Nymphia Wind, a drag queen, performs at Taiwan's principal government entity.
While dressed in a striking yellow water lily costume, Nymphia showcased her skills with a lively performance that included twirving, sashaying, and even carrying out the challenging split move in front of outgoing Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. Throughout her performance, she lip-synced to both Lady Gaga's "Marry the Night" and a popular Taiwanese song titled "Chase, Chase, Chase."
After the performance, Nymphia expressed her gratitude towards Tsai for her years of service. "This may very well be the first presidential office in the world to host a drag show," Nymphia remarked. "Thank you for your contributions to our nation, which allowed me to one day be present on this stage." She further thanked the president for her dedication, referring to her as Taiwan's mother.
Taiwan is a highly developed democracy with a population of 24 million, but the communist government of China claims sovereignty over the territory despite never having controlled it. Taiwanese society is quite progressive, as it is not recognized as a sovereign country by most governments internationally and has witnessed a loss of allies to China's influences in recent years. The present democratic administration, led by Tsai and her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has advocated for LGBTQ+ rights, making it a safe haven in Asia's conservative landscape. Taiwan was the first region in the area to legalize same-sex marriage in 2019, while mainland China is taking the opposite approach under its current leader Xi Jinping with its suppressive actions against LGBTQ individuals and content.
The capital of Taiwan, Taipei, has hosted East Asia's largest annual Pride march since 2013. In 2020, Vice President Lai Ching-te, who will succeed Tsai as the next president, graced the event with his presence.
Many social media reactions, especially those viewing Tsai's official Facebook account, supported Nymphia's performance. A commenter emphasized how proud Taiwanians will be in showing the world their freedom, while another felt overwhelmed with emotions recalling the journey from being labeled as feminine to marriage equality and events like these taking place at the presidential office.
Nevertheless, not everyone embraced the show. Some criticized the presence of drag queens, with one user questioning what it all meant and expressing discomfort at their children emulating such performers. Others, particularly in China, were displeased with the event being held in close proximity to a bust of Sun Yat Sen, a man honored as the father of modern China.
Winning the US television reality show "RuPaul's Drag Race" in 2018, Nymphia, the persona of Taiwanese-American designer Leo Tsao, competently integrated her cultural background into her craft. The show's finale featured her wearing a grandiose outfit bearing images of bubble tea, an iconic Taiwanese export. Extracting inspiration from her everyday life, much of Nymphia's attire incorporated elements inspired by her heritage.
Nymphia is a prominent figure in Taiwan's vibrant drag scene, known for her magnificent designs that she showcases during her performances. She's also made a name for herself with her photoshoots at Taiwanese markets, dressed as a celebrity banana in various levels of ripeness. Nymphia's use of bananas as a symbol suggestively relates to the discriminatory term used to describe Asians when they're believed to be overly Westernized.
When Nymphia was discussing her achievements as the first East Asian to clinch the title on "RuPaul's Drag Race", she made it a point to speak about how loyal she is to her cultural identity. "To those who may feel out of place," she communicated, "know that you can live fearlessly and embrace the bravery to be yourself - and that goes for all the Taiwanese people as well." Tsai reacted positively to her performance, praising Nymphia and her performance in supporting fearsomeness and breaking down boundaries whilst inspiring numerous individuals in Taiwan.
This story is a paraphrase of a report published by Reuters.
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In discussing her cultural background and achievements, Nymphia integrated elements of traditional Taiwanese exports into her performance outfits, showcasing her unique style in the arts.
The progressive culture of Taiwan allowed for events like Nymphia's drag performance to take place at the presidential office, demonstrating the nation's support for artistic expression and LGBTQ+ rights.
Source: edition.cnn.com
