By Ryan Rattliff | Photo Courtesy Voss Events
“Well, Texas is back in the house, y’all!” Asia O’Hara announced herself as she sashayed into the workroom on the premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 10. The Helen of Seven store owner and costume designer landed squarely in the top 5 of the competition with no plans of going home anytime soon. O’Hara holds four titles, including Miss Gay America 2016, awarded in Memphis.
O’Hara came out in the LGBT+ community twice, as we can imagine most drag queens do. First as gay and second as a performer. She considers herself fortunate enough to start performing in Dallas, TX in the early 2000’s when the scene was ripe and waiting for her to arrive. She recalls sneaking into clubs before she was of age to watch the drag shows. These performances, along with her background in the marching band and color guard, influenced her to rush to the stage early on.
On the show, RuPaul describes O’Hara as a seasoned performer and she plays the part.
She can be seen giving everything from advice to a quite literal helping hand. O’Hara notes “The Last Ball on Earth” as the challenge she learned the most from. In this challenge, the contestants relied on sewing savvy O’Hara to assist in finishing their garments. When pressed for time, the seamstress walked the runway in an unfinished garment that landed her in the bottom two. Host RuPaul reminded her that she was in a competition and advised her to put herself first. When asked about the criticism she has received for this, O’Hara laughed. “I think that it’s silly … that is a part of competition.” She explains that if she wins a competition, she wants it to be because she is the best person there, not because someone else did not have enough time to finish their garment.
O’Hara does understand the importance of looking after herself but also knows the value of sisterhood. In a pivotal moment for a fellow queen, The Vixen, she offered up insight from her own experiences on the drag scene. O’Hara explains that she did this because she believes everyone’s sole purpose on this planet is to enrich the lives of others. She saw the opportunity to uplift The Vixen in hopes of making her journey easier and didn’t hesitate. Competition or not.
O’Hara draws her strength from remembering who she is and that her path is already laid out for her. She explains that weakness comes from forgetting who we are and why we are here.
When asked about her legacy, O’Hara states: “I want my legacy to be one of growth and change.” She wishes to challenge people to move away from complacency in order grow and become better versions of themselves. “I want to strive every day to make myself, my art, and my community better. Everything I touch each day, I want to do a better job at it than I did the day before.”
