Drag Race icon Gottmik proudly shows off new ID after legally changing name and gender marker
Gottmik’s name and gender marker have been legally changed (Matt Winkelmeyer/WireImage)
Gottmik, the first trans man to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race, received an outpouring of love after announcing he’d updated his government name and gender marker.
Posting a photo of his Californian driver’s license to Instagram, Gottmik, who made it to the top four of season 13 of Drag Race, wrote: “Changing my name and gender marker has been a PROCESS but it is finally DONE 😭🖤🏳️⚧️”
The post showed that Gottmik, who uses she/her pronouns when performing and he/him pronouns out of drag, is now officially Kade Gottlieb, and that his sex is recorded as male.
Gottmik’s comments have been flooded with support from Drag Race alumni. Jinkx Monsoon gave Gottmik a simple: “SO. HOT!!”
Chachki, with whom Gottmik hosts the No Gorge podcast, commented: “My god!!!” Kerri Colby added that the two were: “’96 Leo twins”.
Aja, who competed on season nine and All Stars 3 of, and has also shared her inspiring gender journey, wrote: “Yessss same I would post mine but I give absolute grandma over it.”
Drag Race judge Michelle Visage dropped a heart-eyed emoji, while Anastasia Beverly Hills makeup mogul Norvina wrote: “You win for best DMV pic.”
Moschino designer Jeremy Scott summed it up with: “HOT BOY DRIVING A HOT ROD !”
In California, trans people can update the gender marker on their driver’s licenses and ID cards to either M, F or X.
Medical documentation is not required, but the individual must first update their legal name with the Social Security Administration before they can have their name reflected on their ID.
Some states in the US require a birth certificate amendment and/or proof of gender-affirming surgery before gender markers can be legally updated.
Gottmik has shared his gender journey
Gottmik made history on season 13 as the first out trans man to compete on Drag Race, and opened up about how drag affected his real-life gender journey.
In 2021 Gottmik spoke to Attitude about the lack of trans male representation in the media, admitting that he previously doubted his identity because he couldn’t identify with anyone he saw.
“Even before I transitioned medically, I kind of was even debating, like, am I trans?” Gottmik said. “It was in my brain for so long, just because I would look at all the trans guys in the media and be like, that is just not me. That is not who I am.
“I’m way more feminine. I love drag, and just looking at these really trans masculine men, I was, like, how could that possibly be who I am? And then the second I just woke up, and I was, like, girl, if cis-gender men can be feminine, a trans guy can be feminine.”
He continued: “Just because it’s beyond you, doesn’t mean it’s not there. So, girl, do it, and pave this path. And that’s what I did, and I’m living.”
On 13 December 2022, Gottmik wrote on Twitter that he was “getting some gender affirming SURGE” that he though would “change the game”
He then posted a follow-up video from the hospital, before assuring fans that “everything went perfect” with another snap.
