William Rumley "Pronouns"

This piece was inspired by a dear friend of mine. When looking at some of my streamer flies, he commented on how they reminded him of RuPaul. Hence, this piece pays homage to a great artist, RuPaul. 

Feathers are a crucial material for fly tiers and drag queen costuming. Fly tiers transform materials to emulate living creatures, in this case a small bait fish, food for game fish. Much as RuPaul transforms into a super model.

I felt comfortable with my fly tying ability and knowledge of materials but lacking in an understanding of the work of RuPaul. I looked to Google and of course Wikipedia landed at the top of the search. In reading the entry, the narrative kept referring to RuPaul as he. I questioned what pronoun RuPaul preferred and this is what I found:

In RuPaul Charles' 1995 autobiography, published in the early days of his fame, the star wrote, "You can call me he. You can call me she. You can call me Regis and Kathie Lee; I don't care! Just as long as you call me."

I also found that RuPaul had to make an adjustment to the opening lines of their very successful show, Drag Race. Because the contestants ranged in identities including non-binary, trans women, and trans men the following adjustment was made:

"Gentlemen, start your engines, and may the best woman win,"

— to "Racers, start your engines, and may the best drag queen win!"

I am grateful for RuPaul’s integrity and mentorship in inclusiveness.

Pattern – RuPaul Feathers

Original Pattern: CJ’s Mini Johnson

Originator: Chad Johnson

Variant Design and Tier: William Jude Rumley