BY: DM
Published 22 minutes ago
Drag superstar Jinkx Monsoon is living her truth out loud. In a recent tell-all chat with comedian Ziwe Fumudoh, Jinkx made headlines by casually — and humorously — coming out as pansexual. The two-time “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner’s journey of self-discovery didn’t start with her pansexual coming out. She has long been open about exploring her gender identity as well. In 2017, Jinkx came out as nonbinary, explaining that she never felt strictly male.
“I’ve never identified as fully male. I’ve always identified as more gender fluid or gender ambiguous, but I never knew the vocabulary to explain it for myself,” Jinkx told Queerty. “Embracing that in myself meant that I started to embrace the fact that there are a lot of people out there who really like gender fluid people. So now I’m meeting all these hot guys who would have been into me this whole time if I just knew how to find them!”
Now, the reality star is embracing a new identity and she’s doing it with the same sass and humor she’s always had. Here is a look at what Jinkx had to say about her identity.
Jinkx is pansexual and proud.
During a chat with Ziwe, Jinkx was discussing the surreality of achieving her Broadway dreams while still dealing with hecklers on the street, when she quipped, “I’m clearly a straight woman… Well, pansexual,” quickly correcting herself mid-sentence. The offhand confession prompted Ziwe’s delighted exclamation of “Pansexual!” To which Jinkx responded, “Yeah, but I ain’t no [bleeped slur.”
It didn’t take long for clips of that moment to go viral. Jinkx even joined the online conversation herself, sharing the interview snippet on social media with the caption, “Congratulations, I’m pansexual.” Fans erupted in support, celebrating the star’s openness. For those not in the know, pansexual means being attracted to people regardless of gender identity or sex.
Jinkx’s personal life has been a rollercoaster.
As Jinkx’s relationship with her identity blossomed, so did her romantic life. In 2019, the Portland-born performer met British musician Michael Abbott during a tour stop in Manchester. Their connection was instant. By January 2021, Jinkx surprised fans with an elopement announcement. She had married Michael in a secret, socially distanced ceremony.
“That’s right! Mama got married. (Cue the Gypsy soundtrack) — we had an at-home wedding, witnessed by our housemates, with our officiant Deven Green, safely Skyping in, and our family and friends watching safely through Zoom,” Jinkx wrote on Instagram. “It was the perfect day.”
For a while, married life seemed to suit the drag icon. She often gushed about Michael in interviews and on stage, weaving cute anecdotes of their life together into her comedy bits. However, after three years of partnership, Jinkx and Michael decided to end their union. In February 2024, Abbott announced on social media that the pair had “chosen to part ways” after “shared moments, love and growth” in an “extremely challenging time,” per Pink News.
Do you think public figures coming out helps normalize diverse identities, or do you think the media puts too much pressure on them?
