Is RuPaul Retiring From Drag Race Soon? Michelle Visage Says…

"Ru and I have done nothing but grow together, with every inception of who we were," Michelle, 57, effused of the friendship that was cemented in 1996 when she auditioned to co-host a radio show with Ru. "Do we have different views? Some, but for the most part, we are just so in love with who we are individually that if Ru wants to eat beef and I don't, that's fine."

In fact, after decades of working together, Michelle's bond with the 65-year-old hasn't aged a bit.

As Michelle put it, "I'm not sure if people really know what big goofy kids we are. The guttural laughing at silly things," such as dance parties in Ru's dressing room, "is what keeps us young at heart."

And the close-knit connection extends to the rest of the judges panel, including Law Roach, Ross Mathews, Carson Kressley, Ts Madison and Jamal Sims. As Michelle shared, "They're family to me."

However, Michelle's 26-year-old child Leo—who has been transitioning—is the family member who inspires her to continue her most important work: advocating for the queer community.

"I've been an ally since I'm 17," Michelle expressed, "but now more than ever [I want] to make this world a better place for LGBTQIA+ people."

And because of Michelle's role as a parent—also sharing Lola, 24, with husband David Case—and her experience living through the 1980s AIDS epidemic, she feels passionately about "fighting for a better world." That's why she considers her partnership with ViiV Healthcare "a really wonderful thing."

"ViiV Healthcare is the only pharmaceutical company solely focused on preventing, treating and ultimately curing HIV," Michelle explained. "Their goal is to help end the HIV epidemic once and for all." 

"So many people that I know of in my life would have done anything to have opportunities like we have now for [preventing] transmission of HIV through PrEP," Michelle noted of pre-exposure prophylaxis, which aims to reduce exposure to HIV, calling the long-acting injectable medication "an amazing opportunity."

According to the CDC, over 2 million Americans could benefit from using PrEP, but only 25 percent of that population is currently using it, per ViiV Healthcare. 

"People still—especially youth—do not understand that HIV does not discriminate. It could affect anyone, anywhere, at any time," Michelle articulated. "It's important to keep in mind that PrEP is for everyone."

"If you think about it," the glam expert noted, “it's a form of self-care."