Drag evolution: 7 RuPaul’s Drag Race queens breaking gender boundaries, from trans male fan fave Gottmik and trans female newbie Kerri Colby, to straight cisgender contestant Maddy Morphosis

Jan 22 , 2022

Some of the boundary-breaking queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race. Photos: @kornbreadthesnack, @xosonique, @gottmik, @kerricolby, @victoriascone/Instagram

Although drag is typically associated with the LGBT community, UK’s Victoria Scone became the first cisgender female queen on RuPaul, followed by Maddy Morphosis, its first straight man

Paris Hilton’s friend Gottmik was last season’s fan favourite, while Kornbread ‘The Snack’ Jete and Kerri Colby – both trans women – could win this season’s drag superstar crown

It’s almost hard to remember a time when RuPaul’s Drag Race wasn’t around, catapulting its contestants into sequinned, stilettoed stardom. Debuting in 2009, the once fringe reality television show has grown into a pop culture phenomenon, spawning a host of international spin-offs … and winning a heap of awards in the process.

Michelle Visage and RuPaul on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Photo: Handout

A show in which drag queens are pitted against each other to battle for the crown and title of the next drag superstar, RuPaul’s Drag Race – and its various iterations – has broken serious cultural ground, challenging outmoded gender stereotypes and encouraging greater acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community.

With the recent launch of the original US series’ 14th season, the show is snatching lace-fronts yet again; this time, notably as a result of the producers casting Maddy Morphosis, the franchise’s first cisgender, straight male contestant, a distinct divergence from the typical gay man that generally turns to drag as a career and outlet for creative and artistic expression.

Though this decision has been met with some objections, the iconic show has proved yet again that drag is for everyone regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation. This however isn’t the first time the show has broken the drag mould.

To celebrate the start of season 14 and the show’s groundbreaking journey, let’s take a look at some of the current and former pioneering contestants who made drag race “herstory”.