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5 RuPaul's Drag Race Queens That Keep It Real

Because you don’t always need to be mean to get your point across…

There is something to be said about shady queens. Sure, they make watching Drag Race more interesting. When the library is always open, there’s always a chance someone could be read at any moment. Then there are some queens who just choose to keep it real all of the time. They don’t like excuses, and they don’t like the fluffy filler. They’re the ones that usually get to the root of an issue, with a straight face, and an attitude that takes them all the way to the top.

Here are five queens that kept it real on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Yvie Oddly
The most recent queen that was crowned drag’s greatest superstar spent the entirety of the last season pushing her fellow contestants to be better competitors. She hated excuses, and called people out when they were underperforming. It caused a few fights in the werk room, but Yvie was ultimately encouraging the other queens to bring their best to the runway so it was a fair fight. Usually when queens critique other queens, it comes from a different place of wanting to bring down the competition, but Yvie was doing it for a fair fight. Though it may have caused friction, this tactic brought Yvie all the way to the finale, where she took the crown.

Willam
Fan favourite, and superstar Willam is often remembered for their witty, and fast commentary during season four, and beyond. Willam has never had a problem calling out other queens/internet personalities when they need to be taken down a notch. Willam can be cruel at times, but it adds another layer to any situation Willam is in, and for that we are forever grateful.

Nina West
How lucky were we to collectively experience the magic of Nina West. Nina’s time on season 11 proved you don’t have to be shady to keep it real. Nina used her time on Drag Race to educate some of the other queens on certain issues, and to call them out when they needed to hear it. Her genuine kindness won her the well-deserved Miss Congeniality award of her season. I’ve never met Nina West, but I would trust her to tell me what I need to hear, even if it’s a painful truth.

Shangela
It’s fair to say Shangie has werked her way into all of our hearts from her multiple runs on Drag Race. She may not strike you as a “shady queen” right away, Shangela’s calculated, and careful game on All Stars 3 has earned her a spot on this list, and a title as a legend in our books. Shangela comes across as sweet right away, but there’s a real ferocity under the surface that ignited the runway. Her ability to come back and fight for the crown on separate occasions shows she’s a real one, and we’re always excited to see what she does next.

Bianca Del Rio
Did you really think we could make a list about queens that keep it real, and leave Bianca off of it? As far as we’re concerned, she’s the one that keeps it the realest, 100 per cent of the time. Bianca practically tore her cast mates apart every week, and still remains one of the most loved contestants in the show’s herstory. From her Rolodex of hate, to her asking Trinity what she did successfully… quickly, Bianca can dish it out just as well as she could take it. Being able to point out your own faults is a big part of keeping it real, and for that we salute Bianca Del Rio endlessly.

Shade is a huge part of the drag community, and being a drag queen, but these queens are proof that not all shade comes from a bad place, and sometimes (most of the time) it’s why we continue to tune in, and follow the queen’s careers well after their time on the show has ended. It’s a key element in Drag Race, and we can’t wait to see even more of it in the upcoming seasons.

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