Los Angeles is a place Valentina once ran from. In her search for a more authentic identity, she tried to perfect her Spanish and turned to Latin America for answers. The 33-year-old performer did everything she could to separate who she was from her home in Bell.
But Saturday, as she took the stage at Downey’s Pride Festival, the “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alumni and former host of “Drag Race: Mexico” was crowned the official Princess of SELA (southeast Los Angeles). For Valentina, in her sheer dress, glittery thong and tiara, it was the welcome home her younger self had always struggled to see.
“Being born and raised in L.A. is something I’m very proud of and now I’m really embracing,” Valentina said. “Being the Princess of SELA is a big responsibility and a great honor. It’s a homecoming that has allowed me to find community and embrace being a California girl.”
Invited to the pride festivities by Mayor Mario Trujillo, Valentina volunteered her performance to help shed light on Downey’s newly enacted “neutral flag” policy. In May, the City Council voted 3-2 for a policy that limits the kinds of flags displayed on city-owned properties — prohibiting the LGBTQ+ rainbow flag from flying at city hall during Pride month.
“Valentina is a great example of someone who is exactly who she wants to be,” Trujillo said. “When she volunteered to perform, I knew she was the perfect fit. She represents what southeast L.A. is and can be.”
Downey’s LGBTQ+ community and its supporters filled the streets downtown to celebrate pride. The annual festival included live performances, small-business vendors, booths for LGBTQ+ resources, a beer garden and food trucks. The main stage showcased local drag queens dressed as Latin music icons like Selena Quintanilla and Karol G as well as energetic DJ sets.
As the second-to-last performer at the fest, Valentina took the stage in a fiery red outfit. As fireworks lighted up the stage, she started to mouth the words to her 2018 release “A Prueba de Todo” — a Latin-inspired ode to her femininity. She immediately received a roaring cheer from the crowd. In between songs and an outfit change, she addressed the flag ban, “Even if they don’t want us to raise our flag, we still will.”
“It [the stage] is my most sacred place. When I’m onstage and the lights hit me, I don’t know if I’m completely myself or completely someone else, but something just happens and I transmit a lot of energy,” Valentina said. “I get to express my femininity. I grew up to be the woman of my dreams.”
Over the last year, the singer, actor and model has made a name for herself beyond the world of entertainment. As an ambassador for organizations like the Trevor Project, the Hispanic Federation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center, she has become a key advocate for the queer community. Next week, she is scheduled to appear at the Democratic National Convention on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I want to be able to make a good influence and make good use of my time. I don’t want to just be a pretty face,” Valentina said. “You could ruffle some feathers [when getting political], but I’m just so happy with my life right now. I want to live authentically and be supportive to queer people and women.”
As she continues to use her platform, the performer is focused on staying loyal to the groups that made her who she is: Latinos, queer people, immigrants and women.
She has been honored by organizations and cities in California, from being recognized by the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus to receiving a key to Bell. But being crowned the Princess of SELA, by Downey officials is an honor she never could’ve predicted.
“I’m just so happy to be in Downey tonight. I grew up coming to the Stonewood Mall,” Valentina said, referring to her ties to the area. “Being from a working-class family from Bell, I always thought, ‘One day, we are going to hit it big and maybe move to Downey.’”
The co-host of ‘Drag Race Mexico’ sat down with columnist Suzy Exposito to discuss her illustrious television career, her Chicana pride and the freedom of being nonbinary.
As she drove from her current residence in Lincoln Heights to the community, memories of being with her late father, Rene Leyva, came to mind. She remembers sitting in the front seat of his pickup truck, listening to the Eagles, while he pointed out all the shortcuts he knew to beat L.A. traffic.
“He would always say, ‘I know L.A. like the back of my hand.’ All these streets made these beautiful memories come back,” said Valentina. “And to receive this honor in Downey tonight is really a beautiful tribute to my people. I do what I do with a lot of love, a lot of responsibility and a lot of posture.”
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