You know a drag look is fierce when it causes Libs of TikTok to correctly gender a trans person.
That’s what happened last Sunday when Gottmik’s top surgery runway look from week three of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars made its way to conservative Twitter, earning some shout-outs from notable far-right voices. After Libs of TikTok mocked the look, Megyn Kelly tweeted “this ideology is sick” — yes, Megyn, the look is sickening! Meanwhile, anti-trans advocate Riley Gaines posted about the look several times on X, saying of gender-affirming surgery, “Don’t you realize this is exactly what Satan wants you to believe?” and “We will eventually look back on this blip of time and all understand this to be the most diabolical medical scandal in history.”
Gottmik’s “A Tail and Two Titties” runway was quickly lauded in one viral tweet as “one of the best runways in the history of the show.” The look was especially notable because it highlighted Gottmik’s personal experience as the first trans man to appear on RuPaul’s drag race. The queen donned a scrubs-colored latex mini-skirt while showing off top-surgery scars bedazzled in red crystals. Her hair was swept into a high ponytail and she clutched a clear bag, emblazoned with a biohazard symbol, that held what looked like bloody tissue. Two disembodied arms hung over her chest, each brandishing a scalpel. The revolutionary runway (plus a Lip Sync to “Banana” by Anitta) led to Gottmik’s second victory of the season, netting her another $10,000 for Trans Lifeline in the show’s inaugural charity season.
And for you messy bitches who are only here for the drama, Gottmik has already clapped back. While some people online have worried about the show not airing much coverage of judges discussing her work, Gottmik assures it’s just editing. “This is just a fast-paced season,” she told me. “Ru was so happy. The way she gasped when I walked out. She was so excited and proud of this look.”
But Gottmik and I had more important things to discuss than internet drama: the actual art. After the episode aired, we got on a call to discuss each aspect of the look and how it fit into Gottmik’s larger drag journey. Read our full conversation below.
What inspired the look for you? Was it just in response to Ru’s prompt of “A Tail of Two Titties,” or had it been simmering for a while?
I’ve wanted to do something like that for so long, I just hadn’t had a reason to execute something on that level. When I saw the prompt … [there was] no other thought in my brain: This is perfect because it’s a literal tale of my titties. And then I gave them a literal ponytail as well.
I’d love to talk through the artistic choices because so many of them have affected the audience. Can we talk about the arms first?
I really made sure that I was hitting home with this message: it’s my own personal journey. I molded my own arms to talk about how it’s me and my choices cutting into my body to make me feel whole. It’s not self-mutilation at all like everyone online is trying to push. It’s truly gender-affirming surgery that changed my life. I would not be here today without that surgery, honestly.
The jewels?
One of the things about this look that made it so crazy online was that the whole look was inherently beautiful. I want it to be intense and in your face, but at the same time, I want people to look at it and be like “Wow, that's so pretty.” The crystals were a good way for me to make it beautiful because top surgery is a really beautiful experience.
How about the medical theme?
The medical part of my transition is a huge part of my journey. It’s so valid for that not to be part of all peoples’ trans journey. But for me, it was such a huge part. When thinking about my top surgery experience, I was thinking about the medical parts, and how I was feeling going into it, and waking up. That’s instantly where my brain goes. It was easy to manifest that into a physical form.
You highlighted this journey, which is a part of trans masculinity for many people, and you chose to do that in the high femme of Gottmik. What inspired that?
In my season [of Drag Race], I was not confident in who I was. I was just so worried that people were going to say I played the “assigned-female-at-birth card.” So, I was the drag queen with so many lashes and so many hip pads that no one could say anything.
Since then, I've worked so hard on who I am out of drag, as Kade, as the guy part of me. Now I’m able to play really feminine and not be triggered by that. Some days, it works and some days, I freak out. It really depends. For this runway, it was important to me to try to paint soft to show the world — and show myself — that I’ve come so far with my artistry.
[The look] showed how elevated I’ve gotten in my drag journey because I’m not only showing my body, but I’m telling a story. I don’t think my brain could have been able to conceptualize and execute something at that level on my first season. I’m so proud of it and thankful for the response.
You came out on season one and said you want to “crash the cis-tem.” How does this runway fit into that and make people think critically about gender?
The first time, coming in, just me being there was enough to “crash the cis-tem.” This time around, we know I’m a trans drag queen, we’re moving on. I wanted to make sure that I was pushing the boundaries as hard as I could. I really think I did that. I was able to show millions of people my journey through one little latex skirt and a mold of my arms. I was able to stir the internet.
The runway was art because that is what art is supposed to do. It is [meant] to make you feel something positive or negative. You’re supposed to feel or see yourself in the art. People are tagging me and posting about how they’re moved to tears, whether it be positive or negative. It is so cool that I’ve gotten to a point in my artistic journey that I’m doing that. I’m doing the art that I’ve always wanted to do.
When you were planning this piece, did you have any inkling that it would get this reaction?
When I was making it, I felt something looking at myself. But I didn’t even know if people were going to understand. I knew it was important to me and that was all that mattered. I remember standing [backstage] and everyone else was dressed like a furry. I realized not only is this intense, but in comparison, it looks so different from anyone’s. I had a weird gut feeling that something was there.
I didn’t expect the level of response that I got online. But I’m so happy because it’s any artist’s dream to raise this much emotion with the masses.
In addition to raising emotion, you also raised money for Trans Lifeline. What does it mean to be competing for them, especially in this outfit?
Trans Lifeline is a trans organization, run by trans people, for trans people. I wish I had the resources when I was starting to transition. Before the lip sync, I was looking at myself and I thought, “This is such a moment for me. I’m not changing. I’m going to be in this 100% and lip sync for Trans Lifeline in my top surgery scar outfit.” So, I didn’t change. I committed to that whole moment. And I won. It was just so so cool.
Is there anything else about the look or your art, generally that you want to discuss?
I want to thank everyone for their reactions to this. I hope that this look inspires a lot of people to feel comfortable with voicing their gender identities — or any part of their identities — even if it’s just the closest people around them.
New episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars premiere every Friday on Paramount Plus.
This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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