Famous drag queen duo Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova took to the stage Thursday in the Titan Student Union for Associated Students’ final Beyond the Conversation event of the semester.
The line of students waiting eagerly to see the pair trailed all the way down to Titan Walk, with some students arriving as early as three hours before the actual event.
Both Trixie and Katya cemented their spot in drag culture after competing in season seven of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” a reality TV series where drag queens compete to become “America’s next drag superstar.”
Despite their rocky start as a pair – Katya stated that she thought Trixie was “part of the crew” upon first impression – the pair have developed a cult following through multiple web series such as “UNHhhh,” “I Like to Watch” and their podcast “The Bald and the Beautiful.”
As Trixie and Katya made their way to the stage, it was no surprise that the energy of those who were able to snag a seat in the room was electric, with ear-splitting cheers erupting in the pavilion as soon as they appeared.
The audience was drawn into the duo’s dynamic straight away, as the two delved into immediate discussion, hardly needing the student moderator to jump start the conversation.
They discussed their roots in drag starting at a very young age, with Trixie being an over-talkative kid in class and Katya putting on Oprah Winfrey-style talk shows in her living rooms.
“I was the kid who got all the notes that was like, ‘Visits too much in class, makes too many jokes in class, walks like a girl,’ you know?” Trixie said.
Later in the conversation, Katya revealed that her family was accepting of her career in drag. Her dad was supportive of her from a young age, buying her props for her pretend panel shows.
Despite their humble beginnings, drag has turned into something much more meaningful for both of the performers.
“For me, some part of it is a personal exercise in being celebrated for the parts of myself that I was ashamed of,” Trixie said. “But it’s reciprocal because the audience sees me celebrated for it, and they go ‘What if I could be celebrated for every part of myself?'”
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Katya speaks candidly on body positivity and aging as a drag queen. (Sergio Gonzalez / Daily Titan)
Trixie Mattel puts emphasis on accepting one’s sexual identity. (Sergio Gonzalez / Daily Titan)
Katya speaks candidly on body positivity and aging as a drag queen. (Sergio Gonzalez / Daily Titan)
Trixie Mattel puts emphasis on accepting one’s sexual identity. (Sergio Gonzalez / Daily Titan)
Anecdotes of rugby players, first-class plane trips and early “Drag Race” memories padded serious conversation about embracing one’s identity and how drag allows them to tap into a new part of themselves.
“If I don’t have my makeup and everything on, I feel like I can’t even walk in the shoes,” Trixie said, discussing how drag amplifies her personal confidence.
“Well, I can’t walk in the shoes with any makeup on,” Katya responded.
As the event rolled on, the audience was easily engaged as the performers elicited whole-crowd laughs, with the moderator only intervening a few times in the whole hour to pepper in questions.
Though much of their conversation was in their recognizable, banter-filled style, they made sure to emphasize words of affirmation for those struggling with their identity, with Katya talking on body neutrality as a stepping stone to body positivity.
“You don’t have to say ‘I’m fierce, I’m amazing, I’m lovely,’ if you don’t think that. But also don’t think you’re a piece of s— either,” Katya said. “You just are where you are, and if you want to change, then you take steps and change.”
Trixie had a similar sentiment, saying that she knew she wasn’t “taller or prettier or smarter” than others, but her willingness to try has gotten her far.
As prominent figures in the LGBTQ+ community, several students looked to the pair to answer more serious questions about staying strong in the face of political and cultural turmoil.
“I think about us getting hurt doing this because people want to make a statement about what we do,” Trixie said. “You won’t catch me in this moment hiding.”
Attendees and participants alike didn’t want the night to end, and even Trixie and Katya asked for more student questions to keep the night rolling on.
Eventually, as the show rolled to a natural close, Trixie left her parting words for Gen Z students: have more sex.
“I also encourage you to explore and enjoy the young body that you have,” Katya said, echoing Trixie’s sentiment. “Because that saying, ‘Youth is wasted on the young,’ unfortunately, when you get old, you’ll find out that is true.”