Long gone are the days when sexuality is no longer discussed. Many folks are living out loud and proud with no amount of concern for the ignorance of others. And why should they? As humans we should all be able to live our lives how we want without fear of judgment or misunderstanding. But unfortunately, that's not how the world works. In order to live your best life it takes guts, determination and perseverance, which are just a few of the words that describe outspoken celebrity drag queen RuPaul.

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Born RuPaul Andre Charles in 1960 he has gone on to become a cultural icon symbolizing strength, power and femininity with a career spanning over thirty years. He's always found a way to break barriers and remind people that visibility should be inclusive for everyone, not just some. He shattered the conception of traditional television as well when he introduced the world to the hit reality competition RuPaul's Drag Race, where he gives up and coming queens a chance to shine and sparkle all over our television sets.

RuPaul's presence has made it possible for many people struggling in silence to live their truth and be themselves, however RuPaul will be the first to admit that things weren't always so easy for him. Showbiz Cheatsheet reports that RuPaul recently opened up about his own struggles with coming out when he was younger, and it's the kind of story that you would think no longer exists in the 21st century. Unfortunately that's not the case because it still does.

In his new series AJ and the Queen RuPaul portrays Ruby, a famous drag queen who sets off on a tour and eventually meets 11-year-old AJ. The two of them go on adventure after adventure, and the series brought back some memories from his childhood while filming.

“You know, on my new show, AJ and the Queen, my character parents an 11-year-old child, so I was able to really emotionally revisit myself as a kid,” he said. “It was a trip. I’ve never done anything like that before. It was the most challenging thing for me as an actor and as a human. The big thing for me is that I wish I’d learned how to process feelings earlier.

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The human body is kind of like a computer program, and a lot of the feelings that I felt were based on the experiences I’d had. Knowing that feelings are not facts was a message I wish that 11-year-old Ru had heard.”

He also admitted to being thankful for his career and also having the opportunity to get in touch with feelings he may have been suppressing for many years.

“I’ve been doing this for 38 years in show business, and there’s a part of myself I’ve had to emotionally shut down to power through it,” RuPaul recently explained to Variety. “This is an opportunity to get reacquainted with those emotions and actually let them out in front of people.”

AJ and the Queen is streaming now on Netflix.