Yass, Queen! In Praise of Yvie Oddly

Dear readers,

It might surprise you to learn that over the last few years, I have become an avid fan of the reality TV show ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’. As a secret lover of reality TV, drama and fashion, there is no greater escape from my mundane life than to turn on Netflix and binge a show in which drag queens compete in singing, dancing, acting and design competitions to be crowned ‘America’s Next Drag Superstar’.

And of course, nothing got me more excited than the crowning of this year’s winner, Yvie Oddly. The first Drag Race contestant to have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

I’ll admit I didn’t take to her immediately, the way I did with previous winners such as Bianca Del Rio and Violet Chachki. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that I tend to root for drag queens with a vintage aesthetic, and nothing impresses me more than a man’s ability to turn himself into a feminine 1950s starlet. Yvie, on the other hand, has a distinctly ‘artsy’ vibe to her drag. It’s challenging, occasionally dark and a bit wacky for my usual taste. She also seemed a bit more quiet than other contestants, leading to accusations that she was ‘aloof.’

Yet gradually, she grew on me, for 2 reasons. Firstly, while she is arty, she never came across to me as pretentious or snobby. In fact, she wasn’t afraid to be funny and make a bit of a fool of herself. For a runway challenge based on Halloween, she forewent the typical ‘sexy’ looks, and donned a creative dinosaur costume. She committed to the look, stomping up and down the runway with her arms curled in a hilarious T-Rex impression.

Secondly, she was completely open about her life with Ehlers-Danlos Type 3, while still demonstrating a ‘can-do’ attitude and eschewing any pity parties. She sprained her ankle early on in the show due to her unstable joints, but showed great determination to carry on regardless. It was here that she opened up about her illness, speaking candidly about how it affects her. It was really refreshing to see honest representation of chronic illness here; she was open about how painful and tiring it is to live with EDS Type 3. I really empathised with her, and think to this day that she is a powerful voice for the whole chronic pain community.

But she also didn’t cry about it. She stayed fierce.

When her rival, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, spitefully suggested that Yvie go home as a result of her injury, she didn’t get upset. She got mad. She got even. She showed Silky up in a runway walk rehearsal, using her additional flexibility to pull off some impressive gymnastics, before uttering a delicious ‘send me home ‘cause I’m injured!’ just laden with sarcasm.

This little incident highlights what I love the most about Yvie, and why I praise her as an important ambassador for our community. She uses what other people perceive as her weaknesses as her strength. She embraces her unusual appearance and bendy joints and uses them to stand out, delivering fantastic choreography and a diverse range of looks.

I’m excited to see what her year as ‘America’s Drag Superstar’ will bring her, and I hope that she continues to inspire other chronically ill people to embrace what’s ‘odd’ about us, and make it our strength.

Thanks for reading,

Rebecca x