The article includes spoilers for the latest episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4.
Transgender contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4, Gia Gunn, said her confrontation of the host on trans issues was left out of the show, reported PinkNews.
Gia Gunn said on the Race Chasers podcast that she challenged RuPaul’s problematic statements made in March 2018 regarding trans contestants. He said trans women shouldn’t be allowed on the show, equating them to athletes who take steroids.
“I really went on [All Stars 4] for one reason only, which was to bring trans visibility to the show and open doors for other types of drag queens to come through,” she said. “I did [talk to RuPaul]. Of course, it wasn’t aired… which was a little disappointing. I very well knew that none of that was going to air because the show is not about making her look anything but great.”
Gunn said she confronted RuPaul while filming the third episode of the show – the episode that got her eliminated. While she didn’t go into details regarding the specifics of the conversation, she said the conversation didn’t go well.
“I felt completely disregarded. I didn’t feel acknowledged. I didn’t feel wanted, to be there in the competition,” she said. “Truthfully, it really hurt my feelings and I had a really big breakdown in between sets and I was just like, ‘If I’m getting this feeling from her and I don’t feel very welcome, then what the f*** am I doing here?”
The drag queen said she believed her appearance on the show was to “show the world that this show does ‘support’ trans and that she does see trans queens as drag queens,” but then didn’t feel supported while on the show.
“So, for me to get there and for us to be on episode three, never have eye contact with her, never have any sort of acknowledgment of… ‘your journey has been so beautiful to watch,’ or anything of that sort, I just felt really hurt,” she said. “What was the whole point of me coming here if she wasn’t going to walk the walk and talk the talk?”
Gunn competed in her original season, season 6, as a male, but came out as trans and transitioned after the show. She recently revealed in an interview with Michelle Visage on Whatcha Packin’ that Drag Race helped shape her as a trans woman.
“RuPaul’s Drag Race is the reason why I’m the proud trans woman I am today,” she said. “That why I got the call [for All Stars 4], that it was so, so special for me to know that after all the rumors and the drama that these doors were being opened to me.”
Gunn is among many other queens to come out as trans after competing, including queens Peppermint and Stacy Layne Matthews (who made an appearance on the second episode of the current season). Trans queen Sonique also made an appearance last year on the holiday special RuPaul’s Drag Race Holi-Slay Spectacular.