GOTTMIK.

“Even though I knew I identified as a male, I always thought that I could suppress it because I loved feminine things and had feminine articulations, but when I realised that men can be feminine, it all clicked,” says acclaimed make-up artist and drag queen, Gottmik, who transitioned from female-to-male just weeks before our photoshoot.

The LA-based performer has become a prominent figure in the industry and queer community over the past few years, working with Drag Race icons such as Gia Gunn, Alaska Thunderfuck and Detox Icunt, all whilst racking up over 96k Instagram followers. They even painted the sickening mugs of Brazilian drag queen and singer-songwriter, Pabllo Vittar, and Club Kid slash model Amanda Lepore for our covers earlier this year. But now, it’s time for Gottmik to share their story – one that’s not represented enough, or at all, in mainstream media – as a female-to-male, trans drag queen, and to dispel any ignorant opinions on what it means to participate in the art-form.