Drag Race's Brooke Lynn Hytes Has a Jockstrap Line Coming

When Brooke Lynn Hytes tweeted a picture of a butt in a jockstrap that said “Hytes” on the front, she sent the RuPaul’s Drag Race fandom into a tizzy. So much so that in a follow up tweet she had to clarify that it wasn’t her own butt — it was her best friend’s. But accompanying the tweet was also the caption “Coming soon” and fans of the season 11 frontrunner have been wondering for some time — what exactly is coming?

In an interview with Out, Brooke Lynn Hytes dished on her upcoming line of jockstraps and other types of apparel she’d want to see fans sport. She also spoke about thirst for drag queens and that infamous Untucked episode.

You tweeted earlier this month that something was “coming soon,” either a line of jockstraps or underwear, along with a picture of someone wearing a jockstrap that said “Hytes” on it! Can you give more details about what’s coming?

Well we're starting with jockstraps. We just chatted with a manufacturer today and we’re hoping they get here in time for DragCon. I thought it was a nice idea because nobody has done that in the drag market. No one has done an underwear line. I recently started wearing them myself and they’re so comfortable. I always get horrible wedgies with underwear, so I was like why not get in on that and brand one?

That’s a very practical reason! Is there anything else about jockstraps that appeals to you besides comfort?

Well they’re obviously sexy. Everyone loves a good jockstrap. And I wanted to try to do something different with my merchandise than what other people were doing. It was for that reason. I wanted to put out something that I liked a lot and other gay men like a lot — and make some money off of it in the meantime.

It’s all about the bag!

Yeah, I have to secure my bag.

So, what are your favorite styles of jockstraps?

I like the classic one, which is what I think that one was, just two straps, gives you a little lift and support. We’re going to start with that for now and then we’ll look to expand into other kinds. We got a lot of messages asking if we’ll be doing women’s so we’ll be doing women’s sports bras and a women’s panty. I know there are so many girls out there who like Drag Race as well. So we’re sticking with the classic one right now and then our next step will be doing something for the women. I would also love to do an athleisure line, like yoga pants. I do yoga and pilates myself, so that’s where I’m starting. Baby steps, testing the waters, seeing how everything goes.

In terms of my own fashion, as a boy, I like very simple basic things. I love black, white, and grey. I love bold simple colors, so I wanted to keep them very simple and to the point. It’s something you can wear with everything. The same thing goes with my “Hytes” t-shirts. It’s just a simple statement that you can wear with everything. A lot of drag merchandise is hard to put with an outfit when you have a cartoon pastel drag queen. But I want something people can wear every day.

You ended up clarifying online that the tweet you sent with the jock was *not* your butt, but you have definitely shared photos of yourself and your assets before. *Editor's note, on April 21, Hytes finally shared a photo of herself in the jockstrap.

That was not my butt, I wish that was my butt! It was a fantastic butt!

It was your best friend’s right?

Yeah my best friend, Steve. He runs my merchandise and orders everything and helps me so much. I'd be a complete mess without him. He’s the one who got the jockstrap first and sent that picture to me and I was like, “There’s the post!”

So I think a lot of people want to know: do you work out and do you have butt workout tips? Or is it all from dancing?

That was mostly from dancing! Walking in heels is a great workout tip. But I do a lot of hot yoga, I do a lot of pilates, and that combined with dance is where I got my body from. But I don’t do a lot of squats and I don’t do a ton of butt-specific workouts. That’s just my butt in its natural form.

I should start working out, though, and then I can have an ass like Steve, just a giant badonkadonk.

Obviously when you shared that first photo there was a lot of thirst and you had to clarify that that was your friend’s butt and not yours. For a long time, queens often said that femmephobia and stuff like that stopped people from thirsting after them. Do you think there’s been a shift in people thirsting for drag queens in recent years?

Oh, totally. For a long, long time, drag queens were so taboo. It was OK to flirt with us in drag, but when we were boys, no one flirts with you or talks to you or takes you seriously. It was cute in drag, but you knew nothing was going to happen. As soon as you became a boy or a real person, it was like, “I was just kidding?” With the popularity of Drag Race, that has completely changed. In a way, it’s sad that it took a TV show to be like, “They’re real people!” Part of it is because we’re insta-famous. That plays into it, that people are thirsty for attention and thirsty to sleep with someone who’s “famous.” I don’t like to say that I’m famous, but “well known.” It definitely has helped open people’s eyes to see that you can be a drag queen and also be a man. Being a drag queen doesn’t mean you want to be a woman or live your life as a woman. It’s my job, I go to work I put on a costume, and then I’m me again.

Who are some of your dream models that you would want to have for your line?

I would definitely get Kameron Michaels in one, because he has a great bum. I feel like I have to google nice asses — Jason Momoa! That’s my dream sponsor. If I could get Jason Momoa in one of my jockstraps, it’d be a deal. He’s my dream man, I’m so in love with him. I want people of all different sizes in my jockstraps. My models, if it comes to that, I would definitely have people of all shapes and sizes in there and that goes with the female line, as well.

Before we go, I wanted to ask one Drag Race related question: What was it like to be in the middle of that Untucked this week and kind of be the fly on the wall observing most of it happen?

Oh it was so funny. I just did an interview and they asked me that and I forgot so much of what happened. I remember the fight, but the couch thing, I completely forgot I did that. I saw that and was like “Oh my god!” It’s funny because I’m not that person. I’m not a yelling-in-your-face dramatic person, but I had a couple cocktails, and I was feeling great because I had good critiques on the runway. I wasn’t wearing hip pads, I wasn’t tucked.

I couldn’t believe what was happening. Yvie and Vanjie yellings, Ra’Jah and Plastique … it was like a Twilight Zone moment. I didn’t understand what everyone was yelling about, which was the funniest part. People were just getting mad! They could’ve had normal conversations about these things. That’s what was funny to me because I’m a very non-confrontational person. I’m just happy I was not involved. I was like, “What the fuck are these bitches doing?” I feel like everyone at home felt the same way.

The memes of you on the couch under the cushions have been so funny!

I never thought in a million years that that’s what I could become memeable for! Like the whole thing with Mercedes and “Oppolance!” and of course the Vanjie thing. It’s so funny to see what people latch onto.

RELATED | Dear RuPaul: Stop Letting People Say ‘Death Drop’ on ‘Drag Race’