It’s a tell-all and maybe the most engaging interview since Oprah sat down with Meghan Markle. This week, the season 13 breakout star of RuPaul’s Drag Race turned the camera on themselves — or rather, sat side by side with her interviewer, Kade Gottlieb.
Presumably using the same technology they used to clone Ewan McGregor in The Island, Kade Gottlieb chatted with his drag persona, Gottmik, for Glamour — asking the beloved queen about embracing trans identity, the meaning of Pride, and self care. The heartfelt interview acts as a twofold love letter: On one side, it’s a chance for Gottmik to speak for herself — and to herself — about the richness and rewards of her identity. On the other, it’s an ode to the entire LGBTQ+ community.
“[Pride]’s a true celebration of all the pain and all the hard work that we put into ourselves and our lives and our journeys, and it’s a time to celebrate and scream from the rooftops that we are here and we’re not going anywhere,” Gottmik said during the cat. “Pride’s everything to me.”
As the interview unfolds, Gottlieb, the first trans male contestant on Drag Race, elicits deeper and deeper reflections from his drag counterpart. “It means so much to me to be the first trans male to compete on RuPaul,” shared Gottmik, who uses she/her pronouns in drag. “I have always been looking for someone like me in the media, and the fact that I went on my favorite TV show of all time and was able to be that for so many people is mindblowing to me to this day, and I’m so proud.”
Gottmik then discussed another element of her identity: her pansexuality.
“I do identify as pansexual; to me it just means that I do not care about gender at all. All I really care about is a really gorg personality,” she said. “Labelling attraction I don’t think is an important thing. We’re going to just stop with the labels, love is love, period. As human beings we’re constantly evolving and growing so why are we going to relabel ourselves every time we discover a new part of ourselves, it just doesn’t make sense. I’m not a huge fan of labels, even though I’m labeling myself every second.”
After a crazy year of skyrocketing fame, Gottmik also discussed the importance of self care and shared how she likes to unwind. “I need one day where I just don’t leave bed,” she said. “Maybe once a month I just need to lay down for 14 hours, it’s like full charging an iPhone but it’s me.”
Gottmik then listed some favorite queer icons — Cher, Dolly Parton, and RuPaul among them — and shared advice one of those stars gifted her.
