AOC Will Be On 'RuPaul's Drag Race' & Twitter Is Cheering, "Yes, Representative!"
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been a fan of RuPaul's Drag Race for years — and now, she's going to be a guest judge. Ocasio-Cortez will be joining celebrities like Robyn, Normani, Nicki Minaj, and Jeff Goldblum as guest judges on the show's upcoming 12th season, and Twitter users couldn't be more excited. After the show posted a brief video clip of her encouraging fans to "join the Ruvolution," these tweets about Ocasio-Cortez on RuPaul's Drag Race have been celebrating the progressive congresswoman's latest endeavor.
"I'm Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and I pledge allegiance to the drag," Ocasio-Cortez announced in the video clip posted by the show's official Twitter account, prompting widespread excitement from her supporters. In a retweet of the video, Ocasio-Cortez described being a judge on RuPaul's Drag Race as "absolutely, 100% a peak experience," and expressed how excited she was for the new season.
Ocasio-Cortez won't be the first lawmaker to appear on RuPaul's Drag Race. Back in 2018, before being re-elected as Speaker of the House, California Rep. Nancy Pelosi visited the competitors of All Stars 3 and applauded them for being "an inspiration." But Ocasio-Cortez has tweeted her love for the show on multiple occasions, and even voiced her jealousy when Pelosi visited the set of the show.
Now, Ocasio-Cortez gets to live her dream and be a guest judge on the show. A full version of the season trailer, released on Feb. 13, showed the freshman representative speaking to contestants and weighing in on their performance. Twitter users couldn't be more thrilled.
Unsurprisingly, Ocasio-Cortez's political opponents were unhappy about the appearance. But the congresswoman clearly has no qualms about upsetting conservatives who don't want to see her on the show. After a number of tweets criticized her choice, AOC succinctly tweeted back, "They can go back to Party City."
Ocasio-Cortez's upcoming appearance on RuPaul's Drag Race is not without controversy, though. Some Twitter users brought up RuPaul's previous comments about the transgender community, which many called hurtful and transphobic. In a March 2018 interview with The Guardian, RuPaul suggested he would "probably not" accept a trans woman as a contestant on Drag Race, a comment that drew heavy criticism from advocates and fellow drag performers. RuPaul later apologized for his comments, saying in a tweet, "I understand and regret the hurt I have caused. The trans community are heroes of our shared LGBTQ movement. You are my teachers.”
In light of RuPaul's apology, many of Ocasio-Cortez's followers urged Drag Race critics to give the congresswoman a chance. It's clear that both Ocasio-Cortez and her supporters are excited to see her join a long list of celebrity guest judges in the show's 12th season.
