Ted Cruz Slams Harvard for Hiring Drag Queen Professor

Texas Senator Ted Cruz is blasting Harvard after the Ivy League school announced that a drag performer will be stepping into the classroom to teach students about RuPaul’s Drag Race.

The controversy centers on Kareem Khubchandani, a Tufts University professor who also performs under the stage name LaWhore Vagistan. Harvard confirmed that Khubchandani will join its Studies of Gender and Sexuality program as a visiting lecturer, offering courses on Queer Ethnography and “RuPaulitics: Drag, Race, and Desire.”

Sharing a screenshot of the announcement, Cruz wrote on X: “How can this be real?” His reaction echoes a growing wave of critics online who say Harvard is damaging its reputation. One user fumed: “Paying students and parents should scream for tuition reimbursement! Harvard is scraping the bottom of the barrel for professors.” Another added that the school is “dragging itself through the mud.”

Khubchandani, who has performed as LaWhore Vagistan for over a decade, often teaches in character. In past interviews, the performer explained that the persona is a blend of humor, cultural commentary, and drag artistry. “My name is LaWhore Vagistan; my preferred pronouns are ‘she’ or ‘aunty,’” Khubchandani once joked. “I chose ‘LaWhore’ because my family traces its origins to Pakistan. Lahore is an important city in Pakistan, and well, I’m a bit of a whore.”

The Harvard course on RuPaul’s Drag Race will dig into how the long-running reality show has shaped both LGBTQ+ culture and mainstream entertainment. With 17 seasons and counting, the series has launched drag into the American spotlight like never before.

Khubchandani is already a tenured professor at Tufts specializing in theater, dance, and performance studies. They’ve also authored several academic works, including Decolonizer Drag and Ishtyle: Accenting Gay Indian Nightlife, with another book, Lessons in Drag: A Queer Manual for Academics, Artists, and Aunties, set for release this year.