Laith Ashley becomes the first trans member of the 'Drag Race' pit crew

"Finally, some trans dude representation! I’m so happy!!!!"

Leith Ashley

Source: VH1, Instagram.

Transgender model Laith Ashley will this week become the first ever trans member of the RuPaul's Drag Race pit crew - a group of barely dressed, muscly men who assist with the show's mini-challenges.

Appearing in today's episode, Ashley participates in a subtly-titled challenge called "Pants Down Bottoms Up”.
Fans were quick to take to social media, celebrating some highly anticipated trans representation on the popular VH1 show.

"Finally, some trans dude representation! I’m so happy!" One fan tweeted.

"It’s nice to finally see someone like me on a TV screen and to actually be seen in a positive way," another wrote.
Ashley has previously spoken out about LGBTIQ+ representation, telling : “I think the representation of gay men on television, especially, is so stereotypical. I don’t think that’s a problem, but it’s not all gay is."

He continued: "Same with trans people. You sensationalise it and oversexualise it, and then you have people asking questions that they would not be asking a cis gender person, especially about your body.”
Ashley previously appeared on the 2016 reality show Strut, which explored the world’s first trans modeling agency.


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2 min read
Published 18 May 2018 11:19am
By Samuel Leighton-Dore


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