RuPaul’s Drag Race season 14 contestant Willow Pill has shared on social media that she is Trans and will now go by ‘Willow’ in and out of drag, with they/she pronouns.

In a recent episode of Untucked the star discussed their gender identity and has followed up that discussion in a social media post. Willow Pill shared, “It’s taken me a long time to come to terms with my transness because so much space has been taken up by my illness. My condition has caused me so much physical and emotional pain that my body became something I always wanted out of.”

Willow was diagnosed with cystinosis at a young age – a kidney disease that causes problems with vital bodily functions including the muscles and the eyes.

She continued, “During quarantine I started to explore my feelings about my illness and unpacked a lot of medical PTSD and self-hatred. But only in the last year have I really started to realise that I’m not happy with my gender identity either. Much of that is due to being on Drag Race and feeling euphoria being Willow for the first time since quarantine and being around a bunch of queer and Trans friends on set. I’m still not sure where I fit on the spectrum, for now I just say Trans femme, but I also don’t have to know now.”

 

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A post shared by Willow Pill (@willowpillqueen)

Contestants Kerri Colby and Kornbread shared their Trans identities with fellow queens when they entered the Drag Race workroom, while Willow Pill is the third contestant to share they are Trans since the show started airing, following Bosco and Jasmine Kennedie.

Willow went on to explain that they would have to take things slowly due to medications they already take for their condition; “Last November, I had surgery to make my face a bit more feminine … and to reduce some of the effects that long term medication use has done to my face. Transitioning with a chronic illness is not simple.”

“I want to share this because I have felt so lonely keeping this to myself. I’ve rarely been able to talk to other people with similar stories, though I know there are many out there. I’m so tired of holding my pain in, and if I’m sharing dark bath bomb jokes and my ass cheeks to the TV world, then I also want to share this.”

Willow signed off her social media post by sharing, “I’m starting to finally feel bits of happiness with my face and body, and that’s a start. I love ya’ll so much!”