RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 9 featured a classic yet benevolent reality TV twist, one which has the show's queens competing for a $200,000 prize allocated to the charity of their choice.
This past month in the Drag Race fandom has been hectic: presumptive Democratic nominee/Vice President Kamala Harris dropped by the set to encourage voting, star Morphine Love Dion was involved in a serious car accident, and contestant Gottmik was involved in a plagiarism controversy to boot.
But Drag Race fans on Reddit have turned their attention to queen Nina West, and her extracurricular charitable endeavors during the season, on behalf of the Trevor Project:
Editor’s note: This article contains mention of suicide or suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please visit findahelpline.com to connect with resources in your country.
Nina West Chose The Trevor Project As Her Charity For Season 9
On May 17, Paper magazine published "The Saintly Queens of 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' 9," celebrating the new season, and explaining how the charity aspect worked:
"Reprising on the main stage to compete for a $200,000 grand prize are eight queens from its first season to Season 14 … However, it wouldn't be Drag Race without some twists and turns from Mama Ru.
"For the first time in the show's herstory, the cash prize will be donated to the charity of the winner’s choosing — supplied through The Palette Fund, a private foundation 'dedicated to breaking down barriers and advancing social change in communities that are under-resourced and facing significant challenges.'"
Paper identified the selected charity of each competing queen for All Stars Season 9, including non-profits in support of mental health and animal welfare.
Nina West was quoted on her choice of The Trevor Project, which she said was a deeply personal cause close to her heart:
"I am so proudly playing for The Trevor Project. I chose it because I was really isolated and alone as a queer kid growing up, and I don't want anybody to experience that vulnerability and suffering and isolation.
"Did you know that suicide is the number-two cause of death for LGBTQIA+ youth and youth in general ages 10 to 13? And ages 14 to 20, it's the number-three cause of death? The Trevor Project is so important, and they're saving lives."
Nina's support couldn't come at a more vital time, it seems, as on May 1, The Trevor Project warned that then-new survey data demonstrated both a lack of access to care for affected youth, and showed evidence that stressors related to the currently tense political climate are exacerbating the problem.
On July 26, Entertainment Weekly broke down the end of season tally, noting that All Stars' Angeria Paris VanMicheals took the top spot, raising a total of $231,500 for the National Black Justice Collective.
As the outlet explained, Nina won $11,500 for The Trevor Project directly through the competition — and as the Reddit post pointed out, she didn't stop there.
On Instagram, Nina has separately been raising money for the organization, although the fundraiser is only visible on the mobile version of the app:
On July 24, Nina did an interview with The Trevor Project, candidly reiterating her reasons for choosing the charity for All Stars Season 9:
"Ya know, when we were asked to select an organization, I knew almost immediately that I wanted to pick Trevor.
"I think the main reason is that when I was growing up, an organization like this did not exist, and I was one of those kids who really needed it. And after my own bullying story in college, I was more motivated than ever to work towards ensuring that anyone who may be LGBTQIA+ never feels alone.
"Trevor does life-saving work. And I want to ensure that our next generation of queer youth live to see their own dreams come true."
As of August 1, Nina West had nearly met her Instagram fundraising goal of $17,000 for The Trevor Project (above and beyond her All Stars contribution), with eight days still remaining in the campaign.
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
