Nicki Minaj speaks at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest conference

USA Today

Drag Race to Debate: Nicki Minaj and the Weight of Her Influence

BY JUSTIN WANG

JANUARY 31, 2026

During the season 12 premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nicki Minaj boldly stated: “I am Nicki Minaj, and I pledge allegiance to the drag!” This was a playful way to show her excitement about being on the show. Although it wasn’t a formal declaration of support, the statement suggested that Nicki Minaj was encouraging drag and LGBTQ+ culture. Yet, 5 years later, her public statements have become more complex and controversial.

 In December 2025, at a Turning Point USA event, she told a conservative audience, “For boys: be boys. There’s nothing wrong with being a boy,” a phrase that many interpreted as dismissive of transgender identities: a contrast between her earlier embrace of drag culture. Many felt as though she was shunning herself from the LGBTQ+ community, one in which she once appeared to be the “queen.” Nicki Minaj’s shifting public image demonstrates how celebrities’ choices can influence, or clash with, the political values of their audiences.

For many fans, their frustration was not found in the idea that celebrities must agree with them on every issue, but in the fact that a public figure is endorsing movements that actively harm the very communities that helped build her platform. 

Alumni Maria Mueller said, “Technically speaking, celebrities can have their own opinions, but it’s kind of insane for Nicki Minaj to be supporting organizations that are trying [to] undermine her supporters, especially when she used to market herself as pro-LGBTQ+.” 

From this perspective, the issue centers more on accountability rather than censorship. When celebrities publicly align themselves with marginalized groups and benefit from that association, their later political choices are often seen as a lack of loyalty to those same audiences. However, others argue that holding celebrities to certain political expectations erases their individuality; celebrities are not elected representatives and are not obligated to serve as spokespeople for their audience’s beliefs. 

EBHS Senior Jeremy Huang said, “Celebrities are still people, so they shouldn’t be forced to believe the same things as their fans. However, they do need to understand that fans also have the right to stop supporting them if they no longer align themselves with their values.” 

Taken together, these perspectives affirm that a celebrity’s responsibility does not come from ideological alignment, but from an awareness that their social power transforms their personal beliefs into public messages with real consequences. At the same time, audiences must remember that they are not passive recipients; their support is an intentional choice, one that reflects their own values as much as the figure they idolize.