Nymphia Wind has become the first East Asian queen to win the Emmy-award winning reality show RuPaul's Drag Race. We meet Nymphia's drag family and super fans to discover how she's become an ambassador for Taiwan.
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00:00 [Dramatic music]
00:02 [Cheering]
00:05 An explosion of yellow, and tears and screams of joy and pride,
00:10 as Nymphia Wind is crowned the winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 16.
00:15 An incredibly popular, award-winning reality show,
00:18 becoming the first queen of East Asian descent to do so.
00:22 "Oh my god! Nymphia Wind, the glory of Taiwan, won RuPaul's Drag Race.
00:28 I am beyond thrilled about the result. I'm just very, very proud. Very, very proud."
00:35 [Speaking in Chinese]
00:41 Nymphia, known as Leo Tsao out of drag, celebrated her iconic win in New York City.
00:46 But back in Taipei, the local drag community arranged a watch party for the grand finale.
00:52 Among this crowd of LGBTQ+ people and allies at this viewing party are Nymphia's friends, family and fans,
01:00 many of whom have been following her journey since the very beginning.
01:04 Including Hannah Monina, Nymphia's own drag daughter, who was overwhelmed by the result,
01:09 saying it will help raise Taiwan's profile.
01:12 [Speaking in Chinese]
01:22 But more than just a win for Taiwan,
01:24 Nymphia's success also spotlights the wider Asian community.
01:28 "Growing up, we see all this white as model, like the image, the perfect thing,
01:32 and I was like, 'Oh, I'm not worthy.' And then seeing like she can do it, then I was like, 'Yes, hope.'"
01:38 "It's so overwhelming having someone that looks like me win Drag Race."
01:44 Nymphia cut her teeth at Cafe de Lida, in the heart of Taipei's Ximending Entertainment District,
01:50 where many of Taiwan's performers get their start.
01:53 The bar's owner, Alvin Chang, has long been involved in the scene,
01:56 providing Nymphia with a stage when she started performing back in 2018.
02:01 He has personally experienced the transformative power of drag.
02:05 "I was like a sissy girl, sissy boy when I was a kid, and I always be bullied.
02:11 But after I found drag, I feel power. I feel confident. And so much fun."
02:19 An art form rooted in protest, drag performers have long been torchbearers for LGBTQ+ issues and movements.
02:26 And it's a culture that Taipei-based performer and event organizer Bouncy Babs hopes to protect.
02:32 "It's really important to create spaces, especially for young queer artists, like drag artists,
02:39 to have a space where they can just come and showcase their beauty, their talent, their art."
02:45 Nymphia is known for incorporating traditional Taiwanese culture and aesthetics
02:50 into her costumes and performances.
02:52 And now that she's becoming one of the most recognizable Taiwanese faces on the planet,
02:56 she'll come to represent not only drag, but also the country she proudly calls home.
03:02 Joseph Wu and Reese Ayres in Taipei for Taiwan+.