今日吃瓜

Videos have emerged of RuPaul using footage of fracking sites in the backgrounds of his DJ sets, reigniting criticism of the drag star’s own environmental practices.

A decade ago, no one would have associated the world’s most famous drag queen with the toxic extraction technique, but ever since he revealed he and his husband were 鈥�leasing mineral rights to oil companies鈥� on their massive Wyoming ranch in a 2020 appearance on NPR’s Fresh Air (ironic), “RuPaul fracks” has become a commonplace meme in queer culture.

Uploaded to TikTok, the video shows Ru DJing at Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau on Saturday, with footage of what appears to be an oil-exploration site as his set’s background.

“So dystopian but thats the most iconic thing hes [sic] ever done,” the caption read.

So dystopian but thats the most iconic thing hes ever done

To really tie the whole thing together, a series of words including “breathe”, “release”, and “surrender” were slapped over the site, alongside black and white images of RuPaul’s head, somewhat ironic given fossil fuel-related practices like fracking contribute to the ever-worsening climate crisis.

Oh, the fracking?

Fracking allows companies to extract natural gas from impermeable rock formations by blasting them with a mixture of high-pressured water, sand, and chemicals until they crack. As well as using huge amounts of water, the act also contaminates drinking water, releases carcinogenic chemicals into the air, and more.

Fracking has been haunting RuPaul for the last five years, with fans and critics alike refusing to let the issue go.

In an Instagram live from 2024, former Drag Race contestants Peppermint and Bob The Drag Queen went viral after accidentally bringing up the topic during their conversation, birthing the iconic phrase, “oh, the fracking?” before descending into fits of laughter.

KILLS ME EVERYTIME OMG

In a New Yorker last year, journalist Ronan Farrow wrote that Ru was still “defiantly annoyed about the matter鈥�, with the drag legend criticising the masses still holding him accountable.

鈥淒o you buy gas? Before you point the finger, smell it first, bitch,鈥� he told Farrow. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no combination of words I can put together that would soothe the mob.鈥�

RuPaul’s fracking controversy is a reminder that no matter how progressive and revolutionary queer icons are, some still fall victim to capitalistic and exploitative practices that impact us all.

As Ru has found time and time again, there is no way to queer fracking.