Season 9 of "RuPaul's Drag Race" was definitely one for the herstory books with a cast full of unique queens. From Peppermint's honesty, to Valentina's shade, there was no shortage of inspiration or character. When it came down to it, however, the crown went to Sasha Velour, the unconventional queen from Brooklyn.
Personally, I was rooting for Sasha from the moment she slayed her first runway look. As much as I admired Farrah's femininity, Trinity's talent, and Shea's killer makeup, something was just different about Sasha. She was confidently strutting down the runway without a wig. She was well and truly bald, and she didn't cover it up just for the sake of "femininity." I was confused and intrigued by it, until one episode, like she could read my mind, she shed some light on her baldness.
Sasha's mother had died of breast cancer. She was going through chemotherapy and losing her hair, which is a blow to almost any woman's confidence. So, to prove that you can be bald and beautiful, Sasha shaved her head and performs sans wig. As a young woman who is currently suffering from hair loss, this nearly brought me to tears.
In addition to pushing the boundaries on the idea of what it means to be feminine and beautiful, Sasha pushes the boundaries on what it means to be a drag queen. Not far from what Sharon Needles and Violet Chachki have done in past seasons, but still incredibly important. Sasha's style is modern, abstract and eclectic all at once. She's been on stage in Elizabethan style collars and in mod color-blocked outfits. She rarely came out in a pageant look or the go-to corset and thigh high boots that is so common on the show. She didn't waiver in her take on drag and instead wore it with confidence.
The biggest thing that inspired me about Sasha was her genuine grasp on who she was, as a drag artist and as a person. She held her head high without inflating her ego and she was genuinely excited for the other queens and very rarely threw shade. On a show that is so competitive and petty at times, Sasha maintained a clear head and supportive role. She didn't brag about never being in the bottom two, she didn't gloat when other queens failed, and she faced every challenge with professionalism and excitement. A couple of times we got to see the vulnerable side of her and hear about her struggles in the past with anorexia and her mother's cancer, but she never let it define her as a queen. And that's what being a queen is all about in my opinion.
So here's to you, Sasha, and may you always be a beacon of light for those of us who don't always feel so pretty in our skin.
