By Alex Arsenych-De Castro
For the first time in RuPaul’s Drag Race herstory, one of the 15 competitors will represent the True North, Strong and Free.
Canada, we’re about to get served — with some of our own Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent.
Brooke Lynn Hytes, 32, hails from Etobicoke, Ont. We can expect her to serve a whole lot of fish, and some on pointe dance moves. Hytes studied at Toronto’s National Ballet School before dipping her toes in the drag scene, and currently dances with the all-male drag company, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, in NYC.
Hytes won the 2014 Miss Continental pageant, thanks to an incredible performance of pop icon, Britney Spears’ “I’m a Slave 4 U.” So, we should expect Hytes, as a pageant queen, to have a beautifully “beaten” face and a stunning wardrobe throughout the season.
Though Hytes has been performing in Nashville, Tenn., since her pageant win, she still dubs herself the #QueenoftheNorth.
“It’s a huge honour. I’m representing a whole country,” said Hytes, in a recent interview with VH1 about being RuPaul’s Drag Race’s first Canadian queen. “I have the pressure of the whole fucking North.”
And the whole country really is behind her! It is difficult for non-American performers to get invited to the show, because it is so difficult for non-Americans to obtain a work visa. Hyte’s entry is a cause to celebrate, for RuPaul’s Drag Race is a popular show and Canada will finally have representation.
It is such a big deal, that even Global Affairs Canada tweeted the following:
Though Canada supports Hytes on her journey throughout this competition, some of her previous actions leave some to question her integrity. A former Instagram post of Hytes in blackface was rediscovered by a disgruntled fan on reddit, which caused an outrage on social media (especially since it was found during Black History Month).
Hytes promptly took to Instagram to issue an apology, recognizing the irresponsibility of her actions.
With hours before the airing, Hytes’ RuPaul career is off to a rocky start.
To those of you who have cable and a functioning television, season 11 airs March 1, at 9:00 p.m. EST on VH1 or OUTTv.
For those of you without a television, and with no desire to watch a low-quality stream the next day, there are several live-viewings all throughout Toronto (each hosted by local Toronto drag queens at LGBTQ+ friendly spaces).
Click on any of the above purple markers to see what each event is offering for tonight’s show!
