The second season of Drag Race Thailand is already breaking ground, featuring the franchise's first ever cisgender female contestant in the show's audition episode.
'Bio queen' Felicia Heals appeared before a panel of judges last week, lip syncing and describing the impact she'd like to make on the local drag scene.
While she wasn't selected as one of the show's final 14 contestants, some fans believe that having a bio queen appear on 'Drag Race' at all is a step in the right direction.
Speaking to Gay Star News, the queen, who has only been performing for 12 months, said that she had previously performed as a Drag King.
“It just didn’t feel right, I didn’t feel like myself,” she said.
However, thanks to guidance of legendary Thai drag queen Pangina Heals - who happens to be one of Drag Race Thailand's hosts - she soon found the confidence to explore drag as a bio queen (a drag queen who was born biologically female).
“Next thing I know, Felicia Heals was born.”
Explaining her relationship with her drag mother, Felicia continued: “We have always had a very good understanding and connection. It was a very natural thing. Pangina is a drag mother who lets you develop yourself. She asked me first to see if I was ready to perform before I did perform for the first time.
It just didn’t feel right, I didn’t feel like myself.
“When I have questions she is always happy to give advice and suggest or give a hint of what I might want to try, but in the end the decision is up to me."
Even though she hadn't been doing drag for very long, Felicia decided to bite the bullet and apply for the second season of Drag Race Thailand.
“I was interested in sending a tape [for Drag Race] but being a baby drag I wasn’t sure if I should submit my tape this year. The words of wisdom from the Queen herself were 'you would never know until you try, and if you don’t you might keep beating yourself up for not trying later'.”
She added: “I understand the risks of judgments that come with the fact that I am a bio queen who is joining.
“It is a big controversy for many but I hope my feature will open doors to bio queens and drag kings around the world to be more accepted and loved.”
