‘It’s taken my family a bit of time’ – Yvie Oddly shares her coming out story
Drag Race's reigning queen - real name Jovan Bridges - gets personal in our new August issue.
By Will Stroude
She was one of Drag Race’s fiestiest compeitors before snatching the crown from under her co-stars’ feet earlier this year, but behind the freaky drag front, Yvie Oddly has been on a rollercoaster journey when it comes to sexuality, family, and finding her place in the world.
The 25-year-old season 11 winner, real name Jovan Bridges, was born in Denver, Colorado, and say her Christian family took time to accept her identity as a gay man.
Opening up about her journey exclusively in Attitude’s August issue, available to download and to order globally now, Yvie recalls coming out to her parents in the “most dramatic” way during her teenage years.
“All my friends in high school had started coming out as bisexual, including the girl I was dating at the time,” she recalls.
“So, I came out as bisexual which really forced me to think about all of the thoughts I was having about men that I was suppressing.
Photography: Brian Jamie
“I came out to my friendship group first, but the conversations with my parents all came out in arguments [laughs].”
She continues: “I remember my mum got into an argument with me because she was angry that I was telling my uncle something that I wasn’t telling her. She said: ‘You never tell me anything’, so I was like, ‘Well, I have something to tell you: I’m gay!’
“The one with my stepdad was when he said: ‘You’re acting like a fairy’, and I replied, ‘Well, I am a fairy!’ It was the most dramatic.”
Yvie, whose new solo show The Pretty Weird Tour arrives in the UK next month, goes on to explain that as Christians, her relatives had a mixed response to the news that she was gay.
“It’s definitely taken a bit of time,” she replies, when asked if her family have been supportive of her sexuality.
Photography: Brian Jamie
“My family was what I’m going to refer to as ‘Christian supportive’, where they were like: “We’ll love you no matter what, but I still don’t understand,” or, “I still think you’re going to hell.”
She adds: “The better part of my family is fine with me and the life I lead.
“It’s just that I lie to some of them about believing in Jesus [laughs].”
Read the full interview with Yvie in Attitude’s August issue is available to download and to order globally now.
Buy now and take advantage of our best-ever subscription offers: three issues for £3 in print, 13 issues for £19.99 to download to any device.