Meet Gottmik, the first transgender man on RuPaul’s Drag Race – and a celebrity make-up artist to Paris Hilton, Heidi Klum and Cindy Crawford
- Former Drag Race clients also include fan favourites like Shangela, Alaska, Detox, Willam and Violet Chachki
- Canadian YouTuber Gigi Gorgeous collaborates on merch and magazine shoots
Having already successfully breached intolerant social barriers, the show continues to smash both records and outdated stereotypes. For one, this season’s premiere achieved the highest viewership of any episode in the franchise to date.
And now thanks to the participation of contestant Gottmik, another major milestone has been reached. Gottmik is not only a talented make-up artist but is also the first ever transgender man to compete on the show. And while there are many reasons to love this trailblazing trans icon, these are some of our favourites.
His inspiring backstory
Out of drag, the RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant’s name is Kade Gottlieb. Born in Arizona, Gottlieb grew up within a conservative family environment.
In an interview with TMRW, Kade said, “So my whole life, I felt very … trapped in the wrong body … [and] … I was like, ‘OK, something’s wrong here. Something isn’t adding up and I have to figure this out’.”