I don't think there is a life in the mundane 9-to-5 hypocrisy. That's not living.
— RuPaul
Young people need to know there are ways for them to navigate this life.
I've always been interested in what else is here, what lies beneath.
Doing drag in a male-dominant culture is an act of treason. It's the most punk-rock thing you can do.
It's very easy to look at the world and think this is all so cruel and so mean. It's important to not become bitter from it.
Anna Wintour is a very smart woman. She's a Scorpio, like me.
I loved 'Carol.' I thought it was a beautiful film.
I had mentors, growing up in gay life - older gay men who told me about our history and the history of art and culture - but somehow, the younger generation missed out on that synergy.
People can identify as however you want to. Right on. Go for it. But my strategy in this bigger game of life is to not identify as anything.
Personally, I experience success when I enjoy what I'm doing. I love the creative process, even if the end result isn't embraced by anyone else.
For both men and women, an eyelash curler is a must. It gives your eye the appearance of being well-rested and wide open.
My focus is on love and inclusiveness.
I've cried my eyes out and wanted to end it all before. I hope everybody's gone that far, because it makes life rich.
I haven't found a heel that's been too high for me yet.
The only time you will ever see me in drag is when I am - What? Getting paid. It is my job.
Life's journey - it unfolds for you as you are ready for it.
Drag breaks the fourth wall, which is why it's never been quite accepted, because nobody wants to be told that they are really a caricature of themself and to not take yourself too seriously.
I always did what I thought was interesting. I always just did what caught my fantasy. Looking like a woman, that was never the criteria for me. It was always to do drag. And drag is not gender-specific. Drag is just drag. It's exaggeration.
The number one taboo for boys is to be feminine, so for someone to not only override their internal directive but society's directive is mind-boggling and heroic. It's courageous.
My spiritual practice reminds me of what's really real, what's really hood.
All things to do with drag are inherently therapeutic because the realization of your own insanity is the beginning of sanity.
For my tribe, the people I found years ago, we've found sanctuary in the irreverent, in the off-center, in the quirky... And that's how we stay entertained, and that's how we stay engaged in what would otherwise seem to be a really cruel world. A really harsh world.
There are only two types of people in the world. There are the people who understand that this is a matrix, and then there are the people who buy it lock, stock and barrel.
If you grow up in show business, you look beyond the looking glass. So, all of the surface facades get broken.
I've always been drawn to people who dance to the beat of a different drum; it didn't matter if they were in film or music or fashion.
Honestly, it's important to not take this whole process of life on this planet too seriously. And you need games to remind you that every aspect of your experience on this planet is a game. And you have to be a good sport. You have to strategize, and you have to have fun.
The secret of success in every field is redefining what success means to you. It can't be your parent's definition, the media's definition, or your neighbor's definition. Otherwise, success will never satisfy you.
I've never personally differentiated a person who dressed up in a three-piece suit and goes to Wall Street from a person who dresses up in a polyester uniform and works at McDonalds. I think it's all drag.
People deal with grief in many different ways. And some people in show business parade their relationships around like an accessory, and others like to keep it separate from business and commerce. It's perfectly fine to say, 'I actually don't want to talk about my love because that's not part of the fantasy world I created in commerce.'
I'm a pop victim. I love pop music; I love pop culture. I love Olivia Newton-John.
Everybody is in drag.
Never forget that the most political thing you can ever do is follow your heart.
Drag queens have always taken on that role of spilling the tea - and the tea is the emperor has no clothes!
It's important to remember that you're born naked, and the rest is drag.
Life is dangerous. There are no guarantees.
I've been on both sides; I've interviewed people, and I do an okay job, I guess. But it's awful. Because you feel like you have to defend your life, which is such an interesting concept. It's not an easy process to sit down and talk about, 'What's your motivation?' Because as I'm answering, I'm working it out for myself at the same time.
I've still never gotten used to myself in drag.
I've always been ambitious. I've always been able to roll up my sleeves and get to work. I like to stay busy. I love working, and I love being creative.
I started out in this business in rock and roll bands and stumbled into drag. Drag just happened to be my vehicle for my creativity. So, you know, it's afforded me the opportunity to create new shows, to make music.
Hollywood is an idea. It's not a real place.
Drag is really about reminding people that you are more than you think you are - you are more than what it says on your passport.
Mainstream's never appealed to me, really. I mean, I've become popular over the years in certain areas. But mainstream, you know, I would rather the mainstream come to me.
I love games. My favorite thing on this planet to do is to play games. And if you don't enjoy games, then you're really missing the point of what this life is.
Having an automobile in Los Angeles enables me to change clothes at least three times a day: I will go from western wear to nautical to Savile Row in the course of 12 hours.
In my life, I've been able to really examine society in a way most people who aren't outsiders don't get a chance to do.
When I go out, I'm always dressed up. Not in drag but always prepared to be 'on.' Just in case somebody's going to take a picture. Everyone has a Facebook page, so no matter what, I'm prepared to service the public.
I think drag is universal, no matter who does it. I mean, yeah, I am homosexual, but I think everybody likes to toy with their image. I love those guys. I love Milton Berle and Flip Wilson and all those people.
My love life has never been of interest to people. Of course I have a love life; I have a real life outside of show business.
I've lived my whole life in the life - I've lived my whole life doing the thing, I've been doing my own thing. And I think my life speaks volumes about what one must do.
Drag has always been the thing you turn to to remember to not take yourself too seriously.
