Detox, the ever-iconic former contestant of RuPaul’s Drag Race, recently announced some great news: she is transgender!
She made the announcement last week at the Metro Theater at Drag PAC’s Drag Night Chicago while sharing the stage and a song with her Drag Race co-star Willam.
How about we take this to the next level?
Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served with a side of eye-catching goodness.
The Big Revelation of Detox
At the climax of the performance, Detox not-so-casually changed the lyrics to their, Willam and Vicky Vox’s parody hit “Chow Down (at Chick-fil-A)” and added the line “I’m trans now” instead of “I’m a top.”
The crowd was thrilled and gave a wave of cheers and applause, which you can see below at minute 1:45 of their entire performance:
It was a powerful moment and the fans were all in. Many celebrated and some felt like this announcement was the final piece of a puzzle they had already put together. If you had blinked, you might have even missed it.
TikToker @SethSeesShows posted a shorter clip of the moment on TikTok, in which Detox himself responded: “The cat is out of the bag!”
Detox has since updated their Instagram pronouns to they/them, and Detox’s message of being trans adds another layer to their legacy. They join the ranks of other Drag Race stars who have come out as trans, shining an even greater spotlight on the journey of self-discovery and authenticity.
The moment has been “building up over the last few years”
Since the announcement, Detox has shared some updates on their Instagram stories. One story reshared this post by Brad Hammer, captioned, “Celebrating #transdayofvisibility🏳️⚧️ #transvisibilty day with some of our favorite #transgender #dolls.”
She captioned the story: “A few months ago y’all thought this was the announcement… it wasn’t. I haven’t actually made the announcement yet. But there were signs! Lololol 😏😚☺️.”
Another reposted story from Chicago drag queen and DJ Miss Toto included an additional caption from Detox, saying, “It was so magical when I looked over and saw my Dawtah and all my friends in the audience burst into tears in this moment that had been a few years in the making. I will never forget this. 🥹💖”
Related*
The Power of Drag PAC: Combining Drag and Activism
But this wasn’t just a night for personal milestones. The event, which was affiliated with the Drag PAC initiative, combined activism with art and encouraged attendees to get politically active and vote – because why shouldn’t your favorite drag queens inspire you to vote, too?
Before her performance, Detox delivered a monologue explaining the importance of the Drag PAC and its mission to register 100,000 new voters this election season.
“Willam and I talked about this earlier, and drag is one of the oldest forms of activism and protest – I think in the world.”
“And a long time ago we wrote a song about protesting against a certain national brand. And since we’re in the same building, we thought we’d revive it,” she continued, before launching into the whole song with her lyric swap.
The original video for “Chow Down (at Chick-fil-A),” uploaded to YouTube in 2012, remains relevant given Chick-fil-A’s ongoing homophobic tendencies.
Subscribe to the Queer Newsletter for updates on your favorite drag queens, LGBTQ+ celebs, and more.
