Don’t F*ck With A Pageant Queen Or She Might Put Glass In Your Face Powder

The first queen of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 8 sashayed away in an emotional elimination this past Monday.

Naysha Lopez, one of the most beautiful queens to ever compete on the show, was the unlucky queen to get sent home. Following her elimination, we got the chance to speak with Naysha and learn a little bit more about this gorgeous pageant queen. From revealing how hard working pageant queens are, to stories of girls putting glass into other queens’ powder, Naysha holds nothing back.

Check out the full interview below and don’t forget to come back every Tuesday for our full recap articles. Enjoy!

Related: “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Recap Realness: 100% Pure Love

Queerty: Since you were eliminated, how have the responses from fans been online?

Naysha: Overwhelming. Everyone is so supportive and so nice.

Because you were unfortunately the first to go home, we didn’t get to see much of you on the show. Was there anything in that first episode that we didn’t get to see that you wish they aired?

Everything! No, haha! You got to see my love for pageantry, which I was telling Chi Chi [DeVayne] about. But the thing you didn’t get to see is my work ethic. Unfortunately I do not sew, but that is in now way a representation of who I am or what I do when I do drag. I put every inch of me into what I do. I love my craft and I work very hard at what I do. I wish you got to see a little bit more of that.

I think my mom gave birth to me on a runway. When I’m onstage, it’s a whole ‘nother thing, and I’m so sad you didn’t get to see that.

Pageant queens haven’t typically shined on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Do you think it’s a curse or that the show is built against pageant queens?

When you say that, I think about it and I’m like, well, “How many pageants has RuPaul won?” And she hasn’t, so maybe that’s what it is. Haha! No, I really don’t think the show is built against pageant queens.

This is how I look at it. For example, Alyssa Edwards, who is a good friend of mine. She was on the show and didn’t win the show, but in my eyes she won. We still talk, appreciate and love her. There’s this thing that us pageant girls have. We have discipline. There’s work ethic behind it. We work for it.

There are different kinds of queens on RuPaul’s Drag Race: The kind of queen that needs to get on because she won’t have a career unless she’s on there, and the one that doesn’t because she’s going to work for it and she’s going to do what she needs to do to work. I feel like us pageant girls do what we gotta do. That’s it. Period. And we’re gonna work.

So, clearly you are going to continue doing pageants.

Absolutely! Laila McQueen and I were talking about this. Pageants only polish you and discipline you for your every day drag life. Am I a pageant girl? Absolutely. But does it define me? Nope. It’s a great thing to have under your belt.

Pageants have a reputation for being shady and cut throat. Queens cut up other queens gowns, hide their stuff and do whatever it takes to win. Have you ever had any negative experiences at a pageant?

I’ve been blessed to have a great support system and great people around me. They haven’t allowed that to happen to me.

I’ve gone to pageants and there’s so many people there with me. There’s so much love and support that negativity has never come through. I’ve never had anything stolen from me at a pageant… shows are a different story! I’ve been blessed to be surrounded by a lot of positivity.

I’m sorry I don’t have a juicy story. I don’t have any stories about glass in my powder, someone coming for my face, haha!

Wow, that’s a crazy idea! Have you thought about doing that yourself? Haha!

These are old school stories that I’ve heard, and I’m like, “Are you kidding me?!” And they’re like, “Yass gurl, you gotta put the glass in the powder!” Oh my god!

What advice do you have for future RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants?

Be yourself. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re doing the wrong thing or that your drag is wrong. Drag is an art and art is subjective. It only needs to make sense to the artist, so do you.

Who are you rooting for to win season 8?

Bob The Drag Queen. Bob is a dear friend of mine and I love her to death. She has a special place in my heart.

Looking to the future, what are your plans?

I’m going to keep working and just be the best me that I can possibly be.

Catch new episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 8 every Monday at 9/8c on Logo and check out the preview for episode two below.