Build-A-Bear’s RuPaul Drag Queen Bear Sparks Controversy and Accusations Of “Grooming”
Build-A-Bear Workshop has faced criticism over their new RuPaul drag queen bear, which has divided customers who claim the store is “grooming” children. The bear comes with a curly blonde wig, gold sequin dress, and gold pumps, and includes the RuPaul’s Drag Race logo on the bear’s paw. The item is listed on The Bear Cave website, which is intended for 18+ shoppers, but the bear is still shown on the general website accessible to all.
The controversy first erupted online when conservative Matt Walsh tweeted a screenshot of the Build-A-Bear website with the RuPaul bear advertised. Walsh wrote that the bear is sold in a section of the site that’s “intended for 18+ shoppers,” but they have the drag bear right on the front page, front and centre, alongside the Easter merchandise.
The tweet gained traction on social media, with many agreeing with Walsh’s outrage and finding it “disturbing” for a drag queen bear to be advertised so openly to children. Some even accused Build-A-Bear Workshop of being “groomers”. Others pointed out that having an 18+ website section in a teddy bear store is curious and questionable.
In contrast, many online supported the bear’s existence, saying they find nothing wrong with it and that normalising the diversity of human experience isn’t grooming. Drag shows have become increasingly controversial and politicised in recent months as some cities and states have gone as far as banning performances for children. Tennessee recently passed a law banning drag performances in public spaces, but the law was blocked by a judge who called the legislation “vague and overly-broad.”
In an Instagram post, RuPaul himself unboxed the Build-A-Bear and expressed his excitement over the product. While some customers remain divided, it appears the 18+ bear has been removed from the main website’s carousel of revolving bears and pages.
