Since Denali’s debut on Season 13 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the icon has been keeping busy. Whether it’s sharing her latest looks on Instagram or forcing Drag Race’s most notable contestants into the skating rink, Denali’s artistry finds a way to shine through. Though much to fan’s delight, the Mexican-American star still found the time to come back home. Denali is returning, this time to Drag Race All Stars Season 10, a new tournament-style competition. To celebrate this exciting news, Latinitas Magazine spoke to Denali about the latest season, her Mexican heritage, and her figure skating prowess.
You were first on Drag Race in Season 13, and now you’re back for All Stars Season 10. What did you think when you heard you were going to be on Drag Race’s first-ever tournament-style season?
I have a figure skating background. When we used to compete, we would participate in regional, sectional, and national championship-style competitions. So I said ‘Yeah. I’m familiar with this game!’
So this season is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, and with the tournament came brackets. Who’s one queen that you weren’t expecting to connect with so much that you ended up befriending on All Stars?
That’s a good question. I really got close to Acid Betty. She is somebody that I would have never met even, let alone get along with whatsoever. The way I describe her is that I am a Spongebob-type personality, and I’m generally very attracted to a Squidward-type personality. There’s just a charm to a grumpy person! She just really speaks her mind, and sometimes she’ll say exactly what I’m thinking [but] maybe don’t quite have the braveness to say, and she just says it so forthright. I really appreciate her for that.
Denali also shouted out Nicole Paige Brooks, who inspired the queen to relax and take in the moment after the season had ended.
As a fan of the show, that makes my heart really happy! So here at Latinitas Magazine, we’re all about uplifting the Latino community. How has being Mexican American influenced your drag?
It’s influenced me so much. My mother is Mexican. She was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. And my family has ancestry in Chihuahua. I’m so proud to be Latina and Mexican in general because–it’s kind of strange growing up Mexican American specifically when you are mixed. You know, sometimes people, especially Latinos, tend to kind of gatekeep what it is to be Latino and as Latino as possible. Whether you’re “fully Latino” or raised in Mexico or you don’t really understand the culture, or speak Spanish. There’s a lot of different qualifications that they want you to meet to be as Latino as possible. But being mixed race, I’m still very very proud to be Latino and I’m very proud to represent Mexican Culture. And I think that it was really fun to express it through my drag because it glorified my mother growing up.
Denali shared that her mother instilled in her an incredible work ethic and inspired her to go after what she believed in. Combining her culture, her interests, and her drag into the character of Denali.
That’s amazing. Also, thank you for just saying you said it so beautifully. I interview so many people who touch on how difficult it is to be Latin American.
Girl. Mmhmm. Mexican and Latinidad, I think, comes in all different shapes, forms, and sizes. The more that we pick apart what makes us Latino and not, the more we just separate ourselves from it. I’m so proud to be it. I’ll always try and speak Spanish even if it’s broken or even if it sounds a little gringa or whatever. Like, I don’t care. I’m just gonna do it because I’m proud of it. And I think that that’s how most of us should look at our identities, you know?
I love that. So as someone who grew up Latino, you’re probably aware that navigating that and queer identity, sometimes they don’t mix the best. What advice would you give to young Latinos in the community?
That’s a good question. Well, as you may know, growing up in a Latino household, there’s this wonderful word called machismo that is oftentimes projected on young boys especially growing up. And it was something I never connected with. My femininity and my love for things that are feminine or fragile or gorgeous or beautiful, it overrode any sort of masculine energy that I had growing up. There was also the machismo side of it that I experienced, but then there was also a religious side that obviously a lot of Mexicans and Mexican Americans generally grew up Catholic or Christian or some denomination of it.
Having those ideals kind of pressed on me as a child was really difficult because I had to navigate my identity through these really difficult hoops that said that I was not correct and that I was not made the way that I was supposed to be. So I think the advice that I would give to young kids is to make sure that you’re listening to yourself the most. Listening to your heart and your identity, and to be able to listen to your heart and identity independent of the things that you might be told.
That is beautiful. I’m gonna lighten it up because that was heavy! So on top of being a drag queen, you’re also, as you said, an incredible figure skater. What was easier to get the hang of, heels or skates?
That’s a great question [Denali laughs] I would say heels and drag just because drag is an undefined kind of craft. It really is whatever you want it to be. It is your presentation, and my presentation happened to come through a lot of different avenues and skills. It was my Mexican identity. It was my figure skating. It was my upbringing in Alaska. It was all these different things that molded itself into one thing. So I would say being able to just combine them all and put them into Denali was a lot easier than learning a really niche acrobatic Olympic-type skill. So I would definitely say heels are easier than skates.
You know, that’s that makes sense. So you have these videos where you ice skate to new songs like “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga or “We Can’t Be Friends” by Ariana Grande. I have one question. Is your videographer also on skates?
Oh my god, This is such a good question! And a lot of people in the comments will ask this because they say, ‘Who in the heck is videotaping this? I’m so impressed by it.’ Yes! His name is Andrew Phan and he is a dancer that I met here in Chicago almost eight years ago. I was on Instagram because I wanted to create these videos and I was looking under the hashtag like dance videographer because I wanted somebody that understood movement. But movement on the ice is so specific, so I challenged him to be like, ‘Hey. I don’t know if you’ve ever ice skated before, but would you mind trying and following me with the videos?’ And he actually learned to ice skate just for my videos.
Wait. What?
I know he’s incredible. He’s so talented, and I’m so lucky to have a relationship with someone of this talent and risk. Someone who’s willing to say, ‘Sure. Why not? Let me put my thousand-dollar equipment over the ice, and let me try and do the skill that I have no idea about.’ And he got better and better and better every single video we’ve done.
That’s amazing. I don’t know. I guess I thought you were gonna say no. He’s just running around [Camila laughs]. Okay. So last question. If you could choose any song you’ve done a figure skating routine to lip sync to, what would it be? And, like, we’re lip-syncing for our life or death. And you have to beat the others.
Oh my gosh. Well, “Abracadabra” was really fun. They just recently did a bit on Season 17. Since that one was already taken, I would say “Sports Car” by Tate Mcrae. It’s kind of like this new-age version of “Buttons” by the Pussycat Dolls. It’s super sexy and fun, and I know I would tear that song up on the main stage!
Oh, I can see it!
You can catch Denali on Drag Race All Stars airing right now only on Paramount+.
