US Rep. Jill Tokuda praised Sasha Colby for her historic Drag Race win during a speech on the House floor this week.
The star faced off against Anetra, Luxx Noir London and Mistress Isabelle Brooks during the finale of the show’s 15th season, emerging victorious after lip-syncing her way to the crown.
Sasha’s win made her the first contestant and winner to be originally from the state of Hawaii across the entire Drag Race franchise, as well as the first trans woman of colour to win the American edition of the show.
On 26 April, less than two weeks after the finale aired, Tokuda, the US representative for Hawaii’s second congressional district, said Sasha’s win “gives us all hope” as Republicans continue to target LGBTQ+ rights.
READ MORE: Sasha Colby: “Drag Race needed someone like me”
“From the very beginning of the competition, Sasha, a seasoned drag legend, drew upon her ethnic heritage and childhood trauma as sources of inspiration for her performances,” she said on the House floor.
“Throughout Drag Race, she authentically represented her Hawaiian culture, talking about the legacy she’s building for our home state and about being Mahu.
“In ancient Hawaiian days, Mahu were considered extraordinary individuals of male and female spirit who brought their healing powers to O’ahu from Tahiti. Today, trans people are among the most revered members in the Hawaiian community.
“Amidst ongoing attacks on our LGBTQ+ rights that particularly target trans people and drag queens, her win is not only well deserved, it gives us all hope.”
Tokuda rounded out her speech by congratulating Sasha and declaring her a “leader” and “every drag queen’s favourite drag queen”.
“It was my responsibility to represent every trans girl”
In her recent GAY TIMES cover story, Sasha said the franchise “needed someone” like her: “It was my responsibility to represent every trans girl that I look up to and the trans girls that aren’t here anymore. It was a level of, ‘Yes, I would love to be on the show’ but it was very much, ‘I need to do this for us.’”
Discussing her future beyond the show, Sasha shared that “anything is possible” now.
READ MORE: Drag Race: Sasha Colby reveals powerful meaning behind winning lip-sync
“It’s like I rubbed a lamp, Ru’s popped out and said, ‘What’s your biggest dream? What do you want?’ Win, lose, draw – as pageant as this answer is! – I already won because all I needed was my foot in the door,” she explained.
“I’m conquering a lot of things I didn’t think I could do through Drag Race. It’s allowed me to dream even bigger for myself now. I’m so excited that things will happen.”
You can read Sasha Colby’s interview with GAY TIMES here.
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