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Not shy to ‘kai kai’!
When RuPaul’s Drag Race first premiered on television, it used to be incredibly hard for drag queens to find love and maintain stable relationships. Internal homophobia and femmephobia were two of the largest contributors to people – specifically gay men – not wanting to date someone who worked as a drag performer. Over time, this led a lot of queens to date/hook up with each other, a practice that has been nicknamed ‘kai kai’ over the years.
While it is significantly easier for drag queens to be in relationships as of 2023, there are still a lot of queens who enjoy some ‘kai kai’ from time to time. While fans aren’t always made aware of these relationships, it can be very fun to find out about these connections between Drag Race queens.
Scroll through to find out which queens have dated each other within the universe of RuPaul’s Drag Race, which is available for streaming on Paramount+.
Manila Luzon & Sahara Davenport
Getty Images
The first-ever official showmance in RuPaul’s Drag Race herstory happened between Sahara Davenport, who competed in season two, and Manila Luzon, who was cast in season three. Despite staying together for many years, their relationship came to an abrupt end when Sahara died of heart failure in October 2012.
Alaska & Sharon Needles
World of Wonder/YouTube
Sharon Needles revealed that she was in a relationship with a fellow drag queen, Alaska, back when she competed in the fourth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. A year after Sharon being crowned a winner, Alaska competed on Drag Race season five and finished as a runner-up. By the time Alaska returned for All Stars 2, she already made it clear that they were no longer a couple.
Vanessa Vanjie Mateo & Brooke Lynn Hytes
VH1
It wasn’t a secret to anyone that there was a showmance going on between Vanessa Vanjie Mateo and Brooke Lynn Hytes throughout season 11 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Though they tried to make things work outside of the werk room, Vanjie explained that their touring schedules after appearing on the show didn’t help the relationship. In any case, Brooke and Vanjie remain friends, and Vanjie even appeared as a guest judge on Canada’s Drag Race season three.
Gigi Goode & Crystal Methyd
Even though they consistently played coy when discussing their relationship, season 12 finalists Gigi Goode and Crystal Methyd never explicitly denied having a showmance after meeting in the Drag Race werk room. With fans continuing to ship them as a couple, Crystal told ET that “there’s always a little bit of fact in the fiction.” For her part, Gigi told the news outlet, “I know what the rumors are. We’ve talked about it. We’ve been socially long-distance. Listen, that mullet does something.”
Amethyst & Robin Fierce
MTV
One of the recurring plotlines for Amethyst and Robin Fierce on Drag Race season 15 had to do with them dating prior to getting cast on the show. While filming the season, both queens tried to argue that it had been their own decision to break things up. In post-show interviews, however, they determined that the breakup was a mutual decision after all.
Tayce & A’Whora (‘RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’)
BBC/World of Wonder
A’Whora spent a good time on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season two teasing Tayce about a potential relationship – or situationship – that they had in the past. Though Tayce kept denying it, she always said it with a laugh. Things got even more sus when Tayce and A’Whora became roommates during the lockdown break that happened in the middle of filming season two of Drag Race UK.
Tia Kofi & Pixie Polite (‘RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’)
During RuPaul’s Drag Race season four, Pixie Polite revealed that she had been in a five-year relationship with season two queen Tia Kofi. At the time, Pixie also revealed that she and Tia had broken up around 2021.
Anita Wigl’it & Ivanna Drink (‘RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under’)
When she was announced as a contestant on season three of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, Ivanna Drink revealed that she was married to Anita Wigl’it. In August 2023, however, Anita and Ivanna announced their split via social media.
