taught Me About Being a Lady (from xoJane)
(that’s me in the star necklace in the background, working a GLBTQ event)
When I was a young, naive college student, I took one Intro to Feminism class and I did what a lot of new feminists do: I completely misunderstood the ideas behind it.
I decided to reject being “feminine” entirely. I stopped wearing skirts and dresses, wore band shirts (they only came in men’s sizes back then) and combat boots exclusively, and thought of makeup as a tool of the patriarchy. Yeah, go ahead and roll your eyes.
I took a job at the library, and was pleased to realize that one of my childhood friends, Jeff, worked there too. We’d lost touch over the years, and in that time, Jeff had transformed from a quiet, sci-fi obsessed boy into an outgoing gay man. Not only that, but he’d gained a new passion beyond Ray Bradbury: drag. (Imagine being a drag performer in the tiny gay clubs of North Carolina, if you will.)
I love this piece I’ve loved it since the first time I read it months ago!!!
