The first transgender winner has been crowned in the “Ru Paul’s Drag Race” U.S. franchise.
Kylie Sonique Love, 38, was declared the winner at the end of the sixth season of “Ru Paul’s Drag Race All Stars.”
In the season finale, which streamed on Paramount+ Thursday, Love defeated fellow finalists Eureka, Ginger Minj and Ra’jah O’Hara.
Love walked away with a $100,000 cash prize and a spot in the “Drag Race Hall of Fame.”
“Kylie’s exhilarating blend of tenacity, vulnerability and talent made her a sizzling stand-out in the most compelling ‘All Stars’ in the franchise’s herstory,” RuPaul, host and executive producer of the show, said in a statement, according to NBC News.
“Her trajectory from season two of ‘Drag Race’ to the winner of ‘All Stars 6’ is an inspiration to all who have had the privilege of sharing her amazing journey. All hail Queen Kylie!”
Love first appeared on the show in 2010 during the second season of “Ru Paul’s Drag Race” when she was eliminated after only four episodes.
She transitioned shortly after the filming, NBC noted. Before the debut of the most recent season of “All Stars,” which was filmed mid-pandemic, Love said she struggled during her 2010 appearance, adding that rewatching that season is sometimes “triggering” to her.
“I think for me, one of my biggest obstacles in my season was coming onto a show that I knew was going to basically document one of the most awkward parts of my transition, which is right before you start,” she said, according to NBC. “It’s just really hard to watch, because I don’t relate to that physical part of me, and I know what I was going through.”
While Love is the first transgender person to win the American “Drag Race” contest, NBC noted that she is the second transgender person to win the competition internationally. Angele Anang won the second season of “Drag Race Thailand.”
Love said she is “so grateful to be the first trans representation with the crown,” according to NBC.
“I couldn’t have done this without thanking the universe every single day, for all my blessings and all the people around me that believed in my dreams,” Love said.
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