It’s Sasha Colby’s world; we’re just living in it. After snatching the crown on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15, your favorite drag queen’s favorite drag queen has been doing what she does best: being iconic and turning heads.
Now, she can add “essayist” to her list of accomplishments because she just wrote a stellar piece for People. In it, she discussed the evolution of her career and answered the age-old question for a performer after an incredible ride on the Drag Race rollercoaster: What’s next?
She’s a winner, baby
As if you needed more reasons to love Sasha, she poured her heart into her essay. Fresh off the heels of her Drag Race win, she reflected on how her newfound visibility in media will help the LGBTQIA+ community — especially during a particularly challenging time.
“As I reflect on my early days of starting out as a drag performer, as well as evolving as a trans woman, to the transformative moment of winning RuPaul’s Drag Race, I am reminded of the power of community, self-discovery, dedication, and the profound impact of expressing the many layers of one’s most authentic self,” Sasha wrote in the opening of her essay.
She continued, “My name is Sasha Colby, and my life’s path has been a testament to the strength of human perseverance, the celebration of diversity, the nurturing of chosen family, and the pursuit of self-empowerment — all of which fulfills me most through the ability to share it with others.”
Of course, every Drag Race alum has a different trajectory after the show. They launch makeup lines, embark on world tours, star in movies, and land modeling campaigns. While Sasha will certainly do all of the above in due time, her primary focus right now is serving as an activist and role model for her community. Please call her “mother.” She explained how winning the show evolved her role within her communities and as a trans woman in the media.
Sasha wrote, “As a trans woman, it has been very important to me to use this moment to acknowledge the indelible mark that trans performers have left on the foundation of drag. You can’t tell the story of drag without talking about trans drag and trans performers. Their stories, their struggles, and their triumphs are an integral part of our shared history.”
The power of Sasha’s words
Sasha’s words are especially powerful considering RuPaul’s Drag Race’s questionable history with trans contestants. It took years for openly trans performers to compete on the show, let alone take home the crown. Sasha explained that as someone who grew up as an outcast and a black sheep, winning RuPaul’s Drag Race was powerful for her and trans people everyone.
“So now, as a grown, proud trans woman, I can feel how living my life out loud is a form of activism in itself. And that is the mission of everything I do: to help as many people as I can to feel empowered to be themselves. That is the freedom we’re all looking for and it’s what we all deserve,” she wrote.
Sasha concluded her essay by giving fans insight into what’s next for her career. Of course, she’s currently touring worldwide and whipping her ponytail on a stage near you. However, she explained that her commitment to activism now “burns brighter than ever” as she celebrates her reign as America’s Next Drag Superstar. That’s at the forefront of her career right now.
She said, “My journey has been one of profound transformation, but at its core, it is a story of using my voice to champion unity, celebrate diversity, shine a light on possibility, and — my greatest hope to — ignite lasting change.”
Could RuPaul have picked a more perfect winner? You can relive her RuPaul’s Drag Race journey on Paramount+. Season 15 is now streaming, and they just dropped the full 90-minute episodes.
TELL US – WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS ON SASHA’S ESSAY? WHAT ELSE DO YOU HOPE TO SEE FROM HER DURING HER REIGN?
