Charlize Theron is known for her intense performances in films such as Monster, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Atomic Blonde. However, the actress seems to be a hero off-screen as well as she recently stood up for the drag community by joining the show RuPaul’s Drag Race as a guest judge.
The actress has been a vocal supporter of the drag community as well as the LGBTQIA+ communities. She had previously attended a fundraiser event organized by the Producer Entertainment Group, which protested against the stricter laws against public drag performance that were being lobbied by conservative groups.
Charlize Theron’s History With The Drag Community
Apart from being an Academy Award-winning actress, Charlize Theron has taken up multiple activism and philanthropic projects. The South African native launched The Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project in 2007 to help fight HIV/AIDS prevalence in Africa among the youth. She has raised millions of dollars in funds to help the cause.
Theron was named the UN Messenger of Peace in 2008 and was a representative for the UN’s Stop Rape programs. She has been a vocal supporter of women’s rights and gay marriage, resolving to not get married until gay marriage was legal in the United States. She has adopted two children, one of whom she revealed was a transgender girl.
In 2023, Theron participated in the ‘Drag is not Dangerous’ fundraiser live telethon along with other celebrities such as Jesse Eisenberg, Sarah Silverman, and Mellissa McCarthy. The event came at a time when stricter laws against pubic drag shows were being lobbied by conservative groups in the USA. Theron stated in a video during the event (via TMZ),
“We love you, queens! We’re in your corner, and we’ve got you, and I will f*ck anybody up who is, like, trying to f*ck with anything with you guys.”
The actress pledged her vocal support and stated how there were much larger problems plaguing kids at the moment than drag shows.
Charlize Theron Joins As A Guest Judge On RuPaul’s Drag Race
Recently, Charlize Theron solidified her support for the drag community by appearing as a guest judge on the reality competition RuPaul’s Drag Race. The drag queen competition recently began airing its sixteenth season on MTV, and Theron joined in as a guest judge for the reality show.
During the episode, Theron supported the drag community by addressing the clash against the community in the current political climate and encouraged the contestants to not give up. She said (via Variety),
“Given the climate in our country right now, there’s a lot of energy being put toward your community not existing. I truly believe that all of that is coming from a place of fear. The beauty of what your community brings and the truth of who you are and represent will come out. Don’t give up.”
The Monster actress continued her stint on the show in its post-episode discussion talk show Untucked. She spoke about her own children and how she wanted them to grow up in a world with tolerance and that she wanted to feel secure as a mother to be able to create that world. Her appearance was lauded by the contestants, who stated,
“I love that Charlize came here. She is using her platform to protect our rights. It’s affirming as an artist when our allies share the message of love that we bring when we do this.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race has been on air since 2009 and has won multiple Primetime Emmys. RuPaul, the host and head judge of the series, has won the Emmy for Outstanding Host For A Competition Program twelve times.
