Drag Race's Brita Filter Doesn't Care If You're Tired Of Hearing About New York

By Christopher Rudolph


if you didn’t know, Brita Filter is from New York. Case in point, she’s not just from New York, she is New York as soon as it comes to gay nightlife. Brita, as she was mononymously known on RuPaul’s Drag Race, has been a staple in the city’s drag scene for years, having appeared on Fusion’s 2017 series Shade: Queens of NYC and even performed alongside Katy Perry on the hallowed Saturday Night Live stage. So once she finally sashayed into the Werkroom, there was a lot of pressure on the Polynesian queen.


Despite serving memorable looks (lest we forget the handmade pineapple tea dress) and riotous performances, like her turn as Dr. Sandra Okurrr on “Gay’s Anatomy” or her over-the-top take on dream girl Jennifer Holiday in Snatch Game, the competition was tough. Seasoned queen Brita regularly butted heads with Aiden Zhane, even sending the small-town newcomer house, however soon after her third time lip-syncing for her life, Brita was sent packin’ back to the Big Apple.


Did being one of New York’s most popular queens add pressure to Brita’s efficiency? Have she and Aiden made amends? And exactly how did she bring pyrotechnics to the Drag Race main stage? Find out in her interview with MTV News below.


MTV News: Anyone who goes to drag shows in New York understands who Brita Filter is. Do you know that pressure impacted your efficiency in the competition?


Brita: Oh, absolutely. I just really wanted to prepare New York City overjoyed. Because Drag Race is like football. In football, folks are so delighted of their state and their team, and I was on team New York. There really are so several icons that come from New York City who are on Drag Race. Bob did good, Bianca did good, you’ve got Peppermint. All these women, they pulled through for us and I felt like I just needed to suit up and pull through for my city. The reason I do drag is my city. I do it to help people escape from all of the bullshit that they're experiencing in their life. I felt like I owed this to them.


MTV News: Was it supportive or stressful to have your New York sisters there with you?


Brita: It was so supportive. It looked like having a segment of house. Because we're under these circumstances, which are certainly not regular, and it's a race. So, to look over to the ladies that come from New York and be, "Okay, it's just a friendly face from residence and sisters, where we had each other — honestly, if they weren't there, I would probably have gone residence first.


MTV News: and thus you're routinely too-booked-to-be-bothered in New York. Were you able to take a break right after your time on Drag Race?


Brita: Yeah, While I got eliminated I had to be very quiet. I certainly took some time off and came to my parents' residence in Maine, and then took another week right after we were let go initially, out to the wild. It's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life plus it certainly takes a toll on you. I came from doing 42 days of straight World Pride gigs into preparing for Drag Race and then just doing Drag Race.


MTV News: That's crazy.


Brita: I was so tired by the end of it that I literally slept for two weeks.


MTV News: Have you been learning things about yourself while watching Season 12?


Brita: Oh my God, you have no idea. I didn't like the person that saw some days. As soon as I was there, I was so driven and yes it was something that I wanted so bad that, at times, I lost sight of myself. I certainly let my sadness and insecurities get the perfect me alternatively opposed to embracing my faults, especially with Aiden. I got overconfident and aggressive, and I'm not necessarily overjoyed of that. And I should never bring someone down because I'm feeling a certain way.


All of us ladies are so close and such excellent sisters, and some days, like real sisters, the claws can come out. Yet at the end of the day, we all love each other and we are all companions. I'm companions with Aiden and we made up shortly immediately after that. Nevertheless the fandom gets wild, especially as soon as they're living through it not knowing what has happened off cameras. I hope that these people can really visualize the light and the passion and the Brita that people in New York know, as instead of this big brown bully that people friend me with on the show.


MTV News: I asked Aiden and she mentioned that you two were completely good.


Brita: Yeah, yeah. No, we're good. I discussed to her the other day, we’re good sisters. I think I need to go live on Instagram to tell the people, "We're fine, sis. We good." Some days sisters fight. It's okay. So you learn from your mistake. I certainly learned a lot and I've grown from it, yet it's certainly a pressure cooker while you're there.


MTV News: So, how did you pull off that “Let It Go” magic trick?


Brita: It's this little finger trick thing that I got at [New York magic store] Abracadabra. I hid it in my titty and then While I walked back on the runway you could visualize me attempting to fish it out of my tit, and I just popped it right back. Some days it doesn't go off as soon as you flick it. Thank God it did at the best moment. Any time you're in the bottom, you should do whichever it takes to stay, yet bitch I'm not doing splits in a gown. I can't even do splits, so fire it is.


MTV News: You got cone-bra Madonna in the Madonna Rusical, however what's your actual preference Madonna era?


Brita: I noticed out about Madonna through Evita  as a child. I was a little bit musical theater kid. Truthfully, I sort of wanted to be the Evita one because it was much less dancing and I knew I would fuck it up, although that didn't happen.


MTV News: However you determined opted for the cone-bra one?


Brita: The way I determined is due to the vocal register, how the song was written. In the cone-bra Madonna [script] there really are those really low notes, like, "God bless the gays," and I'm a bass-baritone. I was like, "Oh, let me impress them with these low notes. It'll be really funny." I thought, with the way that it was written, it could be hilarious. I don't necessarily think I'm the spitting image of a cone-bra Madonna, yet I thought that the vocal track itself could be pretty funny.


MTV News: in case you can have picked the Madonna song for the lip sync, which Madonna song would you have picked?


Brita: “Vogue.” It’s so iconic and I just love it so much.


MTV News: How are you feeling about the coronavirus pandemic in New York right now?


Brita: now, our city is going through one of the worst things ever, and I think it's really crucial for each person to stay indoors. I'm just so thankful for all of the health care workers and food market personnel that are helping us get through this. They're on the front lines of all of this. I mention I'm from New York on the show so much, although I am so fucking overjoyed of our city because we can get through anything. We're resilient. So, if people hope to come for me, they can come from me. Nevertheless goddammit, you don't fuck with a New Yorker. We've gotten through so several other things and we can get through this.


MTV News: What suggestions do you have for any of your New York sisters who desire to try out for Drag Race?


Brita: You just have to be yourself. I think there really are a lot of times that drag queens tend to rely on the characters we portray. What Drag Race wants to be able to see is, I think, a human story, you as a human being, the person that makes your drag character tick. I think that's what's most interesting. You visualize all these stories and these stories that come to the forefront of those incredible human beings that are beyond their persona, and that have influenced their drag persona. So, just be yourself and show who you are.