Season 9 RuPaul’s Drag Race favorite Valentina has come out as transgender. She revealed the news on her birthday on Wednesday in an emotional Instagram post.
"Hello everyone, it's me, Valentina Xunaxi. Today is my bday. I turn 34. For some time now I've been in transition, I've been doing it privately but today I wanted to open and share with you all.
‘Along the way I've felt pressure to come forward, so I've decided and wanted to take today to declare myself as a transgender woman,” she continued to write.
“I welcome all the love, support, and protection from my dear fans. Thank you so much."
Valentina became a fan favorite despite not making the final four of season 9 and was even crowned “Miss Congeniality.”
Who could forget one of the most iconic moments in the franchises history when she tried to lipsync for her life while wearing a mask, obstructing her mouth. When Rupaul asked her to remove the covering, she replied “I’d like to keep it on, please.”
@rupaulsdragrace Replying to @Rbmt_25 #Valentina revisits mask-gate ❤️🩹 #PortraitOfAQueen #RPDR #DragRace #DragRace9 #mask #lipsync #elimination #drag #dragqueen ♬ original sound - RuPaul’s Drag Race
The Mexican-American queen went on to appear on All Stars 4, where she came in sixth place. Additionally, she helped host season 1 of Drag Race México in 2023.
In 2019, the queen previously announced she identified as nonbinary. "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,” she said.
That same year, Valentina starred as Angel Dumott Schunard, the HIV-positive drag queen, in Fox's Rent: Live and credited the role as incredibly important in the nonbinary community.
"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 armor, in her drag?' "
Valentina joins the ever-growing list of Drag Race queens who have come out as trans, including Adore Delano, Farrah Moan, Detox, Gigi Goode, Laganja Estranja, and Aja.
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