Before he was snatching Emmys and mainstreaming drag with RuPaul's Drag Race, RuPaul was bravely pushing social norms as a drag entertainer, actor, and singer in the 1990s:
In a recently resurfaced interview on Oprah from 1995, Ru opened up about his early journey to success while dishing some wise advice (because it's Mamma Ru), and it's honestly everything you needed to hear in 2017:
Ru first opened up about the advice he would give queer youth who were struggling with acceptance from their parents, and how it's all about embracing yourself, then bringing THAT to the party:
He dove even further into self-acceptance and explained how we're more than just the flesh on our bodies:
But Ru himself even struggled. When Oprah asked him about his late twenties when he battled suicidal thoughts, Re explained how he kept persevering — because he knew "bad weather always passes over:"
Ru further discussed how struggles during his late twenties helped him to reassess his career and allowed him to recharge:
When Oprah asked what success means to Ru, well, he had the most perfect answer:
If there's one thing we needed the most this year, it was this. ILSM, Ru <3
