Nymphia Wind, a Taiwanese drag queen, has gained the sixteenth season of the American actuality TV competitors present RuPaul’s Drag Race. Her victory has been trigger for quiet celebration in China, the place drag is within the ascendant regardless of elevated state repression of the LGBTQ+ group. Nymphia Wind is the drag persona of Leo Tsao, a 28-year-old Taiwanese American clothier. Wind’s outspoken pleasure in each her Asian and Taiwanese heritage has made her a fancy determine in China. At The Washington Publish, Vic Chiang interviewed Nymphia Wind and wrote that Chinese language netizens are conserving quiet on her victory:
“Yellow represents the colour of my pores and skin,” she mentioned 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.”
[…] “Even politicians who work arduous overseas could not acquire this sort of publicity for Taiwan,” mentioned Lawrence Jheng, 32, a part of a cheerful crowd gathered at a Taipei membership for the airing of the episode during which Nymphia Wind declared she was “very proud to name myself Taiwanese.”
[…] In truth, Chinese language followers of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” appear to be going out of their solution 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 web site Weibo mentioned they might reduce discussions about Nymphia to “defend their nascent drag scene.” [Source]
CDT discovered restricted however full of life dialog about Nymphia Wind’s victory on Weibo. Quite a few accounts posted photograph collages of her outfits, a lot of which acquired a whole bunch of likes. The conversations targeted on pleasure in seeing an individual of Chinese language descent win RuPaul’s Drag Race, admiration for Leo Tsao’s supportive mom, and discussions of Wind’s loudly pro-Taiwan independence stance:
Bokuso：The primary full-blooded Asian champion. Everybody ought to go watch the total present. This season has one of the best outfits. Each runway was extremely artistic and tasteful.
Strawberry Pineapple Eric: Omg, the primary champion of Chinese language descent!
The Comfortable Gardener Surnamed Li_Xiao Fei fairy: After watching the interview and the documentary, I actually admire Nymphia’s mother. It might’t have been straightforward for her…
YihaoY：My dad and mom solely accepted that I had knowledgeable future in drag after my drag persona was showcased on a billboard on Nanjing Street [a major Shanghai shopping street]. By the best way, drag isn’t merely performing in girls’s garments. It’s additionally intently tied to artwork, id, cultural literacy, bodily health, and extra.
气4小红：Throughout the Asian homosexual group, that is simply as vital as when Michelle Yeoh gained an Oscar!! I really feel seen.
Has my takeaway arrived: The pleasure of Taiwan.
Caojiyin: Most conventional younger Taiwanese are pro-independence. Most individuals all over the world are for Taiwan’s independence, too.
Hvxghkyg: You’re not embarrassed they’re pro-Taiwan independence?
ShushuFontanna: Very stunning, however 100% pro-Taiwan independence
Quite a few customers referenced the 2022 documentary “Leo & Nymphia,” which profiled Leo and his drag persona. The documentary is on the market in full on Bilibili, a Chinese language video streaming web site. The highest remark beneath the video reads: “Congratulations, ‘Banana’ on profitable the present!” Nymphia’s followers name her “Banana Buddha” and themselves “Banana Believers” in reference to her first look on RuPaul’s drag present, which included bananas and which have since change into her trademark.
Upon profitable the present, Nymphia devoted her victory to Taiwan. At one level on the present, Wind costumed herself as “boba tea,” the nationwide drink of Taiwan. She instructed Leisure Weekly: “I clearly got here right here to symbolize my nation, and I’m not going to do it by placing a flag on my gown […] That was my approach of being camp and nonetheless representing my nation.” In flip, President Tsai Ying-wen counseled her for “dwelling fearlessly,” including: “Congratulations to you, Nymphia Wind, for being so achieved within the troublesome artwork type of drag, and for being the primary Taiwanese to take the stage and win on RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
🇹🇼🧋💛 Taiwanese American drag queen Nymphia Wind performing as an enormous boba drink and profitable Season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race — plus having President Tsai congratulate her on social — is the form of genuine comfortable energy win that propaganda can by no means manufacture. pic.twitter.com/JDN4bBhvrP
— Melissa Chan (@melissakchan) April 20, 2024
In China, drag can be widespread however typically underground—on account of fears of state suppression or social ostracization. A 2021 Vice documentary chronicled China’s drag scene:
Chinese language individuals trying to get pleasure from drag have more and more turned to visits to Thailand, which has attracted a rising group of mainland Chinese language guests in search of elevated freedom. At The Related Press, Yucheng Tang reported on Thailand’s open embrace of the Chinese language LGBTQ+ group:
However on the Bangkok Satisfaction parade in June, Wen seen individuals confidently wore what they needed. She was excited to have the ability to categorical herself publicly and at last drop her guard. Greater than that, she mentioned she was additionally impressed by the protest component to the occasion, during which individuals carried indicators written in conventional Chinese language with slogans like “China has no LGBTQ” and “Freedom is what we deserve.”
[…] Owen Zhu, a homosexual actual property agent in Bangkok who sells homes to Chinese language shoppers, mentioned many are additionally coming to remain. He estimated some 2/3 of his shoppers are LGBTQ+, a lot of whom purchase residences to dwell in part- or full-time.
[…] On the Silver Sand homosexual bar in Bangkok, proprietor Adisak Wongwaikankha mentioned about 30% of his clients are LGBTQ+ individuals from China, and that quantity has been rising. [Source]
