"Canada’s Drag Race" Star Tara Nova Comes Out as Trans on 25th Birthday

Tara Nova, best known for competing on season five of Canada’s Drag Race, has come out publicly as a transgender woman in a post shared on Instagram to mark her 25th birthday.

In the post, shared on 4 January 2026, Tara celebrated turning 25 while telling followers she was ready to speak openly about her gender journey. She accompanied the message with selfies and a graphic featuring the words “So, yeah I’m trans, ” directly affirming her identity to her audience.

“Today I turn 25. Today is also the day that I’ve decided I’m finally ready to open up about my own personal journey, ” she wrote on Instagram, describing the post as a step toward living more authentically.

Tara shared that over the past year she has been “medically transitioning, ” explaining to followers that this has included undergoing hormone replacement therapy . She noted that much of this process had been kept private while she found the courage to talk with her family, adding that she now feels ready for “everyone to be on the same page. ”

In the post, Tara also clarified that her name is Tara and that her pronouns are she/her, explicitly affirming how she wishes to be addressed moving forward. She described feeling “so happy and incredibly emotional, ” and remarked that “hormones are no joke, ” emphasizing both the challenges and the joy she has experienced in transition. She concluded by saying that “everything is exactly how it has to be” and that she is excited to live her life and embrace what she called her “new big old sexy age. ”

The announcement quickly drew messages of support from fans and fellow drag performers across social media. Canada’s Drag Race season five castmate Perla commented on Instagram: “MY CAPRICORN SISTER, BIRTHDAY ANNNNNDDD DOLL ANNOUNCEMENT? ! An icon, ” celebrating both Tara’s birthday and her coming-out moment. Fellow Canadian drag artist Uma Gahd added: “Happy birthday, and happy hatching day! We love you, and we’re so happy for you! ” underscoring the community’s enthusiasm for Tara’s news.

Prominent figures from the broader Drag Race franchise also voiced their support. Canada’s Drag Race host Brooke Lynn Hytes commented “Congratulations, beautiful Tara, ” while season two alum Eve 6000 shared: “Happy birthday, beautiful. So happy for you. ” Coverage from LGBTQ+ outlets noted that Tara’s announcement comes at a time when transgender visibility in drag is increasingly recognized as vital, especially on high-profile platforms like the Drag Race franchise.

Tara first came to international attention when she joined the cast of Canada’s Drag Race season five, which aired in 2024. Although her time on the competition was brief—she was eliminated in the second episode following a lip-sync against fellow contestant Tiffany Ann Co—her appearance nevertheless helped introduce her drag and personality to a global audience.

Outside of her gender announcement, Tara previously drew attention for speaking candidly on Canada’s Drag Race about low pay for drag performers in her home region of Newfoundland and Labrador, a moment that went viral and sparked discussion about fair compensation in local drag scenes. She later elaborated in an interview that she had once been paid $37. 50 for a night of performing, describing how such low rates had long been normalized and how community pushback helped drive change.

For many transgender viewers and drag artists, Tara’s coming out fits into a broader pattern of queens from the Drag Race universe publicly sharing their trans identities, including performers who came out during or after their time on the show. Commentators in LGBTQ+ media have framed moments like Tara’s as significant not just for individual visibility, but for affirming that drag is—and has always been—an important space for transgender and gender-diverse performers.

As Tara steps into this new chapter publicly, LGBTQ+ outlets and fans alike have emphasized both respect for her self-determination and excitement for what she will do next, on and off stage.