RuPaul's Drag Race is still figuring out how to handle gender and race

For a reality TV show about a queer subculture, RuPaul’s Drag Race has achieved extraordinary success, writes Scott McKinnon.

In the show, which winds up another series this Friday, drag queens compete to be named “America’s Next Drag Superstar”. Across 13 seasons (including three of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars) it has graduated from niche programming on the LGBT cable station Logo to a mainstream, award-winning hit on the widely viewed VH1. In Australia, the show streams on Stan and is often highlighted as a drawcard in its ad campaigns.