‘Canada’s Drag Race’ Contestant Tara Nova Comes Out As Trans On Her 25th Birthday
The ‘Drag Race’ alum shared the news in a personal post, saying she’s ready to live openly.
Featured image by Crave/WOW Presents Plus
Tara Nova, who appeared on season five of Canada’s Drag Race, has come out as a trans woman, sharing the news in an Instagram post. The announcement, which coincided with her 25th birthday, marks a significant moment for the Newfoundland and Labrador-based performer whose brief time on the show sparked a conversation about fair pay for drag artists.
“Today I turn 25. Today is also the day that I’ve decided I’m finally ready to open up about my own personal journey,” Tara wrote, alongside selfies and a black square reading, “So, yeah I’m trans.”
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“This past year I’ve been medically transitioning, meaning I’ve been undergoing HRT [Hormone Replacement Therapy], and doing it mostly under wraps until I worked up enough courage to let my family know. Now I’m ready for everyone to be on the same page.”
She closed the post with: “My name is Tara, my pronouns are she/her.”
Tara also shared that “hormones are no joke,” while saying that she feels “so happy and incredibly emotional” to be living openly. “Everything is exactly how it has to be and I’m excited to live this life and take on my new big old sexy age.”
Support quickly followed from fans and fellow contestants. Perla, her season five castmate, commented: “MY CAPRICORN SISTER BIRTHDAY ANNNNNDDD DOLL ANNOUNCEMENT?! An icon.” Sanjina DaBish Queen also shared her love in the comments.
Tara’s coming out arrives less than a year after she unexpectedly became one of the most talked-about contestants of the season. During the premiere episode, she openly discussed being paid $37.50 for a night of performing in Newfoundland, a moment that quickly went viral.
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“Thir-tee-se-ven-fif-teee,” she said on the show.
In a subsequent interview with the Houston Chronicle, Tara reflected on the fallout. “They looked at me and asked, Tara, what are you paid? At that time, it was $37.50. So I said $37.50. And it was enough for that bar to lose it all. I don’t mean lose the bar itself. I mean, lose their mind.”
She went on to explain that low pay had long been normalized. “When I started drag it was zero dollars. We all were like, unionize, strike. They said, OK, $37.50.” Even after returning from Drag Race, the raise felt inadequate. “$60 is still a very, very low rate. I know how much we bring into this club. Two drinks is more than our booking fee.”
While the dispute was stressful, Tara said the wider response affirmed her decision to speak out. “The community stuck up for me, and the world stuck up for me, so I’m very, very happy for that.”
