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RuPaul blasts lawmakers wanting to ban kids at drag shows: ‘Take away them guns’

"Drag queens ain’t hurting nobody!" the 61-year-old queen of drag exclaimed on The Late, Late Show with James Corden.

By Alastair James

Words: Alastair James; pictures: BBC/World of Wonder/Guy Levy

Mama Ru has spoken! “Take away them guns, that will help your kids,” is her response to proposals by lawmakers in the US to ban children from going to drag shows.

The queen of drag, 61, was appearing on James Corden’s The Late, Late Show when she was asked about the proposals.

RuPaul said: “This is a diversion tactic to take the narrative away from the gun debate into something to scare people into thinking about something else and they’ve been successful.

“They have changed the narrative away from the gun debate into this drag queen thing. It’s like y’all want to help your kids? Take away them guns, that will help your kids. Drag queens ain’t hurting nobody!”

Watch the full segment below:

 On 6 June Texas Rep. Bryan Slaton (a Republican) pitched his idea earlier after footage appeared of children at a drag show in Dallas, Texas.

The idea was also supported by US Congresswoman, Marjorie Taylor Greene who tweeted: “I’m introducing a bill to make it illegal for children to be exposed to Drag Queen performances,” on 15 June. 

The argument that such a law would be in defense of children has been blasted by LGBTQ campaigners. 

Texas Democrat Jessica Gonzálex tweeted in response to Slaton: “This isn’t about protecting children, it’s about further censoring the LGBTQ+ community and taking more rights away from parents. Let’s actually protect children by passing common-sense gun control.”

The Attitude July/August issue is out now.