Jaidynn Diore Fierce is the stage name ofChristopher Williams, an Americandrag performer who competed onseason 7 of the American television seriesRuPaul's Drag Race. Williams, who is originally fromTennessee, lives and works inNashville. He has spoken out against Tennessee's bill to ban public drag performance andgender-affirming care fortransgender youth.
Christopher Williams[2] was born in the U.S. state ofTennessee[3] and raised in a Christian household. He graduated from high school inNashville and attended his firstdrag show at Play Dance Bar in 2007 on the night of his graduation.[4]
Williams began his drag career in Nashville, competing in pageants for several years. He auditioned forRuPaul's Drag Race three times and was selected to compete as Jaidynn Diore Fierce in the show'sseventh season (2015).[5] On the show, she impersonatedRaven-Symoné for theSnatch Game challenge.[6][7] Jaidynn Diore Fierce was partnered withTempest DuJour on the episode "Conjoined Queens", a pairingPride.com deemed a "betrayal" onKennedy Davenport's part.[8] Jaidynn Diore Fierce eliminated two contestants from the competition[9] and was placed eighth overall.[2][10] She was eliminated byGinger Minj.[11]
Pride.com said Jaidynn Diore Fierce "was another great example of a queen who had everything it took to go all the way, but just wasn't ready yet to tackle all of the challenges that one must face onDrag Race".[12] Michael Cook ofOut In Jersey called her the "true heart" of the season and said she had an "infectious" personality.[13] Ryan Shea included Jaidynn Diore Fierce inInstinct magazine's 2019 list of the ten best "plus size queens".[14]
Jaidynn Diore Fierce recorded "The Beginning" forCoverGurlz 2, a 2015 compilation album featuring season-7 contestants performing covers of songs byRuPaul.[15] In 2016, Jaidynn Diore Fierce was part of the rotating cast of Playmates at Nashville's Play Dance Bar.[16] In 2017, she participated in a drag show to raise funds for Puerto Rico residents who were affected byHurricane Maria,[17] and the following year, she headlined theUniversity of Wisconsin–Milwaukee's nineteenth annual drag show.[5] As of 2022, she was part of the all-Black drag trio Missfits with her "drag sisters" Sapphire Mylan and Venus Ann Serena,[18] who has also been described as Jaidynn Diore Fierce's "drag daughter".[9] Also in 2022, Jaidynn Diore Fierce and fellowDrag Race contestantMercedes Iman Diamond performed at the first drag brunch inEly, Minnesota.[19]
In 2023, Jaidynn Diore Fierce was part of a fundraiser to spotlight queer performers incountry music andAmericana, and to protest the passage of anti-LGBT legislation in Tennessee.[20][21] She was also among a group ofDrag Race contestants and other Tennessee-based drag artists who joinedLizzo on stage at one of her concerts as part of the singer's protest against the state's bill to ban public drag performance.[22][23] Among other 2023 events in which Jaidynn Diore Fierce performed were a localWizard of Oz-themed brunch[24] and an LGBTQ+pub quiz fundraiser inOrlando, Florida.[25]
Christopher Williams lives in Nashville, as of 2015[update].[26] He has struggled with hissexual identity, being both Christian and gay.[4]
In addition to joining Lizzo on stage, Jaidynn Diore Fierce has spoken out against Tennessee's bill to ban public drag performance and gender-affirming care for trans youth.[3] In 2023,John Oliver defended Fierce against Gabrielle Hanson, a Republican politician from Tennessee, on Oliver's television seriesLast Week Tonight.[27][28]
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