Detox, the ever-iconic RuPaul’s Drag Race alum, recently dropped some major news: she’s transgender! She made the announcement in Chicago at the Metro Theater for Drag PAC’s Drag Night Chicago on last week, while sharing the stage and a song with fellow Drag Race favorite Willam. At the top of the performance, Detox not-so-casually switched up the lyrics to their, Willam, and Vicky Vox’s parody hit “Chow Down (at Chick-fil-A),” sliding in the line “I’m trans now” instead of “I’m a top.” The crowd ate it up, offering a wave of cheers and applause which you can see at the 1:45 mark of their full performance below:
It was a powerful moment, and fans were all in, with many celebrating and some feeling like this announcement was the final piece of a puzzle they’d already put together. If you blinked you might’ve even missed it.
TikToker, @SethSeesShows posted a shorter clip of the moment to TikTok where Detox herself responded, “Cat’s outta the bag!”
Detox has since updated her Instagram pronouns to she/they, and Detox’s news of being trans adds another layer to her legacy. They join the ranks of other Drag Race stars who’ve come out as trans, further shining a spotlight on the journey of self-discovery and authenticity. Since the announcement, Detox has taken to her Instagram stories to share a few updates. One story included resharing this post from Brad Hammer captioned “Celebrating #transdayofvisibility🏳️⚧️ #transvisibilty day w/ some of our favorite #transgender #dolls.” She added text to the story saying, “A couple of months ago y’all thought this was the announcement…it wasn’t. I still haven’t really made the announcement. But there have been signs! Lololol 😏😚☺️.”
Another reposted story from Chicago drag queen and DJ, Miss Toto, included an additional caption from Detox saying, “Looking over and seeing my dawtah and all of my friends in the audience burst into tears at this moment that has been brewing for the past few years was so magical. I’ll never forget it. 🥹💖”
This wasn’t just a night for personal milestones, though. The event, tied to the Drag PAC initiative, blended activism with artistry, urging attendees to get politically active and vote—because why shouldn’t your favorite drag queens also inspire you to hit the polls?
Before her performance, Detox’s monologue brought context to why the Drag PAC matters and their mission to register 100,000 new voters this election season. “Willam and I were talking about this earlier, and drag is one of the oldest forms of activism and protest—I think in the world.” “And a long time ago we wrote a song about some protesting of a certain national brand. And since we’re in the same building together, we figured we might dust it off,” she continued before breaking into the full song with her lyric switch.
The original video for “Chow Down (at Chick-fil-A),” which was uploaded to YouTube in 2012, continues to be relevant given Chick-fil-A’s continual homophobic tendencies. This event is just another example of the ever-evolving landscape of the drag community, and Detox’s announcement is yet another step in the right direction for trans visibility in the entertainment industry. Detox’s journey of self-discovery and authenticity is an inspiration to many, and her coming out is a powerful statement about the importance of embracing one’s true self. This moment is a testament to the fact that drag is not just about entertainment, but also about activism, protest, and the fight for equality.
