“Yellow represents the colour of my pores and skin,” she stated in an interview forward of the finale of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” on Friday, preferring to let her outfits quite than her phrases remind viewers that she’s the one Asian contestant within the season. “By sporting yellow, I hope to lift extra Asian consciousness and appreciation.”
Nymphia Wind, the drag persona of 28-year-old Taiwanese American designer Leo Tsao, has made it to the ultimate three contestants, placing her on monitor to change into solely the second Asian winner in 16 years of the present’s foremost franchise. Her first title comes from a fairy-type Pokémon character, whereas “Wind” displays her aspiration “to be free and invisible,” she stated. In Chinese language, “wind” is a homophone of “craziness,” and that has been the temper for her followers again house ever because the announcement of her participation within the race.
Every Saturday — the day the present airs in Taiwan — crowds pack homosexual bars in Taipei to observe the most recent episode, sporting yellow to assist the queen they name the “Banana Buddha.” (She calls her followers the “Banana Believers.”)
Along with her ascendancy, Nymphia Wind, who was born in Los Angeles however grew up in Hong Kong and Taiwan, has discovered a world stage the place Beijing — which frequently pushes Taiwan out of such areas — has no affect and the place she will be able to promote the colourful inclusiveness of Taiwanese society.
“Even politicians who work onerous overseas might not achieve this sort of publicity for Taiwan,” stated Lawrence Jheng, 32, a part of a cheerful crowd gathered at a Taipei membership for the airing of the episode during which Nymphia Wind would declare she was “very proud to name myself Taiwanese.”
“It by no means occurred to me that drag may have such energy to interrupt by way of Taiwan’s diplomatic battle,” Jheng stated.
Taiwan’s place on the world stage is commonly overshadowed by China, which claims sovereignty over the self-governing democratic island and gained’t permit it to be acknowledged in most worldwide organizations, together with the United Nations. Its sports activities groups are even compelled to take part underneath the designation “Chinese language Taipei.”
However whereas China stifles its LGBTQ group, Taiwan has a vibrant drag scene and promotes queer rights — the island’s authorities grew to become the primary in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. And Nymphia Wind is changing into a cultural ambassador for that openness: She’s going to signify Taiwan as a performer at cultural occasions in the course of the Paris Olympics this summer time.
“The federal government of Taiwan may be very supportive of homosexual rights. We’re the primary nation in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, and I’m very proud to say I’m Taiwanese,” she stated.
Beginnings of drag in Taiwan
Cross-dressing shouldn’t be a brand new idea in Taiwan. Within the years after martial regulation led to 1987 and Taiwan started its transition to democracy, underground drag exhibits began to look in Taipei’s nightclubs. Male cross-dressers flourished on the native leisure scene within the Nineteen Nineties, performing conventional Taiwanese songs and bringing business success to exhibits that blurred gender distinction.
Western-style drag performances took off about the identical time, though often that includes international queens. They grew to become extra standard as Taiwanese society grew to become extra socially liberal and inclusive, with the emergence of Taiwanese queens.
However Nymphia Wind’s rise to stardom helped the tradition broaden its mainstream attraction.
Influenced by Okay-pop woman teams in highschool, she ventured into cross-dressing and later embraced drag throughout her vogue design research in London. Her first efficiency was at a Taipei drag competitors in 2018 and propelled her into the highlight. She has since been featured in documentaries and TV applications, broadening the attain of drag tradition on the island, as she continues to carry out in bars.
“Each time she performs, she would fill the entire place with laughter,” stated Alvin Chang, who has been internet hosting drag exhibits since 2001 and now runs Cafe Dalida, referred to as “the birthplace of drag queens in Taiwan.” He’s additionally internet hosting “RuPaul” viewing events.
“She doesn’t simply provide you with a expertise present. She interacts with the viewers to make everybody snigger. You see her and also you simply really feel pleased,” Chang stated. Nymphia Wind’s mom, who has been supportive of her drag profession since day one, usually brings her mates to sit down within the first row on the cafe to observe her carry out.
Nymphia Wind nonetheless calls Cafe Dalida her “house bar,” however that stage was not sufficient. In 2022, to problem herself, she moved to New York and auditioned — efficiently — for “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
Within the eyes of Taiwanese drag queens, Nymphia Wind has been an inspiration. “She’s formidable and dares to dream, however she can be underneath immense stress to signify such large group,” stated Bagel Rimrim, considered one of Nymphia Wind’s six “drag daughters,” as her protégés are recognized.
“She all the time informed us to cease doing issues by halves and present dedication, and you’ll see her perfectionism in her outfits,” she stated. “If I’d been in a position to see her performances once I grew up, I might really feel much less lonely and see what I may change into.”
Whereas Nymphia Wind is a job mannequin for youthful queens, she’s making an attempt to achieve a wider — and older — viewers in Taiwan.
She hosted a groundbreaking drag present at a Taoist temple in Taipei in October, unfurling an enormous rainbow flag from a pagoda-like stage as younger and outdated celebrated a queen who, as she put it, had “descended from heaven to bless the queer mortals.”
“Previous individuals are my target market. I simply really feel like they might have a bit extra enjoyable, you already know?” she stated in an interview after the temple efficiency.
She deliberate to proceed her experimentation, incorporating conventional Asian folklore into her drag performances, and hopefully changing into a tourism ambassador for Taiwan.
“I gained’t restrict myself,” she declared. “Perhaps in my subsequent temple present, I’ll hop off a helicopter.”
Rising attraction throughout Asia
Nymphia Wind — who has sought to infuse her self-made outfits and her performances with Asian tradition by incorporating components comparable to Taiwanese opera, Japanese Butoh dance and conventional Chinese language knots — can be gaining attraction throughout Asia. Her efforts have earned reward from judges for showcasing “Asian excellence” on the runway, and he or she has been booked for exhibits in Japan and the Philippines.
However she gained’t be going to China any time quickly.
In truth, Chinese language followers of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” appear to be going out of their approach to keep away from speaking about Nymphia Wind’s success, apparently afraid of being caught up within the escalating tensions throughout the Taiwan Strait. “Drag Race” fan accounts on the Chinese language microblogging website Weibo stated they’d decrease discussions about Nymphia to “shield their nascent drag scene.”
The episode during which she spoke about Taiwan as a rustic in its personal proper has drawn assaults on Chinese language social media.
To capitalize on her success within the present, Nymphia Wind desires to advertise drag tradition throughout Asia.
“The idea of recent drag queens may be very Western, so I feel I want to make use of drag to point out extra Asian views,” she stated. “I simply wished to showcase extra Asian drag aesthetic. Giving every little thing an Asian twist.”
