RuPaul Weighs In On Facebook's Controversial "Real Name Only" Policy
RuPaul has skyrocketed to fame using the name he was born with, but other drag performers are finding themselves being punished by Facebook, which has been cracking down on its rule that members must use their real names on personal profiles.
The Supermodel of the World weighed in on the controversy this week: "In showbiz, there’s no such thing as bad publicity as long as they spell your name right," Ru told The Hollywood Reporter. "But it’s bad policy when Facebook strips the rights of creative individuals who have blossomed into something even more fabulous than the name their mama gave them."
Even after planned protest, a hashtag campaign, and discussion with representatives from San Francisco's drag community, Facebook has refused to budge on the issue.
Some LGBT members are migrating to a new platform, Ello, which doesn't require personal information, but most performers still rely on Facebook's size and scope to reach their fans.