Hollywood star Jeff Goldblum, who has featured in films like "Jurassic Park", "Thor: Ragnarok" and "Independence Day", is receiving backlash on social media after his controversial comments on a particular religious community, and its stance towards sexuality and womanhood.
The incident happened when Goldblum appeared as a guest judge on the April 24 episode of "RuPaul's Drag Race". In the episode, contestant Jackie Cox, a drag queen, turned out in a glittery hijab with starry design as a tribute to her Muslim background in the show's themed challenge, Stars And Stripes.
Religious treatment of LGBTQI+
Goldblum asked Cox, whose real name is Darius Rose, if the drag queen was "religious", reports aceshowbiz.com, before asking what treatment the LGBTQI+ people of the religion normally received. "Is there something in this religion that is anti-homosexuality and anti-woman? Does that complicate the issue? I'm just raising it and thinking out loud and maybe being stupid," he said.
Drag queen-actor and Tv personality RuPaul said "drag has always shaken the tree", while an emotional Cox said it was "a complex issue", adding that she had "own misgivings about the way LGBTQ+ people are treated in the Middle East".
"I had to show America that you can be LGBT and from the Middle East and there's going to be complicated s**t around that and that's okay. But I'm here and I deserve to be in America just as much as anyone else," Jackie said.
Outrage among viewers
Many viewers were outraged by the episode, going by social media reactions. "That Jeff Goldblum to Jackie Cox moment on this week's Drag Race was so deeply uncomfortable to watch. Why did he think that was appropriate? How did it make it to the edit? How was that in any way fair on Jackie? Just so many levels of awfulness," wrote a user.
Another commented: "Now would Jeff Goldblum have asked a Christian queen that same question that he asked Jackie? That was really ignorant." "I am REALLY not here for Jeff Goldblum's casually islamophobic critique of Jackie Cox tonight," said a third unhappy user. Goldblum has not reacted to the controversy yet.
