RuPaul’s Drag Race star Valentina comes out as non-binary
Valentina on an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race. (VH1)
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4 star Valentina has come out as non-binary in a new interview.
Speaking to Out Magazine, Valentina explained that that she doesn’t identify with a binary gender.
“I identify as non-binary,” Valentina told the publication.
“I don’t completely feel like a man, I don’t completely feel like a woman.
“I feel like a goddess. I feel like I’m my own gender.”
Valentina: I don’t feel like a man or a woman
However, Valentina added that she is still using “she/her” pronouns.
The 27-year-old drag queen, whose real name is James Andrew Leyva, recently appeared in RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars and Drag Tots.
She is also set to star as Angel Dumott Schunard in Fox’s live version of the musical Rent on January 27.
“I don’t completely feel like a man, I don’t completely feel like a woman.”
—Valentina
Speaking about her upcoming role, Valentina told Out: ““I get to bring that aspect to my Angel character and really have an idea of like, ‘Why is she so happy and so confident in her armour, in her drag?’
“I do take the responsibility of being a gay non-binary drag queen person taking on a really important iconic role like Angel and I hope [audiences] tune in for it.”
Valentina starred in season nine of RuPaul’s Drag Race, finishing in seventh place.
I still use “she/her” pronouns, says Valentina
By coming out as non-binary, Valentina joins a number of other RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni to identify as gender non-conforming.
Courtney Act has previously said she is genderqueer; season seven winner Violet Chachki gender-fluid; and series five winner Jinkx Monsoon is non-binary.
Aja, who was a contestant alongside Valentina on season nine of the show, is non-binary, too.
Courtney Act identifies as genderqueer. (PinkNews)
A number of other contestants, including Gia Gunn and Carmen Carrera, have since come out as transgender since competing on the show.
Gunn, who also starred in RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4, recently said that she confronted RuPaul about trans issues on camera, but the moment was left out the show.
RuPaul’s comments were not referenced on All Stars, but Gia Gunn has revealed that she did challenge the host on-camera about the remarks.
In an interview with the Race Chaser podcast, Gunn said: “I really went on there for one reason only, which was to bring trans visibility to the show and open doors for other types of drag queens to come through.”
She added: “I did [talk to RuPaul]. Of course it wasn’t aired… which was a little disappointing. I very well knew that none of that was going to air because the show is not about making her look anything but great.”
