Local queen goes for ‘Drag Race’ win
Orlando drag queen Trinity Taylor sounds mighty confident going into tonight’s season finale of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
“There’s nothing I’d take back,” Taylor, 32, said of her run. “Everything happens for a reason. I made top four so far. I have a great chance of winning.”
The ninth season finale airs at 8 p.m. on VH1. Taylor is in the last round with Sasha Velour and Peppermint, both of New York, and Shea Couleé of Chicago.
Taylor explains her strong showing with pride.
“I am not afraid to push myself,” said the former Miss Pulse. “I also think I have a very good work ethic and I try my best. That’s something a lot of girls don’t have: a good work ethic. A lot of them get in their own heads and talk themselves out of doing the tasks they’re asked.”
Taylor passed on singling out one moment as her best.
“I feel like I did my best the entire time,” she said. “I’m a very competitive person. Even when the judges might have thought I wasn’t at my best, I feel like I gave 110 percent.”
The judge’s comment that meant the most to her came from Lady Gaga, a guest star in the season premiere.
“She gave me positive feedback,” Taylor said. “It just meant the world that such an icon would like what I presented, especially since I had to represent her. That was amazing.”
RuPaul has been complimentary through the season. “I think RuPaul likes someone who doesn’t make excuses, who owns up to their mistakes and who works hard,” Taylor said. “That’s how she is.”
In a poignant scene, the contestants talked about last June’s Pulse shooting. Taylor frequently played the Orlando nightclub and performed there the week before the tragedy.
After the episode aired, Taylor heard from fans who said she did a great job representing Pulse. “I’m not trying to be a representative for Pulse or for Orlando or for the gay community. I’m just trying to tell my story. If that speaks to people, that’s great because I want something positive to come out of my experience on the show.”
Taylor, whose birth name is Ryan, says one positive is that she has heard from young kids who say they’re inspired by her.
“I’d love to win because of where I come from — I come from a small town in Alabama,” she said. “I would love to show these young kids from rural areas that if they put their mind to it and work hard, anything is possible. Even if they want to be a drag queen.”
Fans have been approaching her more often since she started on “Drag Race,” and she is embracing social media.
“It’s part of staying relevant, and interacting with your fans is part of it,” Taylor said. “It’s not all going to be cupcakes and lollipops. You have to embrace the negative with the positive and try to make something good come out of it. For the most part, I’ve been very blessed that I’ve gotten such an embrace by fans. At first, they were unsure about me. but I feel through the season they got to know me.”
Would she do another RuPaul show? “If I don’t win this season, I definitely would go back for ‘All Stars,’ ” she said.