Alyssa Edwards

You can't say the word 'queen' without a little bit of 'drama' in front of it, right? It comes with the territory. Throwing shade and all that is part of the gig, but it should all kind of be in fun at the end of the day. When you start turning down that dark road where there's no light? Sometimes you put the car in park.

I think what happened is I learned my strengths, but more importantly, I learned to embrace my weaknesses.

I can't tell you at DragCon how many families that waited in line to see me. Some of them waited up to five hours, and they had their family there. That's the beauty of this. I remember being that little gay boy in Mesquite that was so afraid of the world, like, 'Am I living right? Am I living wrong?'

I'm kind of living a Bruce Wayne life and then morphing into Batman, but I'm glad now Batman comes out during the day. That's kind of like how drag was: we were called upon at night to make people smile and laugh and clap.

I think that drag, being mainstream, it's such a wonderful thing because even my sister, years ago, they thought it was so taboo and didn't understand it, or maybe they thought, 'Justin, do you want to be a woman?' and I'm like, 'No, Alyssa's my character.'

I had to find the courage to share not only myself but my art with the world. I faced fear, and I went for it. I wasn't a failure, and I'm very proud of myself.

I remember going on stage for the very first time as a solo act, I was probably, like, nine or 10 years old. And being backstage, I started having anxiety... I was literally getting sick.

Violet Chachki - I'm a huge fan of her work.

You don't want people to think, 'Oh, she was a person who was bitter because she didn't win.' You can't always win at everything.

Every performer will have a bad night. It's just inevitable.

Positivity attracts positivity.

I have such respect for RuPaul.

Drag was like 'Alice in Wonderland,' where she fell into the hole and her world changed. I fell into a gay bar, and my entire world changed.

I used to focus so much on winning. I used to be such a perfectionist.

If I put on a T-shirt that says 'YAAAS,' I want to mean it.

You don't have to win 'Drag Race' to really win. And I am living proof of that, thank you Mary J. Blige!

I started doing drag because I needed a creative outlet for myself.

Go out, live your best life, encourage and share your laugh, and make other people laugh.

I am my own biggest fan.

People know I like to laugh and have a good time. Even when I'm sassy, it's still kind of stupid-silly.

I sometimes feel like it's my world and everyone is just visiting.

I was a hyper little kid.

It's overwhelming that so many people love what you do and appreciate and get it. It's very rewarding.

I thought doing drag in the beginning was fun: playing dress up.

I always had to fight for the chance to get people to hear me.

'Drag Race' is a movement. I'll be forever grateful that I left my legacy.

I remember going to the first ever DragCon, and I know this sounds crazy, but I've never experienced a ComicCon or anything like that of this nature. So it was a full carnival of extravaganza. I was a little bit more prepared the second year because I was excited to see everything.

Huge fan of Lady Gaga - huge, mega, superfan.

Growing up as a little, introverted boy, dance was the only way I could communicate. For me, it's the greatest language - no words. Sharing people's stories through the art of movement is magical.

I'm gonna be the best version of me. If there's something I don't know, I'm not afraid to ask.

If people don't ask you for their opinion, you don't have to share it, but if you are asked, be honest.

A good dancer is not necessarily defined by great technique, skill, or ability to pick up choreography but by confidence. When you feel the music, it penetrates to your soul. Everybody's a dancer. The greatest dancer is someone who is willing to dance, not afraid.

I have so much to be thankful for.

This movement that RuPaul has created and World of Wonder and Logo has allowed to be aired, it's so much than just gay men carrying on in high heels and wigs and fake fingernails. It's truly a story of courageous souls. And I'm grateful that I'm a part of this.

I hope to continue to support, to inspire, to motivate, to encourage... in the hopes that maybe the world can get a little bit more giggle.

Sometimes I wake up, and I'm like, 'Don't dream it. Be it. You're really living the dream. You are everything you've ever desired or set out to be. You're doing it.'

I always wanted to teach dance. I didn't know I'd have a TV career.

There's beauty in everyone's mug and body-ody-ody, but taking care of those things requires a lot of work, energy, and effort.

You decide how to show up, and you'd better come correct: the way you look, what you say, how you act and react. No excuses! Get in front of the mirror and own what you see. You may have to drag your fabulousness out of hiding, but it's there.

It's like you're waiting on the world to change, but I'm actually living it, because I wonder: If there was a DragCon when I was a child or even a search engine or 'RuPaul's Drag Race,' maybe my father would have been different. Maybe our relationship now wouldn't be different.

My father was very strict.

My brothers and sisters started having children at a very early age, and I was just there all alone at one point, like, 'What do I do?' And I thought the only thing I can do is create mine, make my family, and I did that.

When you combine a Texas woman in a competition setting with her child, she gets very serious.

I'm just authentically, unapologetically myself. In and out of drag, in and out of the gig, in and out of the studio. My friends know. Miss Thing Over There wakes up 8 A.M. and she's on. The sun, the rain, the snow, whatever's going on outside, I'm ready.

I think that people are looking beyond the wig. I think they are saying, This isn't just a costume; there's a person behind this. If this costume, this character, this person has this kind courage? Why don't we share that?

I was waiting for the world to change. I'm no longer waiting; I'm part of that movement. I think our role as performers and entertainers is so much bigger.

Hiking in drag is hilarious!

I think I'm just always myself, and I think that's what's most important to me. Just be genuine. Be authentic. Be who you are and who you were meant to be. And celebrate that. Celebrate all of that.

I am a business owner. I'm a teacher. I think Justin's actually kind of plain, kind of nerdy. But when I morph into Alyssa, I'm like this... Well, this creature, everything that Justin couldn't be.

Nobody gets a free pass in life, and that's awesomely true for a drag queen or anyone else in the LGBT community. But I like to say, 'Don't be bitter, get better.'