Drag Race Winner Nymphia Wind Still in 'Disbelief' Over Performing for President of Taiwan (Exclusive)

Nymphia Wind couldn’t imagine a better homecoming.

The latest winner RuPaul’s Drag Race – who was born in Los Angeles but grew up in Taiwan – traveled to the Asian country last week to speak for President Tai Ing-Wen. The timing couldn’t be more perfect, as Wind was crowned just weeks before Tsai left office after two terms.

“Her team contacted me a few days after I won Drag Race and they extended an invitation to meet with the president,” Nymphia told PEOPLE exclusively. “I’m still in disbelief and really speechless. This is beyond anything I could have imagined or thought possible.”

After arriving at the president’s office in Taipei City, the seasoned drag performer’s nerves were really on the rise.

“I was so, so, so nervous,” Nymphia recalled. “I haven’t been this nervous about a performance like this in a long time. But I’m also very excited about the first once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Nymphia performed a three-song set for President Tsai and her cabinet. Each lip sync routine had a special meaning.

She opened the song “Chase Chase Chase” by Taiwanese pop star Huang Fei.

“It was a really good opening to get the vibes going and a song I love doing,” Nymphia explained.

She followed with “Marry the Night” by Lady Gaga.

“This song for me represents the fight for myself, the battle for a free life, it’s inspiring and motivating,” Nymphia said. “I wanted to bring that kind of energy to the Hall of Presidents … kind of shake things up because it can be serious in an institution like that.”

Drag Race Winner Nymphia Wind Breaks Down Her Viral Bubble Tea Lip Sync Look: ‘A Sight To See!’ (Exclusive)

For the final number — set to “Wxmanly” by Jolin Tsai, another Taiwanese artist — Nymphi was joined by other artists from House of Wind, all decked out in different colors of the rainbow.

“This song is about an elementary school student who was bullied to death on April 20, 2000, and it sparked a conversation about LGBTQ rights in Taiwan,” Nymphia explained. “When I won the crown, it was 4/20 Taiwan time. Which in a way is this full-circle moment that symbolizes the growth that Taiwan has gone through. So we decided to use this song as a thank you gift to President Tsai for what she has contributed to the movement towards equality.”

Wang Yu Ching/Office of the President

Tsai and her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) championed LGBTQ+ and legalized same-sex marriage in 2019, the first time in an Asian nation, Reuters writes. After the play, Nymphia and President Tsai talked.

RuPaul’s Drag Race Fan favorite Kim Chi says she would All stars 9 But He Wasn’t Asked To Join The Cast (Exclusive)

“This is probably the first presidential office in the world to host a drag show,” Nymphia told Tsai. “Thank you for contributing to this country so that I could grow up like this today,” she added, crying. “Thank you for eight years of dedication, for becoming our Taiwanese mother.”

“Mother” is a gentle term for performers who serve as teachers or matriarchs to other drag artists.

Never miss a story — subscribe to PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Nymphia Wind and House of Wind perform for the President of Taiwan.

Wang Yu Ching/Office of the President

During the visit, Tsai told Nymphya “Shantay, you stay” and to the other participants, “if you can’t love yourself, how are you going to love someone else?” — two catchphrases that RuPaul said Drag Race.

Nymphia wore her distinctive yellow color for the occasion, but the floral design of her outfit also had a special meaning.

“I wanted to meet the president in something representative of Taiwan, so the look was inspired by Taiwanese yellow water lilies. Like a lotus, it blooms from the mud, which is a metaphor for how as a president she fights for gay rights, going against the grain, she persisted and succeeded,” Nymphia explained.

Tsai ended her term this week and was succeeded by Lai Ching-te, who served as her vice president.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education