Drag queen Peppermint has penned an op-ed for Billboard in response to comments made by RuPaul in an interview with the Guardian, in which he questioned whether or not trans women should be allowed to compete on RuPaul's Drag Race.
"I'm so thankful for the opportunities that I have had throughout my life and career, particularly in the past year," the trans woman and former RPDR contestant writes.
"Doing Drag Race was one of the best moments of my life. RuPaul kicked open so many doors for queer and gender non-conforming folks and is an absolute trailblazer in the world of drag."
"But recently, Ru made statements I disagree with."
She continues: "When I started my transition back in 2012, I learned a valuable lesson. I learned that absolutely no one has the ability or the right to define your womanhood, manhood or transness, but you."
"The most important takeaway is that ones transition, the beginning, the middle, and end, is entirely personal and cannot be categorised or measured in the context of being blessed by someone else's validation or approval."
Peppermint added that she hopes the current controversy can help pave the way for progress.
"RuPaul issued an apology, which I think is an important step in this ongoing conversation. It shows all of us, there is room for growth, education, and I'm hoping a bit of evolution."
