Bye Kahmora! Our favourite Asian queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race… Where are they now?

Aww poor Kahmora! Being the first to be booted out in the Olympics of drag can’t have felt good. Still, it’s always nice to see some Asian representation on Drag Race, even if no one has quite made it to the top since Raja won her season.

While the show has routinely attracted controversy for not featuring trans-women drag queens on the show, RPDR has featured many Asian queens in the past. Now that Kahmora has been told to sashay away, let’s catch up with some of our favourite past-season Asian queens and see what they have been up to.

Known for her clumsiness for falling down frequently and inability to dance, some might find it ironic that Kim is now a regular on the Voss Events high energy Werq the World tour, which includes large sets, multiple dancers and high-wire acrobatics.

Her popularity with fans and colleagues is probably a large reason for this (fellow queens on tour marvel at her encyclopedic knowledge of where to find good food at every tour stop), as is her signing on with the agency affiliated with the production company.

More in line with her brand is her make up line Kim Chi Chic Beauty, whose bright, shimmery colour palettes and pastel-coloured packaging routinely sells out shortly after new stocks arrive. She is also a queen that fans really want to see again on an All-Stars season, but it remains to be seen if it will ever come to pass.

A low-key, somewhat reticent stoner queen by her own admission, Raja’s public profile has been consistently in the fanbase’s eye due to the popularity of Fashion Photo Review, her YouTube show with Raven where they judge the fashion choices of fellow Drag Race contestants.

Elsewhere, she has briefly toured with Iggy Azelea doing makeup and starred in her own one-woman show with a summer residency at Provincetown (until Covid-19 put a stop to that). Besides her YouTube show, Raja can also be found digitally on her new podcast Very That with Season 3’s Delta Werk, where they reminiscence about the good ol’ times doing drag in West Hollywood.

Plastique is another mainstay in the Voss Events tours as her sexy physique and high energy dance moves never fail to have the crowds cheering. These days Plastique’s TikTok account is totally where it’s at with 5.6 million followers, showcasing numerous videos of her transformation from hot boy (shirtless with lean-toned six-pack abs and sizeable pecs) to sexy lady (with luscious straight hair and curvaceous body).

Known on the show for her strong singing voice (despite her legendary drunken moment in Season 2’s live singing challenge), Jujubee has cashed in on her All-Stars 4 resurgence by releasing not one but two albums, Good Juju : vol 1 and Good Juju : vol 2. Her music is good old-fashioned 90s pop produced with heartfelt song writing and her signature strong vocals, making these one of the more credible RuGirl music releases.

My personal recommended tracks are Tonight and Forever eaturing Blair St. Clair and the deeply personal On My Way, both contained in vol 2.

While early outs seldom get the touring and mass media opportunities that forerunners get after their season is over, Yuhua has spun gold with her limited time on the show with her hit YouTube show Bootleg Opinions. Although initially inspired by Raja and Raven’s Photo Fashion Review, Yuhua has since forged its own identity with its own unique editing choices, fun guests hosts that include Singapore’s very own RuGirl Vanda Miss Joaquim, and the expert eye of a professional designer and seamstress.

Last year’s worldwide Covid-19 lockdown and an unprecedented four seasons of Drag Race also resulted in a bumper year for Yuhua, as she faithfully recapped every episode starting with Season 12 and ending with Drag Race Holland to a worldwide audience that is trapped at home quarantining.

This year she has launched Review with a Yu, a recap show whose title is a parody of Miz Craker’s Review with a Jew. Her Patreon channel also has many exciting exclusives for fans who simply can’t get enough of her bubbly personality.

And finally, we have Kahmora. Season 13’s first out is already a staple in Chicago’s drag scene, setting herself apart by branding herself as the ‘Living Mackie Doll’. Indeed, she searches various auction sites online everyday to find original Bob Mackie pieces to add to her collection.

No word on how she plans to follow up with her new-found popularity at press time, or if her appearance has convinced her boyfriend to accept her drag. Let’s wait till the reunion to find out!

Fun fact: she is the drag mother of Season 10’s Soju. The irony of mother and daughter being the first to go in their respective seasons is not lost as Kahmora has remarked about it herself during her stay in the Porkchop Lounge. Meanwhile we can check out all the looks that she would have displayed on the show via her Instagram. And if her Chinese dragon inspired outfit is anything to go by, one would expect nothing short of exquisite perfection!

Have you read our article on this season’s newest queens?

Steven Ang

Steven is a performance arts professional who wears many hats, mainly as a performer and teacher of vocal technique. Although not a queen himself, Steven enjoys every opportunity to prance around in glittery costumes onstage. He can be found on Facebook and Instagram.