Ginger Minj Addresses The Backlash To Her RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Win

Ginger Minj has responded to online backlash following her win on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 10, saying she’s proud of how she competed and doesn’t plan to change for anyone.

Minj, who has previously appeared on three seasons of Drag Race, took out the top spot on the milestone All Stars season last week.

The format saw 12 past queens compete in a head-to-head tournament structure, with some fans criticising the new system and questioning whether it gave Minj an advantage.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly directly after her win, Minj addressed the criticism directly, with EW asking Minj that there was “chatter among fans and RuGirls that the competition seemed to favour you”.

“I wish I could say I don’t let it bother me, but I do. Of course I care about what people think, particularly when it’s a project I’ve put all of me into.

“What made me laugh a little bit and gave me some solace was the fact that I’ve done this competition three previous times, and RuPaul hasn’t had an issue putting me in the bottom, making me lip-sync for my life, and not giving me a crown. There’s never been an instance where I was favoured throughout the past.

“Once I was announced for [All Stars 10], before the first scene of me ever rolled, the chatter started. They built the narrative for themselves. It gave me a bit of peace. All I can do is my best and live in the success of the moment.”

She also responded to criticism of her drag style and aesthetic changing — which also included speculation and criticism of her recent weight loss.

“It changed my approach, simply because I’ve been on this massive weight loss and health journey. I’m feeling sexier and more confident.

“I think my aesthetic is changing, but I don’t feel like my performance ever will, because that’s who I am, even before I stumbled into drag doing theater. My style is distinct and it’s worked for me my entire life, and it comes from my heart and soul. I don’t want to change that for anybody.”

Minj says that she had to work hard to really learn to lean in to her strengths, and “felt like Elphaba”.

“I felt like Elphaba throughout the entire competition because it felt like I had all these powers I didn’t have a grasp on at the beginning of the season,” said Minj.

“Particularly, by a lot of the fanbase, it was kind of like a witch hunt. People didn’t want to root for me, and it felt like I had to be my biggest critic and my biggest cheerleader.

Minj is the first queen to compete on four separate seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and her win marks the end of an almost decade-long Drag Race journey.

 

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However, despite the backlash she has copped from this win, she also told EW that she “absolutely” would come back for an ‘All Winners’ season.