今日吃瓜

Bi-con alert! In a heartfelt and empowering moment of queer visibility, RuPaul鈥檚 Drag Race alum Aja has come out publicly as bisexual.

The Brooklyn-born performer shared the news on social media with a candid post that simply read, 鈥淗ad the realisation today that I am definitely bisexual and have been in denial about it.”

鈥淲elp. I guess I鈥檓 coming out. I鈥檓 bisexual.鈥�

Aja on sharing sexuality and gender identity over the years

Over the years, Aja has contributed to vital conversations about fluidity, authenticity and the nuanced spectrum of gender and sexuality 鈥� particularly within the world of drag.

In 2018, Aja shared online that she is a transgender woman, after previously identifying as non-binary.

鈥淚 have lived my life as non-binary since 2018 and have recently began to identify more with the feminine aspect of my identity,鈥� the drag icon wrote at the time.

But coming into herself as a trans woman and embracing the label of ‘drag queen’ again hasn鈥檛 been easy. In fact, Aja鈥檚 decision to stop using the term聽 to describe herself聽stemmed from deep emotional challenges linked to her gender.

鈥淚 made the decision to stop referring to myself as a drag artist because I had a hard time navigating my gender identity,鈥� she told聽. 鈥淚 needed to see what was a performance and what was really me.鈥�

In the years that followed, Aja found herself exploring a career in music at the same time as navigating the realisation she was trans. But stepping back into the spotlight as a trans drag performer came with fears.

Her return for All Stars 10 marks not just a comeback, but a reclamation of her artistry 鈥� on her own terms.

“In that process [of discovering I was trans], people spread rumours. People said that Aja hates Drag Race and Aja quit drag to become a rapper. None of that was right. That news spread like wildfire. Next thing, nobody wanted to book me. Everybody had the idea that I was a difficult, bitchy monster. I lost a lot of people in my life. Work dwindled, and I came to a point where I was unable to take care of myself financially. I went days without eating, I couldn鈥檛 pay rent, I was almost homeless. It was bad.

“In the middle of that, All Stars 6 happened, and Kylie Sonique Love won. Something clicked. I could be a trans woman and do drag. That could be me.”

As she kills it on the stage of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 10, by declaring her bisexuality, Aja has added yet another layer to her already powerful story 鈥� and she鈥檚 doing it with grace, courage and pride.

As the world continues to catch up with the rich spectrum of queer identity, Aja鈥檚 voice stands as a reminder that representation 鈥� in all its complexity 鈥� matters. And as she slays her way through All Stars 10, she does so not just as a contestant, but as a beacon for others who may still be figuring themselves out.