HUNTY GAMES: Meet the Queens of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 6


After months of speculation and online chatter about who made the list, the official 14 cast members of the sixth season of Rupaul’s Drag Race have been signed, sealed and delivered via the sexed-up “supertease” above.

Jinx Monsoon, last year’s winner and reigning queen of the drag world, was a surefire fan favorite with a comedic edge. So with that in mind — and taking into account past winners Sharon Needles, Raja, Tyra Sanchez and Bebe Bonet — I attempt to pick these new gals apart to cast some early predictions about who will be the next Drag Race winner.

All photos came from Towleroad.

Bianca Del Rio: With an established following in New York, this sharp-tongued comedy queen will most likely make it far. She is what every “host” queen strives to be — hilarious, beautiful and beautiful. Bianca is originally from New Orleans, where she worked as a seamstress, but figured New York was where she belonged. Now she’s one of the top queens in the country, and Drag Race is the perfect platform to turn someone this talented into a household name.

Adore Delano: You may remember this reality TV vet from American Idol, where, as her alter ego Danny Noriega, she queened out belted out the goods week after week in 2008. Since becoming “Adore” he’s developed a huge following on social media. I think she could ride this thing until the very end. Her versatility and youthful eagerness could be her greatest asset. Oh, and the pink hair shouldn’t hurt, either.

Ben De La Creme: Jinkx Monsoon’s BFF is one hilarious queen. (Must be something in the water in Seattle.) The bizarro diva has a huge personality to match the waterfall of wig she piles on her head. She could be one of the ones that gets catapulted into drag superstardom — if she can manage to escape Jinkx’s shadow.

Courtney Act: This blonde goddess became a household name in Australia after appearing on Australian Idol. Later she moved to L.A. with big dreams and to get more fans. Courtney is one of the ones to beat, and if anyone counted her out for being a mere fishy beauty queen, they’re dead wrong. She’s everything that an amazing drag queen should strive to be, and her time on the show should only make her that much better.

Gia Gunn: I haven’t seen a queen this beautiful and flawless in a long time. She’s already a well-known pageant queen, and judging by her past winning crowns and adoration from her Chicago fans, this Asian beauty should become a silent, gorgeous threat.

Laganja Estranja: Alyssa Edwards’ drag daughter is full of talent and personality — and she’s gorgeous. But let’s not forget her ability to spin, split, death-drop and contort. Laganja is ready to show the true meaning of being a legit high-energy performer.

Milk Queen: So excited about a truly weird queen being in the mix. Milk is a well-known New York City nightlife personality, but she’s not for the faint of heart. She’s going to make Tammie Brown look as basic as Gwyneth Paltrow in a ceramics class.

Vi Vacious: Speaking of New York nightlife personalities: This gender-blurred, Icon Ebony-Fierce of Manhattan is ready to show the children what matters most: being completely authentic 100 percent of the time. Vi is not afraid to stray from the norms of drag and those norms out a 10 story window. Look out below, bitches!

Darienne Lake: We haven’t seen a super-sized diva on Drag Race since the fab Latrice Royale. Darienne is older and wiser than the rest. Her hair is always huge, and her jokes hilarious. It would be awesome to see a big girl win, but with fierce competition like Bianca, Courtney and Laganja, she should just enjoy the ride.

April Carrìon: Every season, there has to be a queen from Puerto Rico, and this one is a gorgeous performer who’s full of surprises. I’m not sure she’s as special as the others, but her Nina Flowers-Alexis Mateo hybrid looks could give her a slight edge.

Kelly Mantle: This industry queen should provide an interesting twist, as she’s an already well-known actress/actor and comedian. She’s certainly a Willam-type, but her professionalism is very Chad Michaels. Will be interesting to see how she handles herself among these high-flying performers and fishy goddesses.

Joslyn Fox: This gorgeous queen kind of fades to the back of the pack, because, as we’ve seen over the years, it takes more than looks to win this thing. Vivienne Pinay is probably the most fishy queen in the history of the show, but she was flicked like a booger last year. Joslyn needs something more than looks to stand out. Hopefully she has some secrets up her sleeve.

Trinity Bonet: This gorgeous black queen is polished, sultry and hungry for the crown. Her dying mother told her to audition for the show and she made it on the first try. (Cue: Alaska Thunkderfuck groan.) Destiny? Maybe. She’s definitely among the best, but I don’t see her going all the way.

Magnolia Crawford: Someone has to go home first.

All in all the new crop looks great, but I still yearn for the day when a Philly drag queen enters the Race. We have such a diverse scene in Philly. With the talent that lives among us, we really need to get these local girls some airtime stat.