Nymphia Wind, Sapphira Cristál, and Plane Jane reunite for EW’s “Awardist” to dish on season 16’s Emmy-worthy moments and significance of Kamala Harris’ involvement with the show.
As Mama Ru (and Uncle Ben) likes to remind us, with great power comes great responsibility, and the Emmy-winning icon’s latest Supreme Court of RuPaul’s Drag Race queens tell Entertainment Weekly that the recent spate of world leaders embracing their art form couldn’t have come at a better — or more impactful — time.
In an exclusive roundtable interview for EW’s Awardist in celebration of Drag Race’s 10 franchise nods at the 2024 Emmys, season 16 finalists Plane Jane, Sapphira Cristál, and winner Nymphia Wind reunite to reflect on what made their recent batch of episodes some of the most entertaining reality TV of the year. But, they also discuss why they feel the show’s Main Stage isn’t simply a performance space meant to showcase their art, but rather a platform for the queer community at large amid the rise of anti-LGBTQ+ politics.
“We, as queer people, have always been at the forefront of change,” says Sapphira. Adding more fuel to the significance of its current Emmys campaign is a presidential election year in the United States, and it’s clear that the Drag Race fandom includes powerful politicians, too.
In July, following months of proposed legislation targeting drag artists and trans people, Vice President Kamala Harris made history as the first sitting VP to enter the Werk Room when she made an appearance on the All Stars 9 finale, weeks after she invited Nymphia to perform at the annual Pride in Washington, D.C. — the same event Harris enlisted season 15 winner Sasha Colby to emcee last year. Shortly after taking the crown, Nymphia also traveled to her home region of Taiwan to perform for Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. Colby, a Hawaiian-born performer, also received special praise from Rep. Jill Tokuda at the House of Representatives after her win. These leaders’ investment in the franchise represents a wave of support from political powerhouses that the contestants say they can feel.
“They start to realize there is a change coming, and we’ve definitely been at the top of it as Drag Race started to sweep everything,” Sapphira says. “And once you see that people are taking space — they’re not being given the space, we’re taking the space and letting people know we are here because we deserve to be — when you see that, you have two options: fight against it, like those other people are doing, or you can say, ‘Yep, you know what, we’re with it, too!'”
“That’s exactly what the president of Taiwan and Kamala Harris are doing;” she continues. “They’re saying, we’re with this, we’re trying to grow and move forward. We can’t go back, we have to go forward. Queer people have always taken us forward.”
Nymphia Wind and Sapphira Cristál praise political leaders for tapping into #DragRace demographic. pic.twitter.com/lZI20jpI3D
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) August 20, 2024
Nymphia says she feels that their season proudly carries that torch for the community, as she singles out the cast’s musical performance of the original inspirational anthem “Power” as a highlight of the season, both for drag excellence and important messaging that’s relatable across demographics.
When it comes to appeal, the season 16 winner also doesn’t think it’s that complicated; good drag is good drag, and people like Harris can simply be fans of great art, while at the same time recognizing the power wielded by the demographic behind it.
“I feel like drag queens represent expression of the self and trying to be themselves despite the pushback of people telling you that you’re wrong or doing something disgusting. Despite all of that, we fight so hard to be our true selves,” Nymphia observes. “It’s important for leaders to connect with these kind of people to show more openness in their leadership and they support these people who are marginalized for so long.”
As Drag Race prepares to compete for each of its 10 Emmy nominations, Sapphira sums up the admittedly light contest in powerful terms, in response to a question about the significance of the industry lifting up a queer-led, queer-made, queer-appealing series: “It’s important and necessary for those who are not being oppressed, to lift up those who are.”
Tune in to the 2024 Emmys broadcast on Sept. 15 to find out how RuPaul’s Drag Race fares this year. Watch a portion of EW’s video interview with the season 16 finalists above.