On last night’s grand finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Yvie Oddly carried on the competition, and was crowned the winner of Season 11. We chatted with Oddly about her inspirations, snatch game, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and RPDR fandom towards queens of color.
First impressions are everything and we first saw you pumping in behind a Hot Wheelz toy car hooked up to a black feather boa. What was the thought process behind putting together that look?
It is extremely important that all of my looks have solid concepts, inspirations and can tell a story. The toy car was playing off of the double meaning of ‘drag race.’ My inspiration was Yzma from the Emperors new groove and set me up as a reality TV “villain” since I’ve always empathized with the Disney “villains.” The train in the front symbolized my “backwards” drag. The dress was given to me by Nina Flowers, which was dope because she’s one of my biggest mentors and the only other Denver queen to compete on the show.
What was your favorite runway look you created this season?
I loved all of them, and my personal favorite was from episode 3. My Jelly Fish Fringe Fantasy is a signature look of mine and I had always been excited to debut it for Drag Race! It was very important to me to prove that you can serve a sickening look without breaking the bank.
What is the scene like in Denver, Colorado? Who did you watch and admire? Any club or bar we should visit?
Tracks Denver is my home club, and has supported me ever since I was a floor staff all the way to now. I have been the executive producer of alternative queer events at Tracks such as The Odd Hour and The Vogue Ball. The Drag / Queer Scene in Denver is bursting with creativity and ripe to be showcased on a greater platform.
Outside of being queer there is a stigma that children of color can’t be quirky, odd or nerdy. What was that journey like for you as a kid to now owning Oddly in your drag name?
Growing up as a child of color, I recognized when people saw my skin color and immediately began making assumptions about me. I’ve lived my queer truth in such an aggressively expressive manner to challenge the general perception of what it means to be black. I believe people of color live a diverse variety of stories and experiences that deserve more recognition than we’ve ever been given.
Your Snatch Game performance as Whoppi Goldberg paved the way for one of the best lip-syncs in RuPaul’s Drag Race her-story. Were you gagged by the double save; and were you equally gagged by the fan response to the performance?
I was surprised, humbled and grateful for the double save. I was prepared to address the disappointment of my snatch game performance, but was overjoyed with the fan response about the crazy lipsync that stemmed from it.
This season you discussed your struggle with chronic pain due to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. How important was it for you to raise awareness for chronic illnesses?
Queens from recent seasons have been scared to be as blunt and honest as you were due to how aggressive the fandom has become.
Were you at any point scared of backlash or decline in likeability on the show?
I did not go on the show for the purpose of bringing visibility to “invisibilities,” but am happy that my story was shared and that people draw strength from it. I knew the fan base can be aggressive, but it has never dictated how I choose to express myself. I felt that I had to be true to myself; the good, the bad and the ugly so that at the end of the day at least I felt resolute in my actions.
There has been a disproportionate amount of harsh criticism and hate on social media towards queens of color from the fandom. Do you think it’s a culture clash as the fan base has grown or traditional prejudice and racism?
The disproportionate amount of harsh criticism and hate that black queens face is a reflection on the greater reality for people of color in all spheres of society. As a marginalized group, the LGBT community has a greater responsibility to treat all people with fairness and respect. I hope that our community and the drag race fan base will learn queer history and become an example of inclusivity and social equality.
We asked our instagram followers to send in questions for our interview and majority were about Papa Oddly. How does it feel knowing that people are sending eye and heart emojis to your dad?
I’m not surprised. More than anything, I am more excited about the opportunity that I have to have a better relationship with my entire family than ever before.
One of the major highlights from the finale was your sickening performance to Lady Gaga’s “The Edge of Glory.” What was your inspiration for that performance and that headpiece?
I wanted to stay away from needing to pull out every reveal and stunt in my book, and focus on the emotion of the song and leave my heart on the stage. The look and headpiece was my final Yvielution and was to show different sides of me (literally and figuratively). Specifically, I embodied the glamour, the divine, and the extravaganza of a true Queen.
Since season 4 the narrative of Rupaul’s Drag Race has been to search for the future of drag. What kind of performer would you like to see on the show and eventually take the crown?
I would like to see Drag Race feature artists that are less represented or accepted in the drag community such as AFAB queens, drag kings and trans entertainers.
So you have $100,000. Are you taking these coins to the “Dolla Store” like in your new music video?
