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Nina West Takes On RuPaul’s Drag Race The local Columbus “superdrag” queen is representing Ohio on season 11 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. By Kaylee Duff
Photo courtesy of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Learn more about Nina West at ninawest.com. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube for photos, videos and more!
N
ina West’s participation in season 11 of the Emmy-award winning VH1 show, RuPaul’s Drag Race (RPDR), was announced online in the long-awaited “RuVeal” on January 24th. The announcement of the season 11 queens was live-streamed on YouTube and was hosted by figure skater/LGBTQ+ advocate Adam Rippon and season 10 winner Aquaria. This 39-year-old queen has auditioned for RPDR nine different times — and is ecstatic to finally spread joy and share her talent with the world. Nina (a.k.a. Andrew) is nothing short of a Columbus legend. Popular for hosting different drag shows and events at local hotspots like Union and Axis, she specializes in classic, campy and comedic drag. “I’m really just a big ol’ man in a dress, and I’m celebrating that,” Nina said in the official “Meet Nina West” video posted by the VH1 YouTube channel. Nina’s approach to drag and entertainment is a welcome breath of fresh air. Andrew has been taking the stage as Nina and in regional theatre performances around the state and country for the past 18 years. Most recently, Nina appeared as Ursula in the Pleasure Guild of Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. All of the proceeds from the show went to Nationwide Children’s Hospital Hospice and Palliative Care Program. In her spare time, Nina also hosts Dragcast, a hilarious podcast about “all things drag and LGBT” with her co-host Patricia Taylor. You can listen to episodes of Dragcast online at ninawest.com/dragcast. A lover of charity and giving back, Nina also started the Nina West Fund (via the Columbus Foundation), which benefits local LGBTQ+ organizations such as Kaleidoscope Youth Center, the Ronald McDonald House, Equitas Health, Planned Parenthood, Family Pride Network and the ACLU. When this article went to print, the community was still awaiting the premier of RPDR season 11 (which premiered on February 28) with bated breath.
TRUE Q MAGAZINE
MARCH 2019 | 13
