RuPaul was named one of Time Magazine‘s 100 Most Influential People.
The list, which includes Senator Elizabeth Warren, Russian president Vladimir Putin, and football player Colin Kaepernick, is published annually by the magazine.
Editors decide who is on the list as a reflection of the people who had a major influence on society in the past year, without judgement on the consequences of that influence. Editor-in-Chief Nancy Gibbs said, “One way or another they each embody a breakthrough: they broke the rules, broke the record, broke the silence, broke the boundaries to reveal what we’re capable of.”
In the accompanying article, model Naomi Campbell wrote:
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Ru was different. Not just because he had perfect, precise clothes and makeup, or because he was the only man I knew who could look that good in a wig and heels. There were no rough edges to be found. But as I got to know him better, I got to experience firsthand his wit and his intelligence — he’s like an encyclopedia. And his beauty is far beyond skin-deep.
RuPaul’s Drag Race, after eight seasons on Logo, moved to VH1 and will be seen by a wider audience. RuPaul has brought the art of drag to millions of people who knew very little about it.
This issue of Time will be on newsstands this Friday.
