Gottmik: When I was younger, I didn’t even know trans was a thing. Drag saved my life because I gained confidence, it helped me find my voice and like myself and be content as long as I love what I’m doing. I didn’t see a point in life as a kid - I didn’t really care. Symone: Drag saved my life in the sense that I don’t think I would be here today without it. I eventually realized I don’t need a mask for people to think I am a boy: I am a boy. It was literally a mask for me to put on and be who I wanted to be. That’s how I discovered my trademark clown-white face.

And I was like: “This is everything.” I found this weird balance, where I wasn’t too feminine, so I wouldn’t be triggered. It was only when I put on my drag that people thought I was just another cis boy at the club. Because I was assigned female at birth, I used it as a mask. Gottmik: When I started drag, it was almost the opposite. It’s all very “Wizard of Oz”: I had it all along. and getting on “Drag Race,” I’ve learned that my drag is me, I am that person, and it’s been me the entire time. Then I discovered drag and saw these beautiful creatures and thought: “Oh, you get to put these things on and become a different person.” I had that mind-set for a very long time, but then, moving to L.A. I was Black and gay too, so I had all these things stacked against me. Instead, there are parties featuring drag queens, so it’s about the look and whether the queen has a personality that makes you want to be there. is interesting, because there aren’t many drag shows. You need a personality so people want you at their party. Symone: It’s not enough just to look the part. As in, Symone is the prettiest girl in the club, whereas I’m this clown, freak thing, that’s also pretty. Symone and I both have this very feminine, glamorous style of drag, but with a twist. is all about who’s the most beautiful, whereas in New York, it’s more about artistry. Gottmik: On a more physical - not as cute - level than what Symone just said, the drag scene in L.A. And it’s the home of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ placing the queens in close proximity to the ecosystem that surrounds the entertainment industry and the show.” It has become the new destination for queer creative types. “These days, everyone’s coming to Los Angeles. “I feel like we’ve been fed how fierce New York queens are for so long,” adds Luzon, who was a New Yorker herself when she first shantayed into the werk room a decade ago. queens slaying so hard,” says L.A.-based drag icon and Season 3 runner-up Manila Luzon. Meanwhile, Symone delivers an “unapologetically Black” blend of sass and class to “Drag Race,” matching her L.A. Gottmik (who prefers she/her pronouns when in drag) is not only the series’ first-ever transmasculine contestant but her punk-rock “gorge” looks and wicked humor have also made her a front-runner to snatch the crown. Meet Symone and Gottmik, two queens with wildly different aesthetics and a similar trailblazing spirit from Season 13, currently running Fridays on VH1. Gottmik, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist is the first out trans man to compete on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.As fans of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” know, each season of the Emmy-winning reality competition delivers a breakout star whose charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent, to quote the series’ namesake, earn them a place in the spotlight - even if they don’t go on to win. The Season 13 cast was announced earlier this month, and features the first Trans man contestant.

In the new set up, the judges are separated by plexiglass, keeping in line with COVID-19 safety protocols. I am so excited to be here and any bitch who walks in after me second place.”Īudiences also met Joey Jay, a dancer who hails from Phoenix, Ariz., and boasts “unmatched rhinestoning skills.” Jay admits this is the third time she has auditioned for the show, and adds, “I am the dumbest bitch you’ll ever meet.”Ī new twist on the format also showed that these two queens had to face the music and judges RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley and Ross Mathews for a lip-sync.

We hope that the joy we all experienced while making it will be felt by our viewers,” said Tom Campbell who also serves as Executive Producer.Įarly Monday morning, VH1 released a short preview of what lies ahead in Season 13, including that Brooklyn Drag Queen of the Year, Kandy Muse, arrives first in the Werk Room, declaring, “Being the first bitch to walk into the competition is such a dream.

“With the dedication and cooperation of our talented queens, cast and crew, we were able to safely produce this season in the midst of a pandemic. Randy Barbato, Executive Producer, revealed, “This season’s queens are the biggest characters ever, competing in some of the most outrageous challenges in Drag Race herstory, including a game-changing season-opening twist, the world’s first “disco-mentary,” three RuPaulmark holiday movies and so much more.”

Rupaul season 13