'Canada's Drag Race' star calls out trolls commenting on weight gain: 'Taking care of yourself doesn't always look the same'
Toronto-native drag performer Lemon is getting real about their health as "Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World" airs.
A "Canada's Drag Race" contestant is making it known that they're happy with their appearance, despite online trolls sharing negative comments about their weight. Lemon, who competed on the first season of the "RuPaul's Drag Race" spin-off reality TV show, took to social media earlier this week to open up about body image.
"The comments about me getting fat are so yawn core," the Toronto-native drag performer, whose real name is Christopher Baptista, shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Tuesday. "I spoke on season one about my battles with disordered eating and body image, and now I am physically healthy and mentally happy! Taking care of yourself doesn't always look the same, and for me it looks a little thicc."
The 28-year-old reality TV star continued in a follow-up post, sharing they'll no longer be putting themselves in a box to fit into other people's expectations: "I've learned to not let it bother me anymore and I really see it as a reflection of your mental state and not mine! I'm just letting y'all know I'm not going to be putting myself in danger anymore to appeal to someone else's idea of what my body should be."
i’ve learned to not let it bother me anymore and i really see it as a reflection of YOUR mental state and not mine! i’m just letting y’all know i’m not going to be putting myself in danger anymore to appeal to someone else’s idea of what my body should be ??
— lemon (@thatbitchlemon) July 23, 2024
In the replies, people expressed their support for the drag star. Some people even shared their own experiences with body image and eating disorders.
"You looked good back then, but now you look better and healthier and it's so refreshing to see!" one person shared.
"Such an odd conversation for people to have about other people and I will never understand why it's anyone's business to think it's OK to talk about it. Sorry you have to see people try to negatively bring you down when you are at your healthiest and happiest," another added.
"I do not get people's fascination with commenting on others weight at all! Whether it's gain or loss, stop normalizing commenting on people's bodies," someone replied.
"Your body is yours and no one else's opinion matters. You're able to be healthy, have the means to afford food daily and are able to experiencing getting older," someone else wrote.
Lemon's post comes as she competes on the second season of "Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World," which premiered on July 19. On the first season of "Canada's Drag Race" in 2020, Lemon opened up about body image and struggling with their appearance throughout their life.
Growing up in Toronto, Lemon spent time competitively dancing at Vlad's Dance Company in Richmond Hill, Ont. They eventually moved to New York at age 18 to continue a career in dance, studying at the Alvin Ailey School and performing in a contemporary ballet company. On the show, they recalled spending 12 hours a day staring at themself in a large mirror and critiquing every minor thing they considered wrong with their body.
"I spent my entire childhood obsessed with what I looked like. And it felt sometimes like everyone was obsessed with it," Lemon shared in the episode. "It's always been, 'You don't have the body of a male dancer. You don't have a raging six-pack, you don't have big enough biceps, you don't have this, you don't have that.' ... I've worked so hard to love the skin that I'm in. I think you can serve 101 different silhouettes and 101 different shapes and still be beautiful and powerful."
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