Why Sugar and Spice Drag Queens Are Stealing the Spotlight: Unraveling the Phenomenon

Meet and understand the allure of the Sugar and Spice Drag Queens!

Today, let me introduce you to one of my favorite twins: the Sugar and Spice Drag Queens!

You can’t escape these two young men if you’re a frequent online scroller.

How can anyone not know of these twins when they are piping hot on social media? How hot? 7.8 million followers HOT!

But why am I suddenly talking about the Sugar and Spice twins anyway?

It’s because they are not just any drag queens — they are an inspiration for the young generations to positively look at drag culture.

In this article, I will attempt to unravel why and how these twins started a phenomenon that greatly impacts crossdressers, drag queens, and other related communities within our spaces.

Read on!

The Birth of Sugar and Spice Drag Queens

Sugar and Spice Twins — their names are already unforgettable, right?

When I first heard of the Sugar and Spice Drag Queens, I immediately thought of some experienced drag performers who owned and perpetuated opposite aesthetics.

But boy was I wrong. (And I’m glad I was!)

When I say Sugar and Spice Drag Queens, I’m talking ’bout the duplicates Cooper (Sugar) and Luca (Spice) Coyle.

The Coyle twins were already quite popular in Vine before. Remember Vine?

Those six-second looping videos?

Vine was honestly a big part of my teenage years. And so were most Millenials.

When Vine shut down in 2017, TikTo took over.

The twins also adjusted and moved on to the new platform, continuing their antics in TikTok with the same high-quality content and effort.

They were — and are still — highly entertaining.

It was just a matter of time before the public rediscovered and loved them.

Coming Out

It’s 2016 and the future Sugar and Spice Drag Queens are sitting in front of the camera, hoping to share their recorded video to their then 35,000 subscribers.

The twins never really kept their gender and sexual identity hidden.

But they decided to make a 12-minute video issue addressing the situation and finally “came out” to their family — and everyone around the world.

The video has since been made private.

They talked to the camera first, straightforward, casual.

Then, they pick up the phone to call their mother.

The nerves finally kick in as they wait for their mom to pick up.

She finally did. Some small talk, some stalling. Finally, Cooper announced: “We’re gay.”

Mom’s Reaction

“Okay, so what?” It was an unexpected response but also expected in a sense.

She adds: “As long as you’re happy, and you know who you are, that makes daddy and I happy.

We’re happy if you’re happy. If this is who you are, then this is who you are. You’re born that way.

You’re not different from anybody else. You’re my babies, I love you. Daddy and I are always here to support you.”

Now that I’m researching the Coyle twins while I was writing, I do remember some clips of two identical boys on a call with their mom.

I didn’t pay much attention to it back then, but my friend circle (who were mainly LGBTQ+ members) were talking about it nonstop.

Today I finally got it — that relief most of my peers didn’t get from their family when they came out.

It was nice to see others enjoy it, but equally frustrating that many of my non-confirming friends didn’t get at least 1/4 of how the Coyle twin’s mother reacted.

A Realistic Update

However, when the twins joined RuPaul season 15 in 2022 (premiered January 2023), Sugar revealed that their parents don’t really accept them for who they are — drag and all.

It was an emotional revelation, with the other contestants crying alongside them as they could see their younger selves in the twins.

Their mom accepted them, but not the “whole” them.

On a positive note, their straight older brother loves the twins to pieces.

He even lets them put him in drag with no complaints.

He’s featured in some of the heartwarming content the Coyle twins share.

Drag Phase: The Twin’s Aesthetic

They call their drag the cheap version of Mary-Kate and Ashley (Olsen Twins) and I couldn’t disagree more.

Though the twins do not splurge on cash when making their costumes, they always end up stunning, high-end, and not cheap at all!

In a 2021 Vogue article, the Sugar and Spice twins were highlighted for their stunning Y2K styles.

In the same article, the twins shared that they loved drag since they were kids.

They were open about playing around with dolls (and thank heavens their parents let them) and making models of them by photographing the dolls in their outfits.

The outfits’ transition from dolls to the twins to finally create the Sugar and Spice Drag Queens is indeed a monumental moment. 

As for me, I originally saw the Sugar and Spice twins when I was looking at Pinterest pictures. See?

I told you that these identical boys are practically everywhere on social media. I’m a fan of anything fun and interesting.

So during that time, I was drawn to the Y2K aesthetic. You know — that retro-futuristic fashion in the 1990s?

Yeah, I love those. Shiny Materials, very bold colors, and unique textures – – very sci-fi but in a runway-type-a-way.

It’s a nostalgic but also a futuristic kind of fashion — a bit ironic isn’t it?

Standing Out in Drag

Back to the twins! With their influence online, it would be crazy for RuPaul, the legendary drag queen and host of RuPaul’s Drag Race to not invite them to his show.

So, in the 15th season of The Drag Race (just last year, actually) RuPaul included Sugar and Spice in the competition lineup.

They are identical twins, but the Coyle brothers wanted to be their own.

So they created the Sugar and Spice — two very opposite but still complementing drag styles.

Sugar — the Regina George girly girl and Spice — the sexy emo chick who skips school to thrift shop.

The twins’ drag personas also influence their performances, which — by no means — are so-so.

Their performances are often described as powerful, with strong vocals and complete choreo.

Sugar and Spice Drag Queens Stealing the Spotlight, Why?

I will preface this by saying that I love both of the twins’ styles.

I often find myself thinking that if I had an identical twin, I would also want to try dressing up and pushing boundaries with them.

We all know that the usual thing for twins to do is to match, exactly match.

From top to bottom twinning.  Doing this, in my opinion, erases each twin’s distinct personality.

So, Cooper and Luca’s decision with their styling alone was enough for me to want to follow them.

On the Sugar and Spice Drag Queens‘ TikTok page, they are not limited to their drag life.

They also make comedy skits and friendly sibling rivalry things their audience finds very relatable and fun.

On the same account, they also share insights and knowledge about the LGBTQ+ community.

An important contribution of the twins is their willingness to talk about sensitive but necessary topics.

And also done in a way that doesn’t alienate even their younger followers.

For instance, the twins discovered that many of their audience do not know the difference between drag queens and transgenders.

Instead of keeping quiet and avoiding any potential controversies that come with having a large following, the Coyle brothers use their platform to educate.

Is the Sugar and Spice Drag Queens Trans?

When asked if they were trans, the twins replied with a video.

Cooper and Luca: “No, we identify as men… we’re drag queens. Drag is an art form or a hobby that someone can do.

Being trans is who someone is… Drag for us is a character, it’s an alter-ego. We take this wig off at the end of the night.

But for trans people, it’s not for fun.”

In a comment, they added: “Also, drag is for EVERYONE (that includes trans women and men, and cis women too).”

These twins just make my heart swell.

They handled that question so gracefully and even educated their almost 8 million followers with a clear, to-the-point answer.

No long-winded explanations whatsoever — just facing the query head-on.

Are you a transgender? Find out via this insightful article.

RuPaul’s Loss

The Sugar and Spice Drag Queens were already popular in their own right even before they appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Still, in my opinion, the twins were not ready to be on such a cutthroat show.

RuPaul’s show is notorious for its scandals and issues.

Given that being a problematic anything in the 21st century automatically gives you publicity, it won’t be far off to assume that the show also uses its issues as marketing stunts for more attention.

So when Sugar and Spice were invited, it was obvious that their big following had something to do with it.

It was severely unfair for the Coyle twins — who were in their young twenties and only mostly did drag queen fits — to be alongside fierce, seasoned contestants.

They were shoved into a group of drag queens who were already well-versed in sarcasm, irony, and impersonation.

Sadly the twins found themselves in the bottom two.

They performed and synchronized a lip-synch battle to outdo the other.

Though the twins offered an excellent performance, one of them had to be eliminated.

Sugar was the first to go. Spice left after a couple of rounds.

Despite their early elimination, the Sugar and Spice Drag Queens’ influence on the virtual world continues.

They remain one of the most beloved characters online with almost 180,000,000 likes.

Sugar and Spice in RPDR Controversy

RuPaul’s Drag Race is drag queens, transgenders, and crossdresser’s version of America’s Next Top Model.

Of course, we, in the related communities, are aware that these shows are not perfect, and do not represent drag life in its actuality.

But aren’t all TV/reality shows like that?

They only focus on what creates views — the drama, the ridiculous outfits, the silly makeup.

The twins’ appearance on the show, although brief, was generally considered successful.

Not only did they get more visibility from mainstream media, but they also opened the Pandora’s box.

Unfortunately, though many drag queens are very welcoming and lovable, there are still bad apples.

Because of the twins’ following, those who eagerly waited for their appearance watched and observed and noticed.

Noticed what? Within the drag culture, there are also critical issues that need to be addressed.

These issues are not new, and in fact, were already discussed in forums like Quora and Reddit.

Some common issues were:

Reinforced stereotypes

Unchecked misogyny

Blatant racism

Encouraged cyber-bullying

Transphobia

Others

Although it’s not a good look, being able to identify and speak against these issues within the community is crucial for all of us to grow and develop.

Drag queens like Sugar and Spice, who were obviously not cut out to be a part of the RuPaul universe, subconsciously lifted the veil of glitter and glitz to show cracks that had gnawed the drag, trans, and crossgender communities.

Fixing these cracks is necessary to keep the communities strong.

But to fix the cracks, they have to be located and acknowledged first.

Beyond the Stage

You would think that after instigating something in RuPaul (that the twins may or may not know), Sugar and Spice Drag Queens would just quietly fade back into the past.

Oh no, they did not!

How can the public forget them when they are not mere models but creators — practical ones at that, too!

Being a drag queen is not exactly a cheap endeavor, so how do the twins continue their passion?

Well, although they got eliminated in the 15th season of the Drag Race, the Coyle twins still became one of the most in-demand drag acts.

They have the audience, of course, their fans would want to see them live!

Research also suggests that the twins’ network is an estimated $3 million — that’s just their YouTube channel alone.

When we include how much TikTok influencers get paid, the twins can rack up at least $12,800 per post.

Sugar and Spice Thrift Queens

But what I find the most inspiring is that these young men continue to thrift despite being large stars on social media.

Although there’s no confirmation from the twins, there are many speculations (mostly from their earlier videos) that they came from a lower to middle-class family.

Their tenacity to go around second-hand stores and make their own wigs, then and now, make them one of the positive ambassadors of drag culture.

They teach their audience that they are not limited by what they have in their pocket if they want to get into drag.

They clarified that drag is an art form and can be completely different from sexuality and gender identity.

They are worth following.

There are many things that the world of drag taught the twins, especially when it comes to being creative and innovative while still being wise with money.

The twins are also advocates for proper education regarding their community and art.

Today the twins are still posting videos on their social media and are well loved by their followers.

Do you want to take a peek at the future of drag culture? Check out this article.

Conclusion

The Sugar and Spice Drag Queens are relatively young in the game of drag culture.

Drag started in 1870 and as 20-somethings in such a colorful and spotlighted stage in today’s society is no easy task.

Yet the Coyle twins manage to create their own mark, with their own hard work that even established shows wanted them for their influence.

They also did so without restricting themselves to traditional views of what being a drag queen means.

The stereotype that drag queens are mere performers with sharp tongues is slowly changing.

The Coyle twins let their audience in on who they are beyond drag.

They are a reminder that drag culture isn’t confined to lavish stages and over-the-top performances.

Drag can simply be a hobby, a highlight of one’s life.

An art — something to enjoy and love.

Yes, crossdressing, like drag, is an excellent avenue for self-discovery, to free us from the confines of traditional expectations.

But sometimes, crossdressing and drag can also be done simply because they’re fun.

They can be done because they strengthen our bond with the people we love — as it did with the Coyle twins.

In the future, I expect the twins to continue showcasing their unique Sugar and Spice drag queen aesthetic and persona.

To continue relating to their audience, and to share and talk about relevant topics connected to the communities.

FAQs about the Sugar and Spice Drag Queens

How has RuPaul’s Drag Race impacted the careers of the Sugar and Spice Drag Queens?

This pair of queens already had their own fanbase before they appeared on RuPaul.

Still, their appearance on a talked-about show made them more visible in mainstream media, thereby attracting more viewers to their social media pages.

How can one get involved in the drag culture community?

As the Coyle twins once commented, anyone can do drag! For a complete newbie, do your research, find inspiration, and create your drag persona.

If you’re lucky, you can find a mentor who can guide you.

Remember, you don’t have to be a full-pledge drag queen who splits and does cartwheels onstage, you can simply enjoy drag as an art form, as a hobby, in the comfort of your own home.

Additionally, you can support the drag culture by sharing its history, appreciating other drag artists, etc.