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RuPaul promotes reading with a rainbow-colored school bus

RuPaul announced this week that he's sending a rainbow bus full of banned books from the West Coast to the South.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

If you've ever seen "RuPaul's Drag Race," you know reading is a key part of the competition.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE")

RUPAUL: Get out your library cards, girls.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Yes.

RUPAUL: Because reading is what?

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Fundamental.

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

On the show, contestants have to read or throw shade at each other, much like I do to Leila all the time.

FADEL: (Laughter).

MARTÍNEZ: Now RuPaul's promoting a different kind of reading with a rainbow-colored school bus.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

RUPAUL: You want to talk about reading?

MARTÍNEZ: (Laughter).

FADEL: In videos posted on Instagram, RuPaul announced the launch of an online bookstore, Allstora, to promote underrepresented authors. To celebrate, the Rainbow Book Bus is about to go on its first cross-country tour to deliver titles targeted by book fans to people in Florida and other parts of the South where many school districts have taken books off the shelves in recent years, spurred by parents and activists.

MARTÍNEZ: RuPaul talked about the bus on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert."

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT")

RUPAUL: If somebody is trying to take away your power, they are trying to render you powerless. So read a book, read a book.

FADEL: In a recent interview about his memoir, "The House Of Hidden Meanings," RuPaul told Fresh Air host Tonya Mosley that books have always been a part of his life, even though he left school in 10th grade.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

RUPAUL: I was never a school-type person, never school. I read books from the time I was - you know, I could read, and I watched television. I learned everything I know from watching television and reading books, that's it.

MARTÍNEZ: Now, something else he learned in his youth may also come in handy during the Rainbow Book Bus tour. He said on "The Late Show" that he started driving professionally at 16, transporting cars all over the country.

STEPHEN COLBERT: So you're hauling back and forth across the United States at that age...

RUPAUL: Yeah.

COLBERT: ...In some strange car that you've never driven before?

RUPAUL: Yeah. No, but I can drive anything.

FADEL: Including a school bus full of banned books.

Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

• Celebrity News

March 6, 2024

RuPaul Brings All Aboard The Rainbow Book Bus And Online Store

RuPaul and the Rainbow Book Bus are annoucing the grand opening of Allstora, the media personality's new venture to ensure diverse authors get greater profits from book sales.

Readers, your latest ethical bookstore has arrived. RuPaul is bringing everyone along his Rainbow Book Bus as he announces the release of his new online marketplace, Allstora, co-owned by authors.

Co-founded by RuPaul, Allstora hosts over 10 million titles for book lovers and seeks to uplift diverse authors by having them participate in the profit share. The Drag Race host shared the news on his Instagram on March 4, complete with his nonprofit organization, the Rainbow Book Bus, so avid readers of all backgrounds could feel welcome and invited.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Allstora (@allstorabooks)

RuPaul’s vision for Allstora is for “empowering creators and cultivating community. Here, you can support your favorite authors, find your story, and find your people.”

As the Chief Creative Officer, RuPaul will also debut his Book Club in collaboration with Allstora. Its membership entails monthly book deliveries, exclusive interviews and playlists for passionate readers.

Their mission statement is “to protect, promote, and empower all storytellers through an equitable compensation model and to uplift the voices of underrepresented groups, including LGBTQ+ people, women, and communities of color.” Through this business model, buyers are able to purchase books with wholesale memberships, providing further discounts while ensuring authors are paid more.

As for RuPaul’s charitable venture, The Rainbow Book Bus will continue working with LGBTQ organizations to provide access to novels for diverse communities, especially in areas where book bans are a more significant threat. To further promote the nonprofit endeavor and Allstora, the Rainbow Book Bus is embarking on a nationwide tour to give away 10,000 books to marginalized peoples. Traveling to areas such as Tulsa, Oklahoma, Memphis, Tennesse, and Atlanta, its effort will not only spread literacy but also promote a marketplace where authors receive their fair share.

The announcement coincides with the release of RuPaul’s memoir, The House of Hidden Meanings , which will be available for purchase starting March 5. The novel details his life journey to become one of the most prominent LGBTQ+ figures in media and will be the first novel pick for RuPaul’s Book Club at Allstora.

The innovative online book marketplace is open for memberships now.

• LGBTQ books
• diverse authors

Drag superstar RuPaul co-founds new bookstore, sends Rainbow Book Bus to bring banned books to Florida

RuPaul has a lot happening this week. Fresh from becoming the most-awarded person of color ever at the Emmys with his 11th win , the Queen of Drag has a new memoir hitting the shelves Tuesday , has joined forces with a newly revamped online bookstore with a RuPaul-chosen Book of the Month, and is helping send his partners' Rainbow Book Bus to different locations — including Tallahassee — to distribute banned books.

It will be an incursion into enemy territory. Florida had more books banned or removed from school and library shelves than any other state in the 2022-23 school year, according to a report from nonprofit literacy organization PEN America. Florida legislators also passed a law effectively banning drag shows (without ever using the term) last year before a federal district court temporarily blocked it on First Amendment grounds and the U.S. Supreme Court voted against an application from the state.

Who is RuPaul?

RuPaul Charles. 63, may have done more than anyone alive to bring drag into the mainstream. Even aside from his own stunning appearances in multiple shows, competitions, and the movie "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar," plus his three GLAAD Media Awards, his two Billboard Music Awards and his Tony, and other accolades, the Glamazon has hosted the incredibly popular "RuPaul’s Drag Race " since 2009 with undeniable style.

Now in its 16th season, "Drag Race" showcases drag queens competing for the title of America's next drag superstar and a prize of $100,000. The "Drag Race" cultural juggernaut has spawned multiple spin-offs, including "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" and "RuPaul's Celebrity Drag Race."

His new memoir, "The House of Hidden Meanings," is also his first selection for his monthly book club at the online bookstore Allstora , where he is creative director.

What is the Rainbow Book Bus?

It started with LGBTQ+ advocate and author Eric Cervini and actor and drag performer Adam Powell, who started the first version of the bookstore, ShopQueer. They raised over $200,000 with donors and supporters to convert a 22-foot school bus into a brightly colored bookmobile with the aim "to promote and protect access to representative books and media for queer communities and anyone impacted by anti-inclusive legislation," according to a press release.

The Rainbow Book Bus was started in 2022, debuted at the L.A. Pride event and some book fairs last year, and is now making its first cross-country tour by traveling across the South in March 2024 with plans to hand out 10,000 books focusing on LGBTQ+ and people of color themes. After that it's off to the Midwest and the Great Plains.

One of those events is in Tallahassee, Gov. Ron DeSantis' backyard.

“We must fight censorship and attempts to reduce young people’s access to inclusive stories," Powell said in a statement, "and our colorful and joyful bus loaded with amazing books is an antidote to hate and discrimination.”

Where is the Rainbow Book Bus coming to Tallahassee? When is the event?

The Rainbow Book Bus will be with Capital Tea at 926 Bar & Grill at 926 W Tharpe Street in Tallahassee on Monday, March 11.

Follow Capital Tea's Instagram or Facebook pages for times and more details, which will be released closer to the event.

Sorry, Ru will not be attending the event. "I won't be driving the bus," RuPaul told Stephen Colbert during his appearance on "The Late Show" Monday night.

Where else is the Rainbow Book Bus stopping ?

• Atlanta, Georgia, The City of Atlanta
• Baton Rouge, Lousiana,   Youth Oasis
• Birmingham, Alabama,   Magic City Acceptance Center
• Memphis, Tennessee, OUTMemphis
• Phoenix, Arizona, one n ten
• San Antonio, Texas, Thrive Youth Center
• Tallahassee, Florida, Capital Tea

Why is the Rainbow Book Bus coming to Florida?

"We knew we had to bring the bus to Florida as part of the inaugural tour," Kappel said in an email interview. "A whopping 40% of all book challenges across the country have been in Florida, as well as tons of legislation policing queer people's bodies and generally trying to remove them from public life. It's a crisis. 

"These books coming to Florida are a small way of making young queer people feel seen and loved and represented, when they're so often denied those things."

They're not the first to try. The "Stay Woke Rolling Votercade" visited 15 Florida cities in 2023, giving away banned books and registering voters. Pop megastar Pink handed out 2,000 banned books at her Florida shows last year, and multiple advocacy groups have held giveaways around the state.

Why did the Rainbow Book Bus pick Capital Tea in Tallahassee?

"We chose Capital Tea because of the absolutely essential work they're doing to provide safety and support to queer people, especially trans women of color," Kappel said. "We are great admirers of the work Janel and her entire team are doing, and we knew they would be the perfect centerpiece to our stop in Tallahassee, and great meeting point for other organizations to gather and celebrate queer joy."

Capital Tea is a nonprofit in Tallahassee founded by Janel Diaz which serves as a support group and a safe house for at-risk transgender individuals as well as an advocate. for the trans community.

What is Allstora?

When the first bookstore, ShopQueer, took off, Cervini and Powell expanded the catalog from 3,000 to 10 million titles and cofounded the new, bigger Allstora store with RuPaul.

"We're very grateful that he believes in our mission and has chosen to be a spokesperson for us!" Kappel said.

Allstora makes a point of paying authors more by splitting profits at a higher rate than other stores and supporting diverse storytellers. While you can shop the store without becoming a member, a $5-a-month membership gets you 30% off all books and 50% off your first purchase. Profits from members' purchases all go to the authors.

"Allstora is a bookstore that I'm involved with that is bringing books to people who need to read them, and are in areas where they ban books," RuPaul told Colbert. "Because you know, I've said this before, and I wasn't the first to say it, but knowledge is power. Knowledge is power. If somebody is trying to take away your power they are trying to render you powerless.

"So read a book. Read a book. Get some knowledge," he said.

What is RuPaul's Book Club?

Allstora is also hosting RuPaul's Book Club , a monthly subscription service highlighting books that have inspired the television icon. For $24.50 per month you get the book shipped to you, a "limited edition print hand signed by Ru," and exclusive access to podcasts, playlists and more from RuPaul and his favorite authors.

Editor's note: Location of Tallahassee event updated since first publication

RuPaul’s Rainbow Book Bus heads to Gulf Coast cities

• Updated: Mar. 07, 2024, 9:44 a.m. |
• Published: Mar. 04, 2024, 5:03 p.m.

RuPaul Charles is sending the Rainbow Book Bus across the country to give away restricted LGBTQ+ titles. Courtesy of Allstora

• Ileana Garnand | [email protected]

Book bans, sashay away.

As book challenges continue to rise across the country, world-famous drag star RuPaul Charles is sending a multicolored, 22-foot former school bus across the South to distribute restricted LGBTQ+ titles.

To do so, the Rainbow Book Bus is partnering with local organizations at every stop, including:

• Magic City Acceptance Center in Birmingham, Alabama: March 8
• Capital Tea in Tallahassee, Florida: March 11
• Youth Oasis in Baton Rouge, Louisiana: March 12
• Thrive Youth Center in San Antonio, Texas: March 13

Additional stops will be made in Phoenix, Arizona; Atlanta, Georgia; and Memphis, Tennessee.

The tour, which began March 4, coincides with the launch of online bookstore Allstora . Charles is a co-founder, alongside drag performer Adam Powell and author Eric Cervini, of the Rainbow Book Bus. The goal is to give away 10,000 books by the end of the year.

“The Rainbow Book Bus began as a dream that has since developed into our flagship bookmobile program, and we are beyond excited to take these books on the road and bring them to communities who need them most,” Powell told People . “We must fight censorship and attempts to reduce young people’s access to inclusive stories, and our colorful and joyful bus loaded with amazing books is an antidote to hate and discrimination.”

Allstora promotes underrepresented voices and offers authors a greater profit share than other retailers. Shoppers can search collections based on various sexual, gender and racial identities — groups that are disproportionately affected by book bans. The website also has a category for challenged and banned titles.

“We all benefit from stories that give us a different perspective or take us to another world,” Charles said in a news release. “Creatives — whether drag queens, philosophers or authors — are driving our culture forward, and should be properly compensated for their work. I’m passionate about uplifting the voices of underrepresented groups, and I’m proud of what Allstora offers to both authors and readers: a community.”

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

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RuPaul Is Sending a Rainbow Bus to Give Away Books Targeted by Bans

The star, whose show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has an international following, is one of the founders of a new online bookstore promoting underrepresented authors. The giveaways are part of its outreach.

By Amanda Holpuch

At a time of book bans and efforts by state legislatures to ban drag shows, the performer and television producer who is arguably the country’s most famous drag star, RuPaul, is the co-founder of a new online bookstore that will be sending a rainbow school bus from the West Coast to the South to distribute the very books targeted by those bans.

He announced on Monday that he was one of three business partners behind the bookstore, Allstora, which will promote underrepresented authors and provide writers with a greater share of profits than other online booksellers do.

RuPaul said that this sort of book website would fill an important gap, especially in “these strange days, we’re living in,” to support the ideas of people “who are willing to push the conversation forward.”

In recent years, there has been a sharp rise in efforts to restrict access to books at libraries in the United States, and most of the challenged books are by or about L.G.B.T.Q. people or people of color, according to library and free speech organizations. Some libraries have received bomb threats, and others have faced closure over efforts to remove books. At the same time, states have tried to ban drag shows and restrict access to health care for transgender people .

Enter RuPaul. Drag has been in popular culture for decades, but his reality competition show “ RuPaul’s Drag Race ,” which is airing its sixteenth season and has more than a dozen international editions, has brought the work of hundreds, if not thousands, of drag performers to home audiences.

To those who are seeking to limit access to L.G.B.T.Q. culture in the United States, RuPaul said he offered a prayer.

“They have so much pain and it’s being projected outwardly,” RuPaul said. “And the truth is, I just hope that the child that lives inside of each and every one of them will revolt and have a voice and say: ‘I want to use all the colors in the crayon box. I will not be restricted.’”

“My heart goes out to them because they’re clearly in a lot of pain,” RuPaul continued. “Pain that you and I could not even imagine.”

He said that efforts to ban books and drag shows would ultimately “fall to the wayside.” History has shown that the more people try to restrict access to something, the more people are attracted to it, RuPaul said, adding, “You cannot keep the imagination down.”

He mentioned several books that had influenced him, including “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle, “Animal Farm” by George Orwell and “Curious George,” the children’s classic by Margret and H.A. Rey.

“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,” RuPaul said.

At Allstora, RuPaul will curate a monthly book club, which will also include themed playlists and interviews with authors. The first selection is, fittingly, his memoir “ The House of Hidden Meanings ,” which will be released on Tuesday.

RuPaul is founding Allstora with Adam Powell, a drag performer and actor, and Powell’s partner, Eric Cervini, the author of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated history book “The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America.”

Allstora is the new version of a company that Cervini and Powell officially kicked off in October 2022 called ShopQueer.co, which sold books by L.G.B.T.Q.+ authors and aimed to give writers a bigger cut of their books’ profits . The couple first ran the business from the garage of their Los Angeles apartment, but they quickly outgrew it. Last year, Cervini said, they sold more than $1 million in books.

“We were doing everything on our own and realized we needed help,” Cervini said.

They were fund-raising when they were connected with RuPaul, who is the chief creative officer of Allstora. The revamped company sells books by all types of authors and offers authors a share of the profits made from the book sales on the website. Cervini is the chief executive and Powell is the director of the company’s philanthropic arm, the Rainbow Book Bus, which started its outreach before Allstora formed.

As part of Allstora’s kickoff, the Rainbow Book Bus will be traveling in March from Los Angeles to the South to fight book bans. In these cities, which will include Birmingham, Ala.; Tallahassee, Fla.; and Baton Rouge, La., Allstora will team up with local L.G.B.T.Q. organizations to distribute thousands of books. The goal is to give away 10,000 books by the end of the year out of the brightly colored, 22-foot former school bus.

The local organizations have also been providing guidance to the company about how to keep the book fairs safe. “They’ve been so helpful and working with local law enforcement and volunteers to make sure that everyone is just full of joy and no fear to be seen,” Cervini said.

Cervini, who grew up in Central Texas, said it would be important for young people to see that there was a space for them, even if they didn’t live somewhere with bookstores that have an L.G.B.T.Q. section or they were prohibited from reading those books at their schools or public libraries .

“There is an organization, there’s a community, there’s a family for them,” he said. “And even if we’re not always there, books are always there. They’re always available. They’re always a safe place.”

Amanda Holpuch is a general assignment reporter. More about Amanda Holpuch

RuPaul promotes reading with a rainbow-colored school bus

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

If you've ever seen "RuPaul's Drag Race," you know reading is a key part of the competition.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE")

RUPAUL: Get out your library cards, girls.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Yes.

RUPAUL: Because reading is what?

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Fundamental.

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

On the show, contestants have to read or throw shade at each other, much like I do to Leila all the time.

FADEL: (Laughter).

MARTÍNEZ: Now RuPaul's promoting a different kind of reading with a rainbow-colored school bus.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

RUPAUL: You want to talk about reading?

MARTÍNEZ: (Laughter).

FADEL: In videos posted on Instagram, RuPaul announced the launch of an online bookstore, Allstora, to promote underrepresented authors. To celebrate, the Rainbow Book Bus is about to go on its first cross-country tour to deliver titles targeted by book fans to people in Florida and other parts of the South where many school districts have taken books off the shelves in recent years, spurred by parents and activists.

MARTÍNEZ: RuPaul talked about the bus on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert."

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT")

RUPAUL: If somebody is trying to take away your power, they are trying to render you powerless. So read a book, read a book.

FADEL: In a recent interview about his memoir, "The House Of Hidden Meanings," RuPaul told Fresh Air host Tonya Mosley that books have always been a part of his life, even though he left school in 10th grade.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

RUPAUL: I was never a school-type person, never school. I read books from the time I was - you know, I could read, and I watched television. I learned everything I know from watching television and reading books, that's it.

MARTÍNEZ: Now, something else he learned in his youth may also come in handy during the Rainbow Book Bus tour. He said on "The Late Show" that he started driving professionally at 16, transporting cars all over the country.

STEPHEN COLBERT: So you're hauling back and forth across the United States at that age...

RUPAUL: Yeah.

COLBERT: ...In some strange car that you've never driven before?

RUPAUL: Yeah. No, but I can drive anything.

FADEL: Including a school bus full of banned books. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

All aboard RuPaul’s Rainbow Book Bus

O n Monday, RuPaul announced he’s partnered with a new online bookstore called Allstora , and they’ll be sending a colorful Rainbow Book Bus across the country to deliver banned books to anyone who wants them.

The Drag Race creator has joined Adam Powell, an actor and drag performer, and Eric Cervini, author of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated history book The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America , in the new online effort.

Related: Conservative pundit freaks out at RuPaul’s teddy bear: “They’re coming after the kids!” The collectible toy was made for adult fans of RuPaul, but the right thinks the bear in a dress is “grooming your children.”

Ru’s partners are a longtime couple and started the company in their Los Angeles garage.

Stay connected to your community Connect with the issues and events that impact your community at home and beyond by subscribing to our newsletter . Daily * Weekly * Good News *

“You cannot keep the imagination down,” RuPaul said of the thousands of books banned in schools and public libraries in the United States in recent years.

Allstora plans to hand out 10,000 volumes from the Rainbow Book Bus during its year-long ride from LA through the South to Baton Rouge, LA; Birmingham, AL; and Tallahassee, FL. Local LGBTQ+ organizations will join the tour along the way.

“I wasn’t very good in school,” Rupaul told The New York Times , “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.”

The drag impresario cited A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, Animal Farm by George Orwell and Curious George , the children’s classic by Margret and H.A. Rey, as influential books in his early years.

“These strange days” of book bans and culture wars will “fall to the wayside,” RuPaul predicted, as curiosity overcomes conservative zealotry.

About the Moms for Liberty and other groups stalking libraries in search of “prurient” and LGBTQ+ content in books, RuPaul said, “They have so much pain and it’s being projected outwardly.”

“I just hope that the child that lives inside of each and every one of them will revolt and have a voice and say: ‘I want to use all the colors in the crayon box. I will not be restricted.’”

“My heart goes out to them,” he added.

Allstora founder Cervini grew up in Central Texas and said he knew from experience the importance of a safe space for young people. He sees the Rainbow Book Bus, and more importantly the books inside, as just that.

“There is an organization, a community, a family for them,” he said. “And even if we’re not always there, books are always there. They’re always available. They’re always a safe place.”

RuPaul promotes reading with a rainbow-colored school bus

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

If you've ever seen "RuPaul's Drag Race," you know reading is a key part of the competition.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE")

RUPAUL: Get out your library cards, girls.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Yes.

RUPAUL: Because reading is what?

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Fundamental.

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

On the show, contestants have to read or throw shade at each other, much like I do to Leila all the time.

FADEL: (Laughter).

MARTÍNEZ: Now RuPaul's promoting a different kind of reading with a rainbow-colored school bus.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

RUPAUL: You want to talk about reading?

MARTÍNEZ: (Laughter).

FADEL: In videos posted on Instagram, RuPaul announced the launch of an online bookstore, Allstora, to promote underrepresented authors. To celebrate, the Rainbow Book Bus is about to go on its first cross-country tour to deliver titles targeted by book fans to people in Florida and other parts of the South where many school districts have taken books off the shelves in recent years, spurred by parents and activists.

MARTÍNEZ: RuPaul talked about the bus on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert."

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT")

RUPAUL: If somebody is trying to take away your power, they are trying to render you powerless. So read a book, read a book.

FADEL: In a recent interview about his memoir, "The House Of Hidden Meanings," RuPaul told Fresh Air host Tonya Mosley that books have always been a part of his life, even though he left school in 10th grade.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

RUPAUL: I was never a school-type person, never school. I read books from the time I was - you know, I could read, and I watched television. I learned everything I know from watching television and reading books, that's it.

MARTÍNEZ: Now, something else he learned in his youth may also come in handy during the Rainbow Book Bus tour. He said on "The Late Show" that he started driving professionally at 16, transporting cars all over the country.

STEPHEN COLBERT: So you're hauling back and forth across the United States at that age...

RUPAUL: Yeah.

COLBERT: ...In some strange car that you've never driven before?

RUPAUL: Yeah. No, but I can drive anything.

FADEL: Including a school bus full of banned books. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

RuPaul promotes reading with a rainbow-colored school bus

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

If you've ever seen "RuPaul's Drag Race," you know reading is a key part of the competition.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE")

RUPAUL: Get out your library cards, girls.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Yes.

RUPAUL: Because reading is what?

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Fundamental.

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

On the show, contestants have to read or throw shade at each other, much like I do to Leila all the time.

FADEL: (Laughter).

MARTÍNEZ: Now RuPaul's promoting a different kind of reading with a rainbow-colored school bus.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

RUPAUL: You want to talk about reading?

MARTÍNEZ: (Laughter).

FADEL: In videos posted on Instagram, RuPaul announced the launch of an online bookstore, Allstora, to promote underrepresented authors. To celebrate, the Rainbow Book Bus is about to go on its first cross-country tour to deliver titles targeted by book fans to people in Florida and other parts of the South where many school districts have taken books off the shelves in recent years, spurred by parents and activists.

MARTÍNEZ: RuPaul talked about the bus on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert."

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT")

RUPAUL: If somebody is trying to take away your power, they are trying to render you powerless. So read a book, read a book.

FADEL: In a recent interview about his memoir, "The House Of Hidden Meanings," RuPaul told Fresh Air host Tonya Mosley that books have always been a part of his life, even though he left school in 10th grade.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR BROADCAST)

RUPAUL: I was never a school-type person, never school. I read books from the time I was - you know, I could read, and I watched television. I learned everything I know from watching television and reading books, that's it.

MARTÍNEZ: Now, something else he learned in his youth may also come in handy during the Rainbow Book Bus tour. He said on "The Late Show" that he started driving professionally at 16, transporting cars all over the country.

STEPHEN COLBERT: So you're hauling back and forth across the United States at that age...

RUPAUL: Yeah.

COLBERT: ...In some strange car that you've never driven before?

RUPAUL: Yeah. No, but I can drive anything.

FADEL: Including a school bus full of banned books. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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RuPaul’s Rainbow Book Bus heads to Texas city

• Updated: Mar. 18, 2024, 2:07 p.m. |
• Published: Mar. 04, 2024, 4:44 p.m.

RuPaul Charles is sending the Rainbow Book Bus across the country to give away restricted LGBTQ+ titles. Courtesy of Allstora

• Ileana Garnand | [email protected]

Book bans, sashay away.

As book challenges continue to rise across the country, world-famous drag star RuPaul Charles is sending a multicolored, 22-foot former school bus across the South to distribute restricted LGBTQ+ titles.

To do so, the Rainbow Book Bus is partnering with local organizations at every stop — including the Thrive Youth Center in San Antonio. The center will hold a banned book fair on March 13 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Additional stops include Phoenix, Arizona; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Birmingham, Alabama; Tallahassee, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; and Memphis, Tennessee.

The tour, which began March 4, coincides with the launch of online bookstore Allstora . Charles is a co-founder, alongside drag performer Adam Powell and author Eric Cervini, of the Rainbow Book Bus. The goal is to give away 10,000 books by the end of the year.

“The Rainbow Book Bus began as a dream that has since developed into our flagship bookmobile program, and we are beyond excited to take these books on the road and bring them to communities who need them most,” Powell told People . “We must fight censorship and attempts to reduce young people’s access to inclusive stories, and our colorful and joyful bus loaded with amazing books is an antidote to hate and discrimination.”

Allstora promotes underrepresented voices and offers authors a greater profit share than other retailers. Shoppers can search collections based on various sexual, gender and racial identities — groups that are disproportionately affected by book bans. The website also has a category for challenged and banned titles.

“We all benefit from stories that give us a different perspective or take us to another world,” Charles said in a news release. “Creatives — whether drag queens, philosophers or authors — are driving our culture forward, and should be properly compensated for their work. I’m passionate about uplifting the voices of underrepresented groups, and I’m proud of what Allstora offers to both authors and readers: a community.”

More on Texas book bans

• Texas school board receives death threats over library books
• Trans Rights Readathon 2024: how Texans can participate
• Central Texas librarian sues after being fired for not censoring books

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RuPaul Launches Author-Owned Online Book Marketplace

Emmy Award–winning host and drag performer RuPaul has launched Allstora , an independent, author-owned online book marketplace offering more than 10 million titles. Per a release, the company plans to "challenge the e-commerce status quo by introducing a new model of splitting its profits with authors, in turn doubling their income on the sale of a book."

Allstora was cofounded by RuPaul, who will serve as chief creative officer; author and advocate Eric Cervini, who will serve as CEO; and drag performer and actor Adam Powell. The company's mission is "to protect, promote, and empower all storytellers through an equitable compensation model and to uplift the voices of underrepresented groups, including LGBTQ+ people, women, and communities of color." Allstora will split profits with authors and, through a wholesale membership model, offer discounts of 30-50% on all books.

This month, Allstora will also debut RuPaul's Book Club , a monthly subscription service featuring books curated by RuPaul. Membership will include monthly book deliveries and access to exclusive interviews, themed playlists, audio recordings of book excerpts, and more. The inaugural pick is RuPaul's own memoir, The House of Hidden Meanings , which hits bookstore shelves tomorrow.

In addition, Allstora's philanthropic arm, the Rainbow Book Bus , will partner with local LGBTQ organizations to distribute diverse titles to communities that have limited access to books or are facing book bans. Powell will serve as executive director of the Rainbow Book Bus, and Kappel will serve as its director of operations.

To coincide with Allstora's launch, the Rainbow Book Bus will embark on an inaugural cross-country tour, with plans to distribute more than 10,000 books along the route. Tour stops include Phoenix, Ariz., Tulsa, Okla., Memphis, Tenn., Birmingham, Ala., Atlanta, Ga., Tallahassee, Fla., and San Antonio, Tex., with more stops to be announced at a later date.

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RuPaul Brings All Aboard The Rainbow Book Bus And Online Store

Readers, your latest ethical bookstore has arrived. RuPaul is bringing everyone along his Rainbow Book Bus as he announces the release of his new online marketplace, Allstora, co-owned by authors.

Co-founded by RuPaul, Allstora hosts over 10 million titles for book lovers and seeks to uplift diverse authors by having them participate in the profit share. The Drag Race host shared the news on his Instagram on March 4, complete with his nonprofit organization, the Rainbow Book Bus, so avid readers of all backgrounds could feel welcome and invited.

A post shared by Allstora (@allstorabooks)

RuPaul’s vision for Allstora is for “empowering creators and cultivating community. Here, you can support your favorite authors, find your story, and find your people.”

As the Chief Creative Officer, RuPaul will also debut his Book Club in collaboration with Allstora. Its membership entails monthly book deliveries, exclusive interviews and playlists for passionate readers.

Their mission statement is “to protect, promote, and empower all storytellers through an equitable compensation model and to uplift the voices of underrepresented groups, including LGBTQ+ people, women, and communities of color.” Through this business model, buyers are able to purchase books with wholesale memberships, providing further discounts while ensuring authors are paid more.

As for RuPaul’s charitable venture, The Rainbow Book Bus will continue working with LGBTQ organizations to provide access to novels for diverse communities, especially in areas where book bans are a more significant threat. To further promote the nonprofit endeavor and Allstora, the Rainbow Book Bus is embarking on a nationwide tour to give away 10,000 books to marginalized peoples. Traveling to areas such as Tulsa, Oklahoma, Memphis, Tennesse, and Atlanta, its effort will not only spread literacy but also promote a marketplace where authors receive their fair share.

The announcement coincides with the release of RuPaul’s memoir, The House of Hidden Meanings , which will be available for purchase starting March 5. The novel details his life journey to become one of the most prominent LGBTQ+ figures in media and will be the first novel pick for RuPaul’s Book Club at Allstora.

The innovative online book marketplace is open for memberships now.

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