some aspects ofRuPaul's Drag Race All Starsthey're more rewarding than seeing a queen redeem herself in a very specific way. That was the case with Trinity K. Bonet, who, after expressing her desire to imitate Beyoncé in Las Vegas during the sixth season ofRuPaul's Drag RaceContestant Bianca Del Rio told her that she looked more like "Sammy Davis Jr. in a Beyoncé wig." However, after returning to competition for the sixth season ofAll the stars, Trinity finally got a chance to silence the haters when she performed a perfect recreation of Queen Bey's halftime show performance in the "Halftime Headliners" challenge. We all collectively gag.
And that was just one of its highlights. Although Trinity didn't win any major challenges during her original run on the show, the Atlanta queen returned to the Werk Room seven years later, fully prepared to dominate the competition. In addition to crushing Beyoncé's performance of hers, Trinity won the brand challenge and the girl group challenge; Her team also came very close to winning Pink Table Talk. Unfortunately, though, the higher you go, the harder you fall, and while Trinity was, at one point, widely considered the favorite, in the second half of the season she began to falter, falling to the bottom several times.
So when her recently eliminated contestant, Eureka, made a surprise return to the competition, it came as no surprise that Trinity was a bit freaked out. As she pointed out, as the only remaining queen who had passed the bottom multiple times, she would inevitably be eliminated next. When she received lukewarm reviews for her monologue "Charisma, Uniqueness, Grit and Talent," the writing was on the wall for Trinity and everyone else. And after a lip tie between the winner of the week,eureka, and the lip sync killer of the week,Jaida Essence HallUnsurprisingly, it was revealed that the group had collectively decided that it was time for Trinity to go.
Before its deletion,NYLONcalled Trinity K. Bonet to talk about why she knew she was going home, how she really felt about the "game within a game," the importance she placed on talking about her HIV-positive status, and the ongoing campaign to educate everyone on howundetectable = untransmittable, the special connection she shared with fellow contestant Eureka, and how she will never agree to "messy narratives"drag racepush through accessories like the reading challenge and baked goods.
What do you think happened this week that led to your elimination?
Oh well, Eureka is back! Shit, that was it, they brought someone back. We were playing a fair game as far as records go, and I had two bankrolls of my own and those two bankrolls in the top five. It was mathematically my time to go, so there was nothing I could do about it.
You seemed the most upset with Eureka's return. Almost immediately, you were talking about how his return could mean you're next. Do you think your focus on this had an impact on your performance on the challenge?
I knew what would happen if someone had a chance to come back: if I didn't win, I would go home. Also, with what they were asking for in terms of challenge, story-wise and stuff, I knew for a fact that it was going to be Ginger. And [the remaining queens] said if the next girl came back and didn't win, we would vote for her. But Eureka won, so we couldn't do anything. It was what she was.
RuPaul had been teasing this "game within a game" all season, but no one really knew what would happen for a long time. What were you thinking when you found out what it would be? Was everyone trying to guess what it was?
I mean, they were. He wasn't really focused on it. I was just trying to focus on doing enough good that it didn't affect me in the end. And because I had two wins, if I hadn't been last in the Snatch Game, it would have been different. I would have known I would stay and those would have been someone else's words. If she didn't have so many asses, she probably would have been like Ginger, just smiling and laughing from the start. But it wasn't fun for me at the time because it was like,Semen! You try to do everything you can to stay in the game, you get to the Top Four, which is usually a good thing, but you're not really there. There is still more.
Two episodes ago, when you played the Superlative mini-challenge, you were really upset because some of your co-stars voted for you to go home next. knowing that everyonetivoto answer that question, do you know why this came to you?
I don't like confusing narratives. None of the questions were really positive, except:Who would be most likely to be elected president?Everything else seemed a bit confusing.Who would be most likely to steal your man?I found it confusing. And yes, reality TV was always supposed to be this way, but it doesn't have to be this way.american idolit's a competition and you don't make them read.
That's all there isdrag raceWhat I'm never really going to like is that there are confusing narratives pushing and shaping each other, and then all the reading sessions and so on. I can live without it and I will never change my mind about it. No way no way. I don't think I would ever feel comfortable doing a barbecue or something because I don't really think badly of people, and when you have to take negative things out of them, you don't know if they really feel that. way about you or not. But they're saying things that should be true to you, so it's meant to be funny. But I don't find these things funny. It's the jokes that make me laugh, but not the jokes about your classmates when you really don't even feel like it.
You used this challenge to talk about your HIV status, which you also talked about in your original song and during Pink Table Talk. I know you tested positive during the original season, but I'm enjoying seeing deeper and more nuanced conversations this season. Did you always know you wanted to use your platform this season to shed light on what it means to live as an HIV+ person in 2021?
Definitely. I have done a lot of promotional work over the years sincedrag race. I just traveled across Canada in 2019. I toured 28 cities in 30 days, just talking about U=U [Editor's note:undetectable = untransmittable], prevention and the like. I just wanted to capitalize on that and use my platform to constantly fight and encourage people to get through it. Please do not think that this disease is what it was in the 80's or early 90's. We live in a different era where medicine is very effective and people live without any problem without infecting others. But they don't even know, because they don't know anybody and nobody is really talking about it. They ignore the HIV commercials and all that. They're trying not to think about it because it's not their problem, until it is their problem.
So if I can continue to be a voice for people and just put that little bug in their ears that U=U stands for Undetectable=Untransmittable, then great, great, now they know. And they might know, well shit if they everdogetting infected is not a complete death sentence: I can live and thrive. And I think coming from me, just a normal Shmeg-throttle guy, instead of trying to listen to a doctor say things you don't really understand, it really helps. To hear it from the average Joe, now you can really understand and understand it.
The story you told in this episode involved a fan who called him a “guardian angel” and talked about how hearing his HIV positive story on TV saved his life. Have you had any similar experiences since you opened up even more this season?
Oh, gosh, every day. If I gave you my DMs, you'd probably choke. I'm serious. From Twitter to Instagram to Facebook, you get these inboxes from people all over the world, captivated by you and your story and what you've done for them and how you've helped them; he can't help but feel honored by it. .
I previously told someone that when I was younger and dealing with depression, it put me in a difficult situation where I felt like I had no purpose and no one would care how I feel, so I thought:What is the purpose of trusting people?But when I told my story and everyone started telling me theirs, you realize the impact you have on people: you have a purpose. This thing called drag is bigger than me right now. There were times where I wanted to stop, but it's like I couldn't stop. If I do that, there will be people who will be disappointed in you. My reasons would have been selfish to stop dragging.
You and Eureka have become very close this season and have developed something of a flirtatious relationship. Was having that relationship important to you this season?
It was great. She didn't have that in season six. I wasn't really close to someone like that. I met Eureka before the show, so it was even better since the relationship was already organically there. We are very good friends and we can trust each other. "Bae" is just "bae", it's a nickname in itself. It's not a physical "oh let's go together" relationship. Just, that's my baby.
I was really touched when Eureka talked about how important this relationship is to her as a plus-size person who isn't always used to receiving this kind of affection. Was being able to make a real difference in her life an added benefit?
Yes, definitely, since she did the same. You probably don't think it made an impact, but it's always nice to know that you can trust someone or snuggle with someone because sometimes you just want a hug or just want to be in the presence of someone you know you really care about. about you. It's not sexual or anything. It's just being compassionate, caring, and listening so the other person can talk.
Most queens come back toAll the starswanting to show how much they have grown and matured since they last appeared ondrag race. What was the main thing you wanted to show about who Trinity K. Bonet is now compared to who she was in 2014?
That I was more than what I gave in the program. That he wasn't really full of excuses and scared to compete. That I have what it takes to go all the way, although I didn't know if I could. Just go out and do your thing, have fun and hope for the best. Also, [I wanted to show] that I am authentic and real. I am as moody, as sensitive as eight years ago, those are just traits that I have. But I am bigger than my personality.
You just said that you wanted to show that you're not "full of excuses". Looking at yourself in your original season, is that the vibe you thought you were giving off?
Well, no. I say that because that's what I hear fans say over and over again. I got used to hearing this narrative. But I don't feel like they were excuses; it was the fact that I had never done television before, never competed around cameras and things like that. All these things were new and foreign to me, leaving me nervous and unable to compete to the best of my ability.
But people watching at home are like, “Oh well, you shouldn't have signed up for that. You shouldn't have come to this game. But those are all the things I didn't know. You think you're getting into something with an idea and it's something else. When you watch it at home, it's a 45-minute show. But when you're there, it's a 15-hour work day. You don't expect that. Nobody tells you that. That's not in the contract. But now I know how to behave.
And did you see a change in the response from the fans this time?
Yes, definitely. The reading and other things are still there; you still have people who just won't buy. That's life. But the caliber of people who love and support me, the celebrities who watchdrag raceand he saw me and reached out his hand, all those things make more difference.
Speaking of celebrities, you did an instantly iconic Beyoncé routine for the halftime show, which you wanted to use as redemption after the whole Bianca Del Rio situation during your season. How did you feel at that moment? How has the response been?
Being able to do that meant a lot to me. I feel like every other Beyonce impersonator has had very close, if not real, encounters with her, but not me yet. As was,Well, when do I get my big Beyonce break?And I did it. And it was, as you and the girls say,iconicand very memorable. There are many people who thought that I had been robbed. So that makes me feel really good about it. I sincerely hope that you watched the performance and, if you did, that you enjoyed it. However, just knowing that she saw it would be enough for me.
Now that you're gone and there's a final top 4, who do you root for and why?
I don't have a specific person. I think after watching the season, I think everyone agrees. We've all had our ups and downs. We had great moments and we had sad moments. We had tensions. But I think the first four are accurate, honestly. I think these girls worked. I don't know what they did in the last challenge, and after watching it, you could probably think, "Okay, she's ready to win." But as of now, it could happen anyway.