Mar 5
Really RuPaul?! Ru's Online New Bookstore Selling Anti-LGBTQ+ Titles
Emell Adolphus READ TIME: 2 MIN.
RuPaul has some explaining to do. After hitting the interview circuit to promote his new memoir, "The House Of Hidden Meanings," and recently launched online bookstore to mark the occasion.
However, fans of the drag superstar have a bone to pick with the TV mogul after it was revealed that the store is selling anti-LGBTQ+ books, The Advocate reported.
Called Allstora, the online marketplace was previously called ShopQueer.co before the Emmy Award–winning host came on as a co-founder. It markets itself as author-owned marketplace, with over 10 million titles and a profit-sharing model that promises to double an author's income.
Yet Allstora's promise to represent all "voices of underrepresented groups, including LGBTQ+ people, women, and communities of color" has come under fire because that appears to extend to any and everyone.
Allstora's store includes titles by notable homophobes, including Riley Gaines, Robby Starbuck, Kirk Cameron, and other conservative authors.
"Hi hello why is RuPaul's online bookstore selling Chaya Raichik's children's book???" wrote one social media commentator about the controversial Libs of TikTok influencer.
Additionally, the store allegedly included Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf" and titles by Bill O'Reilly.
Yikes!
"Ru Paul's new bookstore, Allstora, is selling copies of Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' and you get a member discount on it!" wrote Harvard Law instructor Alejandra Caraballo.
She added, "I honestly didn't even know there were this many editions and translations."
Us, too.
In response to the uproar, Allstora included an update about its marketplace with a disclaimer:
"Allstora Note: With the help of our community, we've flagged this book as contrary to our core values. All proceeds from this title will go towards protecting diverse literature and marginalized communities from book bans through the Rainbow Book Bus."
If there is one thing we've learned from Ru, it's "don't f*ck it up." Yet it sure seems like someone didn't get the memo.
