“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 moderately than her phrases remind viewers that she’s the one Asian contestant within the season. “By carrying 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 turn out to be solely the second Asian winner in 16 years of the present’s important 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 residence ever for the reason that announcement of her participation within the race.
Every Saturday — the day the present airs in Taiwan — crowds pack homosexual bars in Taipei to look at the newest episode, carrying yellow to help 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 promote the colourful inclusiveness of Taiwanese society.
“Even politicians who work laborious overseas could not achieve this type 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 neighborhood, 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 turning into a cultural ambassador for that openness: She is going to characterize Taiwan as a performer at cultural occasions through 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 legislation resulted in 1987 and Taiwan started its transition to democracy, underground drag reveals began to seem in Taipei’s nightclubs. Male cross-dressers flourished on the native leisure scene within the Nineties, performing conventional Taiwanese songs and bringing business success to reveals that blurred gender distinction.
Western-style drag performances took off about the identical time, though normally that includes international queens. They grew to become extra well-liked 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 Ok-pop woman teams in highschool, she ventured into cross-dressing and later embraced drag throughout her style 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 packages, broadening the attain of drag tradition on the island, as she continues to carry out in bars.
“At any time when she performs, she would fill the entire place with laughter,” stated Alvin Chang, who has been internet hosting drag reveals since 2001 and now runs Cafe Dalida, often called “the birthplace of drag queens in Taiwan.” He’s additionally internet hosting “RuPaul” viewing events.
“She doesn’t simply offer you a expertise present. She interacts with the viewers to make everybody chuckle. You see her and also you simply really feel completely happy,” Chang stated. Nymphia Wind’s mom, who has been supportive of her drag profession since day one, usually brings her buddies to take a seat within the first row on the cafe to look at her carry out.
Nymphia Wind nonetheless calls Cafe Dalida her “residence 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 characterize such large neighborhood,” stated Bagel Rimrim, one among 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’d really feel much less lonely and see what I may turn out to be.”
Whereas Nymphia Wind is a task mannequin for youthful queens, she’s making an attempt to succeed in 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.”
“Outdated persons are my audience. 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 turning into a tourism ambassador for Taiwan.
“I gained’t restrict myself,” she declared. “Possibly 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 equivalent 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 she or he has been booked for reveals in Japan and the Philippines.
However she gained’t be going to China any time quickly.
In reality, Chinese language followers of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” appear to be going out of their option 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 stated they’d reduce 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 would like to make use of drag to indicate extra Asian views,” she stated. “I simply wished to showcase extra Asian drag aesthetic. Giving every thing an Asian twist.”
