Drag queen’s RuPaul victory wins praise from Taiwan’s president

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Saturday offered her congratulations to Taiwanese drag queen Nymphia Wind for winning “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” the first person from East Asia to take the crown.

Tsai and her ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have championed LGBTQ+ rights making the island a bastion of liberal values, and in 2019 Taiwan legalized same sex marriage in a first for Asia.

“Congratulations to you, Nymphia Wind, for being so accomplished in the difficult art form of drag, and for being the first Taiwanese to take the stage and win on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’,” Tsai wrote on Instagram in English.

“Right after being crowned queen, you said ‘Taiwan, this is for you.’ Taiwan thanks you for living fearlessly.”

Taiwan’s capital Taipei hosts East Asia’s largest Pride march every October. Last year, Vice President Lai Ching-te, who won election as Taiwan’s next president in January, marched at Pride becoming the most senior government leader ever to attend.