Drag Race UK’s Dakota Schiffer on response to being the first trans queen
"I can’t wait to actually watch the show now and get to represent."
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK‘s Dakota Schiffer says the love from the trans and LGBTQ community has been “so overwhelming” but also “assuring”.
The 22-year-old queen from Sussex was revealed as Drag Race UK‘s first-ever trans queen when the queens were announced ahead of the fourth series of the UK show.
At the time she said, “I’m so excited to represent my trans sisters, siblings, and brothers, and I can’t wait”.
Speaking to Attitude on Tuesday (20 September) the queen elaborated on representing her community, as well as the support she’s had since her casting announcement.
“It certainly was such a privilege to be able to represent my community. Because I know, at least in the UK specifically, it’s a really difficult time and climate to be trans right now.
“And to be given the opportunity to represent for my community and be a positive representation for my community I was so overwhelmed to be given the opportunity.”
Dakota goes on to say that making her-story was also something that motivated her.
“It can feel daunting obviously at times to feel like you have to represent everyone and everyone’s experiences because trans representation is few and far between, especially on such a massive platform.
“But it motivated me massively and was one of the biggest motivations to even apply in the first place.
“Because as much as my drag is separate to my identity it was such a core reason why I wanted that specific platform, the platform that is Drag Race UK.”
She also found the response to her being on the show quite terrifying to begin with.
She told Attitude, “I just wanted to take it all back for like the first five seconds. I was like ‘Oh my god! Oh my god! It’s too much! Put it back, I don’t want it.
“The love from my community specifically has just been so overwhelming and just assuring and knowing that I made the right decision to go for it and just having so many trans people reach out to me and it just…
“I can’t wait to actually watch the show now and get to represent.”
Dakota joins a growing list of trans contestants that have competed on various editions of Drag Race including Kylie Sonique Love, Peppermint, Willow Pill, and Jasmine Kennedie.
Check out more from the Drag Race UK series 4 queens below:
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Series 4 returns to BBC Three and BBC iPlayer on 22 September at 9 pm.
The Attitude September/October issue is out now.