RuPaul's Drag Race star Nymphia Wind meets President Tsai

Taipei, May 15 (CNA) Taiwanese drag star and RuPaul's Drag Race season 16 winner Nymphia Wind met President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at the Presidential Office in Taipei Wednesday.

The 28-year-old, the first Taiwanese and East Asian contestant to be crowned "Next Drag Superstar" in the globally acclaimed reality television series, also presented a drag performance with members of her drag family "House of Wind."

In her speech, Nymphia thanked Tsai for the opportunity to perform at the Presidential Office, saying "This is probably the first Presidential Office in the world to have a drag queen perform."

Tsai thanked Nymphia and the House of Wind drag queens for such an exciting performance. It is the first time in her eight years of presidency that she has seen such a colorful and beautiful scene in the office, she said.

She also congratulated Nymphia again for her victory on RuPaul's Drag Race.

Tsai said in addition to dancing, lip-sync battles, and impersonating celebrities on the show, Nymphia incorporated elements of Taiwan and its culture in her costumes, which wowed the judges and audiences worldwide.

The president added that behind all beautifully tailored performances on the show was the fight against social discrimination, and she thanked all the queens for standing up, smashing through boundaries, and showcasing their beauty fearlessly.

"If you can't love yourself, how you gonna love somebody else?" Tsai said citing RuPaul, as she thanked Nymphia again for showing fearlessness.

Tsai said she believed the drag star's journey would inspire Taiwan's younger generation to be themselves, be true, and be fearless.

Nymphia also expressed gratitude for Tsai's effort in realizing lots of firsts for Taiwan, such as Taiwan being the first nation in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage and Tsai herself being Taiwan's first female president.

The drag queen added that she is also grateful to her mom for giving her a home to thrive in and for who she has become today.

Tsai said the government's efforts in promoting gender equality over the years, including legalizing same-sex marriage, was to allow every people in Taiwan, regardless of their gender expression or sexual orientation, to express themselves freely and form a family with whom they love.

She also pointed out that April 20, the day Nymphia triumphed, was Gender Equity Education Day in Taiwan, and that it will be International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia in two days, on May 17.

Nymphia, as she did on RuPaul's Drag Race, added elements of Taiwan to her Wednesday costume.

She said her costume was inspired by a yellow water lily endemic to Taiwan, and "like lilies, it grows out of the mud unstained."

Meanwhile, the newly crowned superstar will perform at the Taiwan Pavilion during the upcoming Cultural Olympiad, an artistic celebration of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, which she described in a recent interview with CNA as being a "significant" way to showcase Taiwan.

"Today's Taiwan is a global Taiwan and Nymphia is also a queen of the world," Tsai said.

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