VH1 steps forward

Derrick Hawkins, Alestle Photographer

by Derrick Hawkins, Alestle Photographer

I was watching VH1 sometime ago, and I notice something that I think is a step forward in American television. RuPaul is back on TV!

I know she had her own talk show some time ago in the mid 90’s but has not been that role model for the LGBT community in years on television. She had a new show called Ru Paul’s Drag Race 2.  Originally shown on Logo, the show has been syndicated on VH1.

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The show follows drag queens competing to be the ultimate drag queen with a cash prize and a photo spread in a magazine. The queens have to create there own original costumes that relate to the task that was given to them. The queens that are in the bottom two have “lip sync for your life,” as Ru puts it. The winners will shante you stay, and the loser must sashay away.

Networks like MTV and VH1 are cashing in on the LGBT community in a new way with more acceptances.

Vh1 also as another show appropriately tilted TRANSform Me. The premise of this show follows three transgender women in a “glambulance” and help women with low self-esteem feel beautiful by giving them a complete head-to-toe makeover, TRANSforming them into beautiful women. The show also give a little insight to what the transgender women went through during their own transition. These shows are one step closer for equality for all.

I give kudos to VH1 for actually putting shows out there that will slowly break down the homophobia that many Americans have.