Trinity the Tuck
Trinity the Tuck is the stage name of Ryan A. Taylor (born December 10, 1984), an American drag queen, performer, makeup artist, and recording artist originally from Birmingham, Alabama.[1]
Taylor first achieved prominence in the drag community by winning the National Entertainer of the Year title in 2014, competing against other established performers.[1] She rose to broader fame as a contestant on the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2017, reaching the finale as one of the top performers.[2] Taylor later co-won the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars in 2019, sharing the crown with Monét X Change in a format awarding the prize to two finalists.[3] Across her appearances on the franchise, including the all-winners seventh season of All Stars in 2022, she accumulated a record eleven challenge victories, demonstrating consistent excellence in performance, comedy, and design tasks.[4]
Early life
Childhood and family background
Ryan Taylor, known professionally as Trinity the Tuck, was born in Birmingham, Alabama.[5] She grew up in Trussville, Alabama, a suburb north of Birmingham.[5] Taylor was raised primarily by her grandparents following her parents' separation or absence from her early life, in a household marked by financial hardship.[6] Despite these challenges, she has described her childhood as fantastic overall.[6] Her family background included a strong religious influence, which contributed to an early fear of God and religion.[7] Little public information is available regarding her parents or siblings, as Taylor has kept details of her family private, including initially concealing her drag career from them.[8]Education and initial interests
Trinity Taylor attended Springville High School in Springville, Alabama, during her teenage years.[9] It was there, as a student, that she had her initial experience with drag, experimenting with cross-dressing and performance elements that would later define her career.[9] No records indicate pursuit of postsecondary education, consistent with her family's socioeconomic background in rural Alabama, where higher education was rare and few relatives even completed high school.[10] Taylor's early interests centered on beauty and cosmetics, fields in which she accumulated over a decade of professional experience by her mid-20s, likely overlapping with her nascent drag pursuits.[11] Growing up in a small town lacking queer cultural influences, she described feeling directionless in her teens, with drag emerging as a pivotal outlet for self-expression amid limited external inspirations.[10]Pre-fame career
Entry into drag performance
Trinity the Tuck began performing drag in the early 2000s, approximately 14 years prior to her 2017 appearance on RuPaul's Drag Race, which places her initial foray around 2003.[9] Born in Birmingham, Alabama, she initially entered the drag scene locally before relocating to Orlando, Florida, where the performance opportunities expanded.[12] Her entry was prompted by a dare at age 18, after which she recognized the financial viability of drag as a profession, prompting her to refine her skills in makeup, costuming, and performance.[8] Originally performing under the name Trinity Taylor, she incorporated "The Tuck"—a reference to her technique for concealing male genitalia to achieve a feminine silhouette—as a signature element that later defined her persona.[12] This period marked her transition from amateur experimentation to professional commitment, driven by the earning potential in club and event circuits rather than formal training.[9] By the mid-2000s, she had established a presence in Southern drag venues, laying the groundwork for her pre-fame career.[13]Local scene and early gigs
Trinity the Tuck, performing initially as Trinity Taylor, began her drag career in Birmingham, Alabama, around 2002 after moving there at age 18 from nearby Springville. She entered the local queer scene amid limited resources, learning to sew costumes through self-taught trial and error without access to specialized designers or stylists. For roughly 14 years prior to her RuPaul's Drag Race appearance, she established herself as a local entertainer in the Southeast, performing regularly at gay bars and events in Birmingham and surrounding areas, where the drag community was emerging but progressive relative to broader Southern conservatism.[14][15] By 2011, Taylor expanded her gigs to Central Florida, winning the Miss Pulse title at Orlando's Pulse nightclub, a prominent venue in the region's drag circuit that boosted her visibility. She frequently performed there, drawing crowds with high-energy routines before the club's tragic 2016 mass shooting. This success marked a shift toward Florida's more established drag ecosystem, prompting her relocation to the Orlando area in 2012, where she continued early professional bookings at local clubs like Parliament House.[16][17][12]RuPaul's Drag Race involvement
Season 9 competition (2017)
Trinity Taylor, competing under that name at the outset, was selected as one of fourteen contestants for the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, which premiered on VH1 on March 24, 2017.[18] She entered the competition emphasizing her surgically enhanced physique and precise tucking technique, introducing herself with the line "The body is here" during her werkroom entrance.[19] Known for her comedic reads, pageant background, and multiple cosmetic enhancements including facial feminization and body contouring, Taylor rebranded mid-season to Trinity the Tuck to better reflect her polished, high-femininity drag style.[19] Throughout the season, Trinity the Tuck demonstrated strong performance versatility, securing three maxi challenge victories: in a photoshoot parodying America's Next Top Model (Episode 3), a 1990s high school drama skit directed by Beverly Hills, 90210 alumni (Episode 7), and a fairy tale remix challenge (Episode 9).[20] Her sole bottom placement occurred earlier in the competition, but she avoided elimination through subsequent high placements, showcasing consistency in runway presentations that highlighted her figure and sewing skills.[20] Judges frequently praised her humor and stage presence, though some critiques noted occasional over-reliance on body-focused looks.[19] The season culminated in a top-four finale on June 23, 2017, featuring Trinity the Tuck alongside Sasha Velour, Shea Couleé, and Peppermint.[21] Following a performance challenge, Trinity the Tuck faced Peppermint in a lip-sync to Whitney Houston's "So Emotional," where Peppermint was declared the winner, resulting in Trinity the Tuck's elimination and fourth-place finish.[20] Sasha Velour ultimately won the season.[18] Her track record—three wins, multiple high placements, and one bottom—positioned her as a strong contender, though fan support favored the winner's emotional lip-sync reveal.[20]| Episode | Challenge Type | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Initial runways and mini-challenges | Safe/High |
| 3 | Photoshoot parody | Win |
| 4-6 | Variety performances and Snatch Game | Safe/High |
| 7 | Acting skit | Win |
| 8 | Variety | Safe |
| 9 | Remix parody | Win |
| 10-11 | Makeovers and design | High/Bottom (safe) |
| 12-13 | Group performances | High |
| 14 (Finale) | Versatility showcase and lip-sync | 4th Place |
All Stars 4 victory (2018)
Trinity the Tuck participated in the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, a competition featuring returning contestants from prior seasons of the flagship series. The season introduced a format where top-performing queens lip-synced against each other for a $10,000 donation to a charity of their choice, with the winner often selecting an elimination candidate among the bottom performers.[3] Premiering on VH1 on December 14, 2018, the season consisted of ten episodes emphasizing polished performances, runways, and variety challenges.[22] Trinity excelled throughout, earning four maxi challenge victories that showcased her versatility in comedy, acting, and design elements.[23] Her strong showings positioned her as a frontrunner, with judges praising her runway presentations and stage presence in interviews following key episodes.[24] Despite facing competition from seasoned queens like Naomi Smalls and Latrice Royale, Trinity avoided early eliminations and advanced to the finale through consistent high placements. In the February 15, 2019, finale, Trinity tied with Monét X Change for the season's victory in the franchise's first double crowning, determined by judges' evaluation of final performances including verses for RuPaul's "Super Queen" and runway critiques.[25] Each co-winner received $100,000 and a one-year supply of Anastasia Beverly Hills cosmetics, with the shared title inducting both into the Drag Race Hall of Fame.[25] The outcome drew mixed reactions, with some participants and observers questioning the tie amid Trinity's multiple wins, though Trinity expressed satisfaction in post-show discussions.[3]Post-Drag Race professional work
Music and recordings
Trinity the Tuck entered music production following her RuPaul's Drag Race appearances, releasing dance-pop and electropop recordings primarily through digital platforms. Her debut studio album, Plastic, was released on February 22, 2019, comprising 13 tracks produced under PEG Records.[26] The album features songs such as "The Face, The Body," "I Call Shade" with guest vocals from Drag Race alumna Peppermint, and "Under the Knife," emphasizing themes of beauty standards and drag persona.[27][28] In 2022, she issued her second studio album, EGO, on July 22, independently via PEG, with a deluxe edition following on November 11.[29][30] Preceded by the lead single "Walk. Slay.," the eight-track release includes collaborations like "Run It" featuring Rhea Litre and explores self-empowerment motifs.[27] Additional projects that year encompassed the EP Mood Swing and holiday-themed Trinity Ruins Christmas (The Musical).[31] Her third studio album, SINEMATIC, arrived on May 31, 2024, as a concept work drawing from cinematic and sin-inspired narratives, with a deluxe edition released October 3, 2024.[32] Notable singles from this period include "'TIL DEATH BECOMES US" featuring Jujubee, issued April 26, 2024; "It's A Wrap" in 2024; and "HAUS" with Jewels Sparkles, Sam Star, and Allura The Doll in 2025.[33][34] Other standalone tracks encompass "Witch," "Twirl," and "FEMBOYS," distributed via platforms like SoundCloud.[35] Collaborations extend to features on tracks by peers, such as "Come Get It" with Monét X Change.[27]| Album/EP | Release Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic | February 22, 2019 | PEG Records[26] |
| Mood Swing (EP) | 2022 | Independent[31] |
| EGO | July 22, 2022 | PEG[29] |
| SINEMATIC | May 31, 2024 | PEG[32] |