A rainbow bus sponsored by RuPaul is sashaying into the South to distribute banned books to readers, the New York Times reports.
The drag performer and television producer, known for his popular series RuPaul’s Drag Race, is sending the Rainbow Book Bus from Los Angeles to several cities in states that have targeted LGBTQ+ books. The bus will make stops in Atlanta; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Birmingham, Alabama; San Antonio; and other locations.
The former school bus was painted by queer artists India Torrez and Paco May, and is decorated with portraits of LGBTQ+ trailblazers including Harvey Milk and Audre Lorde. The bus’ website describes it as “a technicolor library with books for all ages.”
“When the Rainbow Book Bus pulls into town, we’re not just giving out free books: we’re handing out opportunities to escape, to learn, to feel seen and understood,” the website says. “Most importantly, we’re reminding LGBTQ+ youth and those close to them that they’re not alone.”
The bus is tied to a new online bookstore called Allstora, which RuPaul co-founded with historian Eric Cervini (The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. the United States) and actor Adam Powell. The store is launching a new book club curated by RuPaul; the first selection is his own memoir, The House of Hidden Meanings, published Tuesday by Dey Street/HarperCollins.
RuPaul told the Times that he was influenced by authors including George Orwell and Eckhart Tolle.
“I wasn’t very good in school, but I read books and I watched television, and those are the ways that I was able to find my way in this great big world,” he said.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
