RuPaul’s Drag Race: The Midwest’s 10 Most Iconic Queens

RuPaul’s Drag Race has a plethora of contestants from all over the United States. Although further afield from drag hotspot cities such as New York and Los Angeles, some of the show’s most iconic queens have originated from the Midwestern states.

While not as well known as other popular drag locations in America, Midwestern states such as Illinois and Ohio have all helped contribute to shaping contestants into the iconic queens that appeared on Drag Race and beyond. These queens are very strong and bold in looks and personality, with some standing out from others due to their memorable time on the show or what they accomplished after their initial season aired.

10 Manila Luzon (Minnesota)

Season 3 runner-up Manila Luzon has become a popular Drag Race queen over the years. Raised in Minnesota, Manila was a welcome return contestant for fans in both seasons 1 and 4 of Drag Race All Stars. Her performance in All Stars 4 in particular was so impressive that fans believe she was robbed of a well-deserved win.

While known primarily as an excellent comedy queen, Manila is most notable for her quirky yet stylish aesthetic and has delivered some of the most iconic looks during her time on Drag Race. Some of these looks include a pineapple dress, a Big Bird gown, and the controversial period pad outfit that proved to be too offensive to air on TV.

9 Silky Nutmeg Ganache (Illinois)

Based in Chicago during the filming of season 11, Silky Nutmeg Ganache is one of the most memorable Drag Race contestants ever but for the wrong reasons. Silky alienated some fans by picking fights with the popular contestant Yvie Oddly and being overbearing on camera. According to Sydney Yaeko, Silky is one of the least popular contestants ever to appear on Drag Race.

However, that does not mean that she wasn’t completely disliked. The judges, including Ru herself, absolutely loved her and partly as a result, Silky won the coveted Snatch Game and made it to the Top 4. She then went on to perform one of Drag Race‘s most memorable lip-syncs to Aqua’s pop hit “Barbie Girl” on All Stars 6.

8 Crystal Methyd (Missouri)

Missouri queen Crystal Methyd was a standout contestant in season 12 for many reasons. First, her aesthetic is wacky, retro, and unique. Second, Crystal started the competition a little flat, but she listened to the judges’ feedback while staying true to herself and went on to be one of the show’s strongest competitors, making it all the way to the final three.

Crystal’s highlights from her tenure on Drag Race include her quirky final lip sync to Nelly Furtado’s “I’m Like a Bird” and a number of colorful fantastical runway looks that referenced everything from Sesame Street to Freddy Krueger. Perhaps her most memorable moment occurred in episode 11 when she unveiled her hilarious fitness instructor character Phenomenal Phil that had the judges in fits of laughter.

7 Shea Couleé (Illinois)

Runner up of season 9, Shea Couleé has become a fan favorite in the Drag Race franchise. One of the most famous queens on the Chicago scene, Shea won an impressive four maxi-challenges in season 9, including her excellent impersonation of Blac Chyna in the Kardashian-themed “Rusical.” Her performance is one of the reasons why that “Reality Stars” is considered one of the best Rusicals in Drag Race yet.

Shea’s success continued into the fifth season of All Stars, where she went one step further than season 9 and was crowned the winner. With that win, Couleé cemented her place in the Drag Race Hall of Fame.

6 Nina West (Ohio)

Based in Ohio, bubbly Nina West was a solid fan favorite in season 11 with her wholesome personality and skills as a comedy queen. Her overall likeability and talent won her Miss Congeniality, in which she responded hilariously with a “Meh” – the response she was given by RuPaul during the lip sync that ultimately eliminated her.

Since Drag Race, Nina has made a number of notable appearances, including season 1 of Celebrity Drag Race and Blue’s Clues’ heartwarming Pride parade, and continues to be a strong advocate and fundraiser for the LGBTQ+ community.

5 Utica Queen (Minnesota)

One of the most memorable contestants of season 13 is the eccentric Utica Queen, though it is heavily debatable whether she is memorable for the right reasons. When it came to the Minnesota-based queen, fans either loved her or loathed her. This is perhaps due to the fact that her drag is something of an acquired taste.

Utica clearly had both her strengths and downfalls. While her sleeping bag look in the Ball Challenge is one of the best in the series, fans cringed at her appalling performance in the Roast challenge, and one of the creepiest Snatch Game performances to date. Either way, she is certainly an unforgettable queen.

4 Jaida Essence Hall (Wisconsin)

The winner of season 12 was Jaida Essence Hall, a pageant queen from Wisconsin. While constantly delivering flawless looks, Jaida willingly pushed her boundaries and proved herself to be an accomplished and rather funny queen when it came to performance challenges.

Jaida was one of the strongest and most distinct queens of season 12, but perhaps her best moment was during the “Choices 2020” challenge, when her repeated catchphrase “Look over there!” had the judges, including special guest judges Jeff Goldblum and Rachel Bloom, in hysterics. That performance, and the accompanying quote, made Jaida the one to beat in her season.

3 Kim Chi (Illinois)

Season 8 finalist Kim Chi is one of the most beloved and popular contestants to appear on Drag Race yet. Starting her drag career in Chicago, Kim quickly won the hearts of a lot of fans with her quirky looks, adorable personality, and overall natural likability. It’s particularly hard not to forget the sweet feline look she made from hair in the first challenge.

Kim Chi also made Drag Race history as being the first Korean-American contestant on the show. With her success and consistency during season 8 and her ever-increasing success such as her own make-up line, she is a queen deserving of returning for Drag Race All Stars.

2 Trixie Mattel (Wisconsin)

Another iconic and well-loved Midwestern queen from Wisconsin is Trixie Mattel, who is most notable for her exaggerated cartoonish aesthetics and camp humor. Trixie’s time in season 7 was interesting, as she was eliminated early but returned during the “Conjoined Twins” episode, and won a place back in the competition, extending her overall position to sixth place.

Trixie then went on to win the third season of All Stars and is fourth on New York Magazine’s 100 most powerful drag queens in America. She is also most noted for frequently teaming up with fellow season 7 favorite Katya in their hit streaming show UNHhhh.

1 BeBe Zahara Benet (Minnesota)

No iconic drag queen list would be complete without the first-ever winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Born in Cameroon, BeBe Zahara Benet moved to Minnesota at aged nineteen and years later, was recommended by Ru herself to audition for the first season of the show.

So far, BeBe is the only Drag Race winner to be a contestant on All Stars, having been revealed as the mystery contestant on the third season. While she did not win this time, she came in at an extremely respectable joint third with fan-favorite Shangela.

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