
Drag Race Philippines contestant Myx Chanel tugged on viewers' hearts in the latest episode of the drag reality competition show after she opened up about her HIV status on the show's main stage.
In one of the more emotional moments of last night's episode, Myx Chanel revealed that she was HIV-positive after the judges praised her performance in the episode's main challenge, a musical based on Wicked.
“One of the reasons I went into the competition is because I want to show the world how strong and beautiful people living with HIV can be. I was diagnosed in 2021 and very few people in my life know. My family doesn't even know,” she revealed.
Myx credited her levelheadedness upon hearing her diagnosis to her time working with HIV awareness organizations, where she was educated about the current state of HIV diagnosis and care.
“When I was first diagnosed, I had been working with a lot of HIV awareness campaigns and organizations at that time so hindi ako natakot kasi alam kong my medicine na for it. Alam ko it's not the death sentence that it was many decades ago,” she said.
Myx also shared that she is undetectable, which means her viral load is so low that she cannot pass on the virus to other people.
“Ang concern ko lang noon is when I become undetectable I'll tell my family. I never got the strength to tell them because I didn't want them to worry about me. I've been undetectable since six months after my diagnosis,” she said.
Myx then called on the public to stop the stigma surrounding an HIV-positive diagnosis.
“I've been living happily, strong, beautiful, and stop the stigma. It's not the disease that's killing anymore. It's the fear of people to come out about it and I just want to inspire people like me,” she pleaded. “You can also get through it. You can also become a strong, beautiful, resilient person and that does not change one bit about who you are.”
Drag Race Philippines also got attention for its previous episode when actor Baron Geisler shared his enjoyment he impersonation performed by drag queen Khianna on last Wednesday's episode made him angry, saying that he “enjoyed the clips and comments” and that he was laughing.
Of course not. I enjoyed the clips and comments. Tawa ko mag isa!! Sobrang Saya!! Ang ku- cute nila!!! 🫡❤️🤗🎉😆 https://t.co/SVpDUBUgQM
-- Baron Geisler (@baron_geisler) September 4, 2024
Drag, drag queens, and Drag Race have been becoming more and more popular over the past year or so, especially with the spectacular run of Drag Race Philippines season 1 alum Marina Summers on RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs the World.
Marina's fellow Drag Race Philippines season 1 alum Eva Le Queen has also broken into the international scene, having competed in RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars. In an interview with GMANetwork.com, the drag queen revealed that she wants to be the Johnny M of the Philippine drag scene.
Related gallery: Drag royalty celebrate Eva Le Queen at the Global All Stars viewing party