‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Raises $2 Million for ACLU Drag Defense Fund (EXCLUSIVE)

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD!

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The family drama “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” has become the highest-grossing Thai film of all time in The Philippines, distributor Westec Media claims. The company, which released the film, does not quantify the receipts or the record. But there is little doubt of the film’s hit status across Asia.

Todd Gilchrist editor If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Super7 is planning two pop-up events and several exclusive product launches at San Diego Comic-Con 2024.

2 min read Melbourne’s LGBTIQA+ community had an extra reason to celebrate Pride Month this year, with a vibrant and inclusive drag storytime event held on a specially decorated tram. The tram, part […]

The brand new show Drag! The Musical is heading to New York this fall!

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Ever since snatching the season 16 crown on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” life for Nymphia Wind has been nothing short of a whirlwind experience. She has performed for the President of Taiwan, opened for Steve Aoki at the Gold Gala after party, joined her fellow queens at the Critics Choice Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema and Television and, earlier this month, performed at Vice President Kamala Harris’ Pride Celebration in Washington D.C. She has yet to sit down and have an “Oh God, I won” moment — and she has no intention of stopping for one.

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events.

In little more than a year, RuPaul’s Drag Race has raised $2 million to help the ACLU push back against anti-LGBT efforts, including attacks against drag performance.The news was first reported on June 10 in a Variety exclusive.According to the ACLU, the Drag Defense Fund initiative, formed in April 2023, also partners with MTV and the World of Wonder production company to “fuel the ACLU’s expansive advocacy work in support of the LGBTQ community, which includes everything from courtroom battles, to guidance on state-level legislation, to challenging LGBTQ censorship in classrooms.”World of Wonder produces Drag Race, which airs on MTV. Transgender drag performer Peppermint, who placed second in Season 9 of Drag Race, spoke about the hostile political landscape currently faced by drag performers and the whole of the LGBT community on the ACLU’s At Liberty podcast in January of 2023, shortly before the initiative was launched.

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films killing it in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track. So we’re going to do the hard work for you.

A Galston Army veteran took part in one of the toughest endurance challenges in Scotland to raise cash for a great cause.

16 years ago, executive producer Tom Campbell remembers when almost no one would take a chance on a reality drag competition series. Now, RuPaul’s Drag Race has received 63 Emmy nominations, with 29 wins, and has just wrapped their highest rated season in the last four years. “Every award we get, or anytime we get to talk about the show,” says Campbell, “I just think it reinforces that hopefully there’ll be one more year of RuPaul’s Drag Race and telling those important queer stories that rarely, if ever, get told.”

Kirsten Dunst put on a daring outfit for her latest appearance!

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events “RuPaul’s Drag Race” powers on — literally. Season 16 stars Dawn, Mhi’Ya Iman Le’Paige, Morphine, Q, Plane Jane, Sapphira Cristál and winner Nymphia Wind performed the original song “Power” from the “Werq the World” episode at Monday’s Emmy FYC event at the Culver City Library. And only “Just for Variety” has the exclusive premiere of the performance.

LOS ANGELES — Some of Hollywood’s brightest stars headlined a fundraiser for President Joe Biden that took in a record $30 million-plus for a Democratic candidate, according to his campaign, in hopes of energizing would-be supporters for a White House contest they said may rank among the most consequential in U.S. history.George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Barbra Streisand were among those who took the stage at the 7,100-seat Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday night.

RuPaul’s Drag Race is a massive platform for stars on the rise!

#TeamGreen #RaiseYourBanners#HOTD premieres tonight on @StreamOnMax. pic.twitter.com/rLPFv0fdKH“In celebration of season 2 of ‘House of the Dragon’ streaming on Max, the World’s Most Famous Building is officially pledging themselves to Team Green,” a statement about the takeover on the Empire State Building’s website read.The massive marketing stunt could also be seen in the live EarthCam video of the iconic Big Apple skyscraper.Eagle-eyed social media users shared images of the dragon, with some catching a glimpse of it from as far as Jersey City, New Jersey.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer President Joe Biden raised more than $28 million for his reelection campaign at a downtown Los Angeles fundraiser on Saturday with guests including George Clooney, Julia Roberts and former President Barack Obama. Jimmy Kimmel moderated a discussion between Biden and Obama at the Peacock Theater, which touched on abortion and the Supreme Court. Biden warned what would happen if former President Donald Trump were reelected.

Homer News.The Seward Police Department responded, searching the library. They determined there was no incendiary device present.According to Alaska NPR affiliate KBBI, Seward Deputy Chief of Police Karl Schaefermeyer said that the bomb threat didn’t appear to come from a local resident.“We’ve been in contact with the FBI, and we’ll continue to track down some leads there and see if we can find out who’s responsible,” he said.The Drag Queen Story Hour resumed later in the day at the Alaska SeaLife Center.Attendees listened to stories, including Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, read aloud by local drag performers Totally Tiff and Mars.“This year, we [were] kind of joking before actually reading that there wasn’t much of a hullabaloo this year, and the turnout wasn’t as large,” Totally Tiff’s alias, Tyler Polo, a board member of the Seward Pride Alliance, told KBBI.

Before the queens of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 16 performed for invited members of the Television Academy, their guests, and the assembled media on Monday evening for an Emmy season FYC event, Michelle Visage took some time to chat. Paramount made the smart to hold this massive event at a Culver City, California public library for both tongue-in-cheek (“the library is open”) and political (the unwarranted attacks on drag queen-led story hours) reasons.

Well, this isn’t the best look…