RuPaul’s Drag Race Legend Trinity The Tuck talks exclusively to Oliver Hall about coming to New Zealand for the Drag Race Legends Tour with Jinkx Monsoon and Monet X Change.
What can we expect from the legend tour? You are three of the funniest queens!
I think you can expect a very diverse show. We already did half of the tour in Australia at the beginning of this past year, so I think you’re gonna get a very diverse show, there’s going to be some laughing moments, live singing moments, a lot of naked stuff from me! And we’re three very different Queens. And so it makes for a very entertaining show constantly, always something to see and experience. So I’m excited that New Zealand’s gonna get to see the show because it was amazing in Australia!
Tell us about what the experience was like for you competing on All Stars, All Winners Season?
I loved the experience of competing on All Winners. The thing about going back to an All Stars is you have toured with these girls, so the repertoire is there. It definitely makes things a little bit more comfortable, because you know them and you can banter with them. It was a lot of fun. I would totally do it again for sure!
What do you love most about touring the world?
I love experiencing new things. I would spend my money on travel but this way, I get brought to these places for work, so that’s even better. But I would rather spend my money on experiences than novelty things and being able to just experience the world. I never thought as a little kid from a small town in Alabama that I would ever get to do what I’m doing now. If you had asked me in high school, if this was gonna be my life, I would never have believed you. I also love meeting fans from all over the world. I feel like fans from outside the US are even more excited about us, then the fans in the States are.
How long do you think it will be before a drag king is competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race?
I think it’s far overdue. I have performed with all kinds of drag artists. And if this is a ‘drag race’, it really should include all aspects of drag. We’ve already seen this by including our trans brothers and sisters. We’ve already seen this by including AFAB cis-identifying drag artists, and the only next step would be to include drag kings, and there is such value in that. It’s long overdue. We should be including every part of our community.
How do you feel about the current state of drag?
I feel like it is the strongest it’s ever been. It’s evolved from something that was so niche to a very mainstream art form, not only that drag has the power to be political. And that’s really where we are for the state of drag. If you are not using your platform for the good, then what are you doing? It’s Drag! It’s radical! We have to be voices for our community.
How tricky is it to hold down a relationship while being an international touring queen?
It’s different for every relationship. I don’t know about other people, but having a partner who supports you and trusts you, is key. I also have learned from past relationships that I don’t mix relationships with work. That’s what’s working currently for me and my relationship.
What are your thoughts on Drag Race Down Under?
I think it’s great. The first season, just like other seasons, had some kinks that they needed to work out. But the second season just proved that it is great. I love the Aussie humour. Australia and New Zealand have some amazing drag so I’m glad that it is being showcased to the world.
Have you ever toured with any Down Under queens? If so, what were they like?
I’ve toured with several of the Down Under queens that have been on the show, and some local Queens who haven’t been on the show. (I don’t want to name names because I don’t want to leave anyone out.) But every entertainer that I have encountered in Australia and New Zealand has been so gracious, so kind, and great on stage and on the mic! Down Under has some amazing drag to showcase to the world.
What are your plans for 2024?
After the Legends Tour finishes, I am going to take a break. I’ve been on some sort of tour or back-to-back bookings since 2022. Literally, since the World opened back up. I’ve just been go go go, which I’m grateful for, but I need a good week or two off, where I close myself into my house and don’t get out of it!
You recently came out as trans-non-binary, what was the lightbulb moment that made you feel ready to come out?
I came out as trans nonbinary, which is not the same as other trans branches in the trans family. Trans to me means that I feel like I am not 100% in the gender that I was assigned at birth. I watched Drag Race, two seasons ago, where all those girls were coming out. And it was very unexpected and it made me have some sort of feelings. I had tried to transition years ago, I had started hormones and it just didn’t feel right at the time and didn’t work out for me. But it’s because I wasn’t on the right hormones. Transitioning physically might not be the right direction that I’m going in, but this has all been a very long journey for me, so who knows where that’s gonna go. All I know is I love myself. And I felt compelled to say something when I did because I know that there are other people in this world that follow me who feel the same way and they need to know that they were not alone.