In 2001, RuPaul stepped out of the spotlight.
The country's iconic drag queen saw the conservative turn society was taking and decided it was time for a break.
"Rather than trying to fight all that, I thought I had better sit this one out," he said.
He said at that point in his life, he was tired of struggling with people who still had conformist views.
"I didn't want to be up against people who think drag is a moral issue, when honey, it's just clothes" he said.
For RuPaul Charles, it's always just been about the clothes. He loves to dress up, whether in drag or a suit and tie, but he doesn't spend his personal time as a woman.
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"Basically if you see me in drag, that means I am getting paid," he said.
When he first started dressing as a woman, it was mainly because it was a taboo.
"Drag for me has always been a critique of our culture," he said. "I was attracted to it, because I was told not do it, not because it was something I felt like I had to do."
Charles, originally from San Diego, is back in the spotlight with his latest CD RuPaul Red Hot. He also hosts a morning show in New York City and recently filmed a movie called "Zombie Prom."
He doesn't usually perform out of drag unless he is making a movie.
"People aren't coming to see me because my voice is as good as Celine Dion's or because I am a great dancer," he said. "They want to experience RuPaul because of the icon attached to it."
Charles, who was 1990's Queen of Manhattan, no longer lives the nonstop New York City club life he used to. He said because of his hectic schedule, partying all night and doing drugs are things of the past.
"I was born in the '60s, so I was a wild child," he said. "That was just part of the culture. But at some point in your life, it stops working. Once you learn to process real feelings, you want to experience and be present for life. Then you get down to work. It is more of a trip to be sober in life."
Charles said he loves being a drag icon, because he gets to be the voice of people who dance to a different drummer.
"Our culture puts men down for using femininity," he said. "There is a lot of ignorance surrounding it and a lot of fear."
He said for him, drag is about the message.
"Drag queens, shamans, witch doctors have always had the same message: You are not who you think you are. You are a spirit," he said. "You are born naked and the rest is drag."
He said he always hated Halloween because it puts a restriction on when it is appropriate to dress up.
"Just one day is okay? (Expletive) that. I dress up however and whenever I want to."
He said when he is in drag, he feels powerful. He likened it to what Superman does for Clark Kent.
Charles was in Albuquerque this weekend for a performance at the Pulse Nightclub and said he loved the feel of the place.
"New York doesn't have the same kind of club culture that smaller towns have," he said.
He said the audience at the Pulse was raw and unpretentious, not worried about being too hip or "with it."
"I travel all the time, so I see this constantly," he said.
As far as relationships go, Charles isn't too concerned at this point. His grueling schedule makes dating difficult.
"I go to bed at 8:30 every night and wake up at three because of my morning show," he said.
The balance of power has also undermined relationships in the past, he said.
"I do well for myself financially," he said. "If I am dating someone who is waiting tables, that makes it difficult."
He said some men may think he is just the way he is on television, but he is much more intense and complex in real life than in public.
"I like using all the colors in the crayon box," he said.
