How ‘RuPaul's Drag Race’ Helped This Superfan Become His Authentic Self
Oct 30, 2018
Television should reflect how diverse people are, says Dean O'Reilly, an activist and student from Dublin, Ireland.
“I think representation is the most important thing on TV," says Dean O'Reilly, an activist and student from Dublin, Ireland.
“People, by nature, are inherently diverse. So our television should reflect this.” O’Reilly is a self-proclaimed “die-hard fan”of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” who identifies as queer. The VH1 show changed his life.
"It was groundbreaking to see so many LGBTQ+ people on television," he says. “I was watching the show for over two years before I came out—to myself or anyone. It showed me that there wasn’t just one type of LGBTQ+ person out there. It taught me I could add to the definition by merely existing as my authentic self.”
"It was groundbreaking to see so many LGBTQ+ people on television."
The 18-year-old also believes that the show helped him celebrate aspects of his life that were often portrayed negatively when he was growing up.
"Being feminine is fierce. Turning a look is sickening. Being gay is a blessing. These are things I've learned from the show."
“Before that, being feminine was embarrassing. Dressing differently was weird. Being gay was an unfortunate circumstance,” O’Reilly says. “Seeing other LGBTQ+ people do so well for themselves, knowing that they started just how I did, changes your entire worldview."