The Girlfriend Experience more than lived up to her name during her time on the current season of Canada’s Drag Race. While she has departed the competition, her scorching runways and heartfelt participation on a discussion on trans issues in the werkroom both cemented The Girlfriend Experience’s lasting legacy on RuPaul’s Drag Race. I sat down with The Girlfriend Experience for a detailed chat on her life prior to Drag Race, her experience during the competition, and her big plans for the future.
Michael Cook: You have departed the Canada’s Drag Race competition, but it is not without making a true mark on the show. Your discussions about gender and sexuality in the werkroom were both refreshing and inspiring…
The Girlfriend Experience: Thank you. I’m just honored that I got to speak on something that is so relatable to myself and that is near and dear to my heart. I did my entire transition online and documented the whole thing so it is something that is important to me to speak about and to be heard. I am just so grateful to Canada’s Drag Race, the cast, the team, production, Bell Media, Crave and everyone for allowing me to talk about something so personal.
MC: Drag Race as a whole is shining a light on dynamically talented trans performers and their stories. What does it feel like for you to be now telling your own story on Canada’s Drag Race and joining that legacy?
TGE: It feels correct. I joke sometimes and say that I applied for Drag Race because all of my friends were on it and I was the only one left (laughs). Kimmy (Couture) was an amazing trans representation and I really wanted to carry on that legacy and I am just so happy that I was able to do that. Standing here now, all that can be is eternally grateful.
Even though I didn’t go that far, I still have a leg up from where I was a year ago in my drag, you now? There is so much opportunity that comes with being on the show and it is the best springboard that I’ve had to date in terms of a platform. Whether I win or not, I still have so much to work with now and I have so many opportunities that are going to come my way because of it.
MC: What do you think is the rose and thorn of your Canada’s Drag Race experience?
TGE: I have two roses….I am going to say the cast. Being there with all of those girls, I went into it knowing half of them and the other half I didn’t know. Being part of the sisterhood and creating that bond that I have, I really felt connected to everyone that was there. Being on the show and being able to showcase who I am was another rose. I think in terms of the thorn, I had a long two years leading up to it with my transition and I also had a very bad breakup, a heartbreak. A lot happened and I didn’t really allow myself to take a breather from all of that, I just kept going and going. Then being on the show, what you see is an edited down version of an entire emotional collapse that I had. It wasn’t really because of the critiques, I know people may think that, but there was a lot of baggage going on there.
For me, I had reached the top and what you see there is me fully crumbling; not just from the show, but from what happened in the time prior to that. I think that for myself, I would have loved to have had maybe a little bit more emotional stability going into it. If that had meant taking time for myself to get reacquainted with myself, I wish I could have done that. I have to look at that now and broadcast it onto the entire world. Is that one of my favorite things?-not really (laughs). That’s not normal trans behavior to just be able to talk about it on television; all I can be right now is very grateful.
MC: A good portion of the Drag Race experience that people don’t see is the extensive time periods that you may spend alone. Do you think that might have contributed to some of the way you were feeling?
TGE: One hundred percent. While I do appreciate my alone time, it’s such an environment of hectic long hours on set, you’re being critiqued and in my instance I wasn’t measuring up to the expectations. For me, I was definitely going home to the hotel and having to replay everything in my head and being uncertain of how something is going to be perceived, it definitely messes with you a little bit, especially when you’re feeling already so vulnerable.
MC: Your emotional breakthrough was also something that the fans have been able to truly relate to as well. How are you currently?
TGE: My relationship started shortly after I transitioned and it was my first heterosexual relationship as a trans woman dating a straight man and it was also his first time being in a relationship with a trans woman. It was hard, I was being compared a lot to women and ultimately at the end of the breakup it was a lot of “you are not a woman you are a man”. Living in a place of gender euphoria from the time that I had my surgery to when that relationship dissolved, I had so much confidence and happiness; that breakup just robbed me of that.
I think where I am now is that I have my inner peace. I’ve had a lot of time to get accustomed to my new life living as a woman and being on the show and I think now that I have some inner peace, a bit more understanding and control and understanding of my life’s path it made it a lot easier and its going to be a lot easier going forward. There is quite a difference between the two, but Drag Race is still just part of that journey
MC: It’s refreshing that a performer like you who is able to leave it all on the stage still does love the ability to have their alone time.
TGE: I need that solo time just to reconnect with myself. I hate small talk and I love going out, don’t get me wrong. I love going out to places where I don’t have so many acquaintances because then I don’t have to have these conversations that don’t really break past a barrier. When I’m home, I’m off and I don’t have to put on the pleasantries or the politeness that I think we all get exhausted with.
MC: You have a global platform after Canada’s Drag Race; could we see you on some Fashion Week runways perhaps?
TGE: That is something that I’ve always wanted to do. I started modeling but unfortunately drugs and alcohol put a damper on that. I think there is some unresolved part of me so I do want to get into modeling more. I think traveling is something that I appreciate, it is something that I did my whole life. My goal in all of this is that I want to see the world and perform for everyone. Whether it’s on stage, walking on catwalk, I just want to live my life to the fullest and I hope that when I’m eighty years old on my wrap around porch I can look back on my life and say “I did that”. I can pull out my photo album and show my grandchildren and say “You could never sweetie”.
MC: What do you say the the trans performers out there who want to do Drag Race but f0r some reason, still don’t see a place for themselves?
TGE: Create space. In this day and age, did you ever expect a trans stripper to make her way onto Drag Race? You have to find your lane and you have to carve it out and show them exactly why you are the best at what you do. I may not be the best at acting or an improv challenge, but I can turn out a show turn out a look that’s for sure.
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