“This is an art that challenges the gender norms. “Just getting in drag is a political thing,” says Kim Chi. As the more visible players for the queer community as a whole, drag queens are in the unique position to be vocal where others can’t. Kim Chi, RuPaul’s Drag Race runner-up and LGBTQ+ activist, views drag queens as the “cheerleaders” for a larger movement. Not only is drag a way to explore every aspect of yourself, but it’s also always been-and will, for the foreseeable future, continue to be-a political statement. Drag gave me the opportunity to be essentially my given name, Ed, with an exclamation point.” I was taught to suppress them for so many years. “When I was a child, I was called a fancy fellow, which was another way of saying, ‘I think your son is gay or too feminine.’ I thought, ‘Why is feminine bad?’ I didn’t know that the aspects of who I was that were loving and caring and emotional would be considered bad. Kasha Davis, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars alum and longtime drag queen. “Drag, for me, is in so many ways just a thorough expression of who I am,” says Mrs. It’s a way for people to explore who they are without judgment or boundaries. Their makeup? It’s more impressive than any YouTube tutorial.įor many, drag is a little pocket of life that feels like home. And absolutely no one knows what glamour means like drag queens-they’re dressed to the nines and wear wigs that truly encompass their character. Everyone seems to be in on the same conspiratorial, innocent joke. Performers lip-sync to the kinds of songs you’d belt out in the shower. Venues are dappled with flashing neon lights. You know, I have 30 seconds to a minute with each person and they’re like, “How’s your mom doing?” or “Have you told your mom that you do drag?” And I’m like, “Do we have all day?” I would never go up to random people and just ask them about their personal life.The energy at a drag show is unparalleled. The only thing that I get weird about is when people ask me very personal questions at the meet-and-greets. I appreciate everyone who stands in line to meet me. Call me if you’re single and available.ĭo your fans ever do anything weird when you meet them? I even asked Twitter for someone to ask me on a date. You’ve mentioned you tried getting on dating apps but people would always recognize you. And what I do onstage is all in good fun.it’s not meant as any harm. But it’s just the one occasional shady comment that gets noticed. Also, I say a lot of nice things about other people on Twitter too. If it’s someone I don’t feel that comfortable with, I don’t throw any shade at them online. What’s something that people don’t understand about you or your drag in general?Īll the people I throw “shade” at are actually my friends, and that’s how we talk to each other in real life. Or sometimes, I can be inspired by watching a cartoon or walking on the street and I see a beautiful rock and I want a look inspired by that riously. Sometimes, I’ll see a silhouette on the runway that I love and I’ll try to find a way to spin that. And I feel like I came into my own two or three months after I started doing drag. Looking back now, I looked like a foot with, like, something smeared on it, but you couldn’t tell me I didn’t look like the most beautiful person. Every time I would get in drag, I would try to recreate the supermodels’ makeup on my face. My inspiration was the high-fashion runway, especially the work of Pat McGrath. You got booked the same night you tried drag for the first time one Halloween. I know, it’s very saucy and it’s not who I am at all, but I thought I was being cheeky. Kim Chi: It’s not that it wasn’t my original drag name, but the very first time I went out, I just had a different name because I wasn’t serious about doing drag. Talking to Cosmopolitan about her episode of a docuseries about the tour, Kim Chi explained what everyone gets wrong about her, the weirdest gift she’s received from a fan, and how she’ll date anything that moves at this point.Ĭosmopolitan: I read that Kim Chi wasn’t your original drag name. (She also has 1.8 million Instagram followers to boot.) And since appearing on Drag Race, Kim Chi has performed around the world, sometimes with her fellow Drag Race sisters on the Werq the World Tour. The “ Fat, Fem & Asian” singer made it all the way to the top three of the show and has solidified her status in the drag hall of fame with her ever-impressive looks, sheet mask and makeup collections, and collaborations with brands like Starbucks. RuPaul’s Drag Racealum Kim Chi (born Sang-Young Shin) made a name for herself with her impressive makeup skills and ability to find inspiration anywhere-perfecting her signature style after just months of doing drag.
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