The King of Drag audience almost didn't meet Charles Galen King at all. The LA-born and based king, who exited the competition series this week following a prom-themed challenge, applied for the show just under the wire after brushing off repeated urging by friends and family to audition.I told myself, I admire competitions. But I'm done, I don't want to [complete], I just want to perform, they tell PRIDE. But while standing in line for a ride at the Knott's Berry Farm with their mother, they finally decided to give it a shot. We looked at the information on what I need to apply. And I started getting nervous and scared, they recall. I realized, oh, I should do this.That their mother was there during that pivotal moment should come as no surprise, as Charles credits her as one of the powerful Mexican women who inspired them to become a drag artist in the first place. Charles' career started in their living room when their mother turned the TV on to discover RuPauls Drag Race playing on the screen. It was 2011 when I was in high school, recounts Charles. Rather than flipping away, Charles mother saw something in those drag performers that her child could connect to and see themselves in. Look, a weird TV show, just like you, Charles recalls her saying. And their mother was right.I was like, whoa! Then I started researching, says Charles. By researching, they mean they began tracking down all the queens on Facebook and requesting them as friends. It was through Ravens page that Charles would discover another Latina beyond her mother who would change the trajectory of their life as an artist: Landon Cider. I looked at his profile, he happened to be a drag king, and I said, wow, I think this is what I would like to do, because I've always felt more masculine than feminine, but drag has also helped me accept my masculinity within my femininity, and my femininity within my masculinity, they recall. It's a form of expression and release, but also a form of [understanding] it's okay.It was a sentiment that Charles was able to express to Landon after a Halloween-themed show. (It was Landons birthday event). I was dressed in Slipknot, the drummer clown outfit. He was doing his Tin Man performance, and I started crying because it was beautiful and amazing, says Charles, who recalls having a realization of just how epic drag can be. I went up to him, and was like, Thank you for being an existing in this life.This season saw Charles being judged by Landon in the horror challenge, but rather than adding pressure, it was a moment of true validation. It was a beautiful gift, they say. [Like] I'm exactly where I need to be. So many elements coalesced to create the drag persona of Charles Gailin King. Along with horror elements, theater, and mascotting, their indigenous and Mexican heritage also play major roles in shaping Charles, both on and off the stage. And there is one more surprising influence: Charlie Chaplin movies.The moniker Charles is actually a reference to Chaplin (Galin, a nod to their government last name, and King honors their drag dad King Phantom). Cinema and Charlie Chaplin came into my life in high school, and then [mascotting, which to me] is big characters, but also silence. I realized meshing the two, theater and pantomime, is drag, just lip syncing.There are few rooms that would fully understand Charles like that of King of Drags Man Cave, in which they established brotherly bonds pretty much instantly. In particular, Charles grew close to their hotel roommate Tuna Melt. We met on the first day, and immediately I felt like, Oh, beautiful, primo cousin sibling, because we realized we're of Mexican descent and a person of color and queer. Their bond grew even closer after Tunas elimination. He started crying when I was about to leave [the next morning], and I said, It's all right, Tuna, let it out, my friend, you're cool, you're chill, they recall. But also, because I started farting, just out of nowhere. From then on, the two shared farts, giggles, and music.Something that comes across clearly about Charles both on and off the stage is their joy and embrace of everything life has to offer. That was hard won, however, as they revealed on the show. More than once, Charles attempted to take their life, and as a result, they have a nuanced take on life and death. Death is a part of life, because when there's life, there's death, there's death and there's life, they explain. I just welcome death as an old friend, because I've been there beforebut it's okay because I'm living this life right now, experiencing beauty, joy, with some pain, sadness, but that's the way of what makes me a human. Theyre eager to share all those feelings with the audience, When I first started [drag], I used to say, escape from the world for just two minutes and a half, and just look at me. But then over the years, I realized I want to perform and feel emotions and play, and I hope the audience feels that alongside me.Finding joy can be trickier now, with the state of the world under the current administration, particularly for a drag performer living in Los Angeles and of Latin descent. It's heartbreaking. It hurts to see images and videos, they admit, but they are pouring those feelings into political pieces on stage. And now I have a Trump picture, but I color it with pastel and add like a phallic object, and I rip it, which is inspired by the beautiful Irish singer Sinead O'Connor, when she [tore up a photo of] the Pope [on Saturday Night Live]. And when I'm on the mic, I always say, I love myself, I know myself, I accept myself, but I ask the audience to repeat it, and after that, I say, 'Free Palestine. Fuck ICE, fuck Donald Trump.While joy may feel in short supply, the brotherhood and special bonds Charles formed with his King of Drag brothers are abundant. Whether that was rolling around in the Tuna Can Van (the car Tuna Melt rented to take the eliminated kings on adventures while filming continued) or a particularly poignant moment at the end of the most recent episode, which saw Charles exit from the competition. But before they could walk away, their castmate King Molasses grabbed them, allowing Charles to release all their emotions. I was not expecting that beautiful embrace, says the king. But when he saw me with the Oh yeah, I'm going, [energy] he just [hugged me] and he whispered, Stay here, stay there. He allowed me to just let go and just accept my beautiful sadness within the joy of, like, I did it. I did the best I could.While their journey on the show may have ended, the next chapter in Charles saga is just getting started. Right now, they are formulating big plans for new numbers and new wigs, as well as expanding their online presence. Hey, this is our drag, they share. I just [want to] spotlight more drag kings wherever I go!