Gottmik says drag kings are the future: ‘We need drag to be this’
Gottmik has said that the drag community needs to look to drag kings as ‘the future’ (Getty Images)
Gottmik (Kade Gottlieb) has said drag kings are “the future” and can “unstale the community”, as they weighed in on claims that drag feels “stale” right now.
The RuPaul’s Drag Race alum took the stage on Sunday at the season 2 premiere of Revry’s King of Drag, described as the first-ever reality competition to focus on drag kings.
“These kings are so amazing,” Gottmik said, praising the performers on the series. The drag star, who is a judge on the show, continued to say: “As a trans guy who does femme drag…the way that they took their stories and told it through fashion and art was absolutely so mind-blowing to me.”
They also said that seeing the contestants on the show turned their “world upside down” and really inspired them.
Gottmik then addressed the familiar debate about drag’s current saturation, saying: “People have been asking me like, ‘Why is drag kind of like stale right now? Is it like too many Drag Races or what’s going on?’ And I’m like, it’s because we’ve seen drag be that. We need drag to be this. This is the future. This is gonna unstale the community.”
What is King of Drag season 2?
Season 2 contestants include Chase Lounge, Cyrus K. Stratton, D. Vour, Lollygag, Papi Culo, Trade, Twinka Masala, and Vera!. Comedian Cameron Esposito hosts the new season, which airs Sundays on Revry.
The show follows on from season one, when it crowned its first winner in July 2025, with Murray Hill hosting and Gottmik among the judges.
Revry says the show is built to elevate drag kings
Christopher Rodriguez, the series co-creator and Revry co-founder, said: “Every one of these kings are so unique that they brought things we haven’t seen before, and that’s exactly what this show was built for.”
Damian Pelliccione, the series co-creator and Revry’s CEO, added: “These are artists, activists, and entertainers who understand the power of performance and the importance of uplifting underrepresented voices.”
Gottmik is a Los Angeles-based drag artist and makeup artist who rose to mainstream fame on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 13 and is widely recognised as the first out trans man to compete on the US flagship. Known for high-fashion, editorial drag and close ties to the beauty world, they have become a major figure in trans visibility within drag.
