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Attitude Inspiration Award, supported by Jaguar: Peppermint

Herstory was made when Peppermint became the first out trans woman to be on 'RuPaul's Drag Race'.

By Steve Brown

Peppermint has been honoured with the Inspiration Award, supported by Jaguar, at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards 2019, powered by Jaguar.

Herstory was memorably made when Peppermint became the first RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant to strut into the competition as an out trans woman — and she has been slaying it ever since.

Quickly becoming a fan favourite on the Emmy Award-winning show, Peppermint came close to snatching the crown on season nine before eventually finishing runner-up to Sasha Velour.

Exploring her trans identity through the art of drag, 39-year-old Peppermint continues to blaze trails and last year, she hit a high note after becoming the first trans woman to originate a principal role on Broadway in The Go-Go’s-inspired musical Head Over Heels.

She hosted the GLAAD gala in San Francisco, and recently revved up for Jag Race, a collaboration between Attitude and Jaguar which saw queens drag racing to raise money for LGBTQ causes.

Since finding Drag Race, she’s been an outspoken advocate for the place of trans women in drag – especially after RuPaul made controversial (and since rescinded) comments about “probably not” allowing them to participate in the competition.

“RuPaul kicked open so many doors for queer and gender non-conforming folk and is an absolute trail-blazer in the world of drag,” she told Billboard last year.

 

“But recently, Ru made statements I disagree with. Unfortunately, it won’t be the first or last time we will hear a woman can’t do something a man can.

“I’m out to change that.”

Read more about the winners from the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards 2019, powered by Jaguar in the Attitude Awards issue, out now.

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