Kerri Colby | Advocate Now 

Though she's now a drag race legend, Colby shares that she wasn't always comfortable in her femininity. Growing up in Texas in an evangelical family, she says she "internally felt very discouraged to really do more with drag." Though as she experimented, Colby was able to express herself through the artform.

"To me, drag is an energy. I mean, Mama [Rupaul] says it best herself. She says 'we're all born naked and the rest is drag,'" she tells Sonia Baghdady of Advocate Now, adding, "The truth of the matter is that drag isn't necessarily a visual thing. Drag is an energy. Drag is like a cape that you put on. And it can be very liberating for many, but it also can just be a way to just express yourself."

As a transgender woman, Colby has also been open about her transition. She aims to share her experience with her audience, as "even though it's not always perfect, I always feel like there's so much I learned."

"Everyone does transition just a little bit in their life," Colby says. "It's not necessarily a physical gender transformation, but we all do go through transitions, obviously. If you look back on every five year mark of your life, hopefully you're going to look back and see growth and see improvement and see change."

On her show, Kerri Kares, Colby discusses hard-hitting topics with special guests, such as fellow artists and queens Ongina, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, and Mayhem Miller. Colby also answers questions from viewers and offers advice, which she says has been one of the most rewarding parts of filming.

"People really like reaching out and connecting, and I never felt so connected. And I think that's what pushed me and the series to be so open and so authentic," she explains. "There's definitely some moments where I kind of go into my ultimate truth, and I felt motivated to keep going to that place of authenticity because I kept feeling the heartbeat and the pulse of of my community."

Colby adds: "I look at my life as borrowed, not owned. I have been through so many things and there have been so many outcomes that really didn't necessarily make sense to me. ... There was a lot of loneliness and brokenness there and I was very blessed and fortunate to kind of find my way through that. But I feel like I found my way through that so I could be an example and give of myself so we can hopefully lessen that pain that people go through."

All episodes of Kerri Kares are now streaming exclusively on WOW Presents Plus.

For more interviews like these, watch Advocate Now on The Advocate Channel.