Rupaul’s Drag Race New Season Features Five Latina Queens
In addition to strong Latina representation in the cast, this season also features two Latina guest judges
Photo courtesy of Paramount/MTV
The latest season of Rupaul’s Drag Race, the long-running reality competition show, is premiering this Friday and five Latina drag queens are among the cast for this season. The series, which has been airing since 2009, has had an array of Latina drag queens that have graced our screens and turned into fan-favorites year after year. Going back to some of the earliest seasons, Puerto Rican queens Nina Flowers and Yara Sofia both won Miss Congeniality on season 1 and 3, respectively, and are praised for their artistry to this day. More recently, Mexican American drag artist Valentina from season 9 also garnered a huge fan base after her appearance on the show, going as far as playing Angel in Rent: Live back in 2019 and being featured on both Elle Mexico and Vogue Mexico. While Latinx representation has been strong, there has only been one Latinx winner in the U.S. series, season 6’s Bianca del Rio who is of Honduran and Cuban descent. As Latinxs continue to dominate, some of last season’s queens such as Mistress Isabelle Brooks, Salina Estitties, and Jax standing out for their performances on the show, this newest season looks to be giving audiences even more queens to root for. Season 16’s cast of 14 queens includes queens that represent Latinxs from all over the diaspora.
First up, Mirage Amuro who hails from the Sin City of Las Vegas, Nevada is of Mexican and Native-American heritage. The queen, known for her performance skills and colorful aesthetic makes her one to watch this season.
Another Mexican queen this season is Geneva Karr—who entered the Werkroom in a stoned dress, styled after the Mexican flag. The queen from Brownsville, Texas spoke about being a DACA recipient in the Season 16 trailer and is also the U.S version’s first Mexican-born contestant.
New York queen Xunami Muse, also a DACA recipient, is originally from Colón, Panama making her the second queen of Panamanian descent after season 5 and All Stars: Season 6’s Serena ChaCha to compete. Xunami is the drag daughter of previous Drag Race alum Kandy Muse, an Afro-Latinx contestant of Dominican descent.
Miami goddess Morphine Love Dion, who is of Nicaraguan descent, donned a Kali Uchis-inspired entrance look in the premiere sneak peek. This queen’s signature makeup and dance background (including appearances in Bad Bunny and Maluma music videos) set the stage for how viewers will see her this season.
Last but not least, Brooklyn’s own loud and proud Nuyorican Megami is set to grace our screens this season. The “geek-chic” queen started drag through cosplaying at conventions and has since elevated her designs.
We are more than excited to see the Latina queens of Season 16 wow us week after week. The visibility from this cast is much needed representation and coincides with recent strides the series has made in their franchise. In 2023 alone, the Drag Race franchise has expanded to versions made in Mexico and Brazil that have put the spotlight on the folklore and cultures in those countries. More recently, Canada’s Drag Race also featured an Afro-Latinx drag queen contestant, Aimee Yonce Shennel, originally from the Dominican Republic.
In addition to the Latinx representation among the cast, the star-studded guest judges this season are all about Latina power. There’s Latin pop princess Becky G set to guest judge one of the split premiere episodes of Season 16 while actress Mayan Lopez (Lopez vs. Lopez) will as also make an appearance as a guest judge this season.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Morphine Love Dion spoke about her Latina drag aesthetic, “I’m Latina. My parents are from Nicaragua, and I incorporate a lot of my Latin background and heritage into my shows. I’m a Latina showgirl, it’s what I love to give.” She highlights the importance of the Latinx representation on the show this season: “I think it’s so important because there’s not enough Latina/Hispanic drag queens out globally doing what they need to be doing. On Drag Race, it’s always one Latin drag queen or two, but this season it’s like five. It’s just amazing.”
