Gentlemen, start your engines. RuPaul’s Drag Race is rife with catch phrases, but regular viewers of the show may have noticed a vernacular staple missing from this week’s episode.
Logo promised to clean up the show’s language after a segment aired that had contestants identify biological women and drag queens by categorizing them as “female” or “she-male.” According to The Huffington Post, some trans people found the game offensive and demanded that Logo reconsider its flippant nature.
In response, Logo has removed the segment from future viewings and removed the shrieking, “Ooh, girl, you got she-mail!” catch phrase from all future episodes.
Our Lady J, a prominent trans performer who made an appearance on the current season of Drag Race, has written a think-piece on the topic of policing language. It’s a fascinating read that speaks to the issue from the viewpoint of someone within the community.
Logo’s stance might seem a strange shift for longtime viewers: the catch phrase has been a staple for seven seasons of the LGBT-accepting show and fit the irreverence that marks its unique humour. “We delight in celebrating every color in the LGBT rainbow,” producers of the show write in a statement. “When it comes to the movement of our trans sisters and trans brothers, we are newly sensitized and more committed than ever to help spread love, acceptance and understanding.”
Good luck, Logo. And don’t fuck it up.
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