RuPaul, a celebrity drag star and name behind the show "RuPaul’s Drag Race," claimed that drag queens were on the front lines of the culture wars in an Instagram video Wednesday.
"Drag queens are the Marines of the queer movement," RuPaul said, appearing to speak in front of an American flag background.
The video has gone viral online, racking up over 127,000 likes in under 24 hours. RuPaul himself has a massive social media following, with more than 4.4 million followers on Instagram alone.
RuPaul, born RuPaul Andre Charles, also called on Americans to make their voices heard by the government.
"Don’t get it twisted and don’t be distracted. Register to vote so we can get these stunt queens out of office and put some smart people with real solutions into government. And by the way, a social media post has never been as powerful as a registered vote."
The drag star argued that politicians were attempting to distract Americans away from the "real issues" in public life.
"A classic distraction technique, distracting us away from the real issues that they were voted into office to focus on: jobs, healthcare, keeping our children safe from harm at their own school," RuPaul said.
"But we know that bullies are incompetent at solving real issues," he continued.
"They look for easy targets so they can give the impression of being effective. They think our love, our light, our laughter and our joy are signs of weakness. But they’re wrong because that is our strength," RuPaul said, speaking directly to fans.
TENNESSEE BECOMES FIRST STATE TO BAN DRAG SHOWS ON PUBLIC PROPERTY, NEAR SCHOOLS
RuPaul's video exhortation follows closely on news that Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, signed legislation this month to restrict drag shows and ban gender transition treatment for minors.
Tennessee previously had restrictions in place against "adult-oriented businesses" in the state.
Some drag queens supported RuPaul in the comment section.
Drag star Karl Sanchez, who goes by the stage name Nicky Doll, said that RuPaul’s post was "Clear and simple! Thank you icon."
Tina Burner, who appeared on season 13 of "RuPaul’s Drag Race," also thanked RuPaul for his post.
RuPaul isn’t the only celebrity to speak out publicly on the drag queen debate.
"Bridesmaids" actress Melissa McCarthy sparked controversy on Instagram after she also defended drag queens in a post that claimed Americans have "been entertained by drag queens" for their entire lives.
"Don't pretend it's a problem now," the post read.
