Piyah Martell, Transgender Teen, To Guest Star On 'RuPaul's Drag Race'

Last fall we interviewed Piyah Martell, a transgender teen and Internet sensation who was born with a rare condition called Caudal Regression Syndrome that kept her spine and legs from fully developing in the womb.

Martell has gained a following thanks to her YouTube cover videos of songs by artists like Lady Gaga and Mariah Carey, and now she's headed to the small screen with a guest spot on tonight's episode of "RuPaul's Drag Race."

The episode will also feature guest judges Amber Riley from "Glee" and singer Natalie Cole.

"RuPaul's Drag Race" airs Mondays at 9pm ET on LOGO.

Check out our interview with Piyah here and view some of her YouTube clips below.

Comments

[greencloud56]

08:52 AM on 02/16/2012

I admire Piyah and I think she is a very brave and strong person. She is also very talented and has a very nice singing voice. I'm glad she is getting recognition for her achievements. You go girl!

[Christina-Xena]

04:52 PM on 02/15/2012

I applaud Miyah Martell's spunk and fortitude to express her transgender self. However, I think it's a poor medium to go on a drag show even as a guest, especially for a gay host who considers all transgender folks to be trannys.

[Drpaxis]

11:43 PM on 02/13/2012

Dear folks, I am trained as a very good developmental psychologist. I find it sad that people do not know the medical facts that about 1% to 2% of children are born inter-gendered. That is that have external gentalia of both genders in some degree. This is a a sort of hush-hush thing in modern culture. Now, the external genitals belie that gender is way more than those external organs. The earliest developmental aspects of gender are caused in the brain formation, which is affected by all sorts factors. What does this mean?

Persons with such differences are no more mentally than a person born with red hair versus blonde hair. Much of what we clarify as "mental illness" is a social construct, not a medical fact or a disease by any real definition. In the Old Testament, many who appear as Prophets would be clearly labeled as schizophrenic in America. In other cultures like Bali, such persons are seen just different—perhaps even gifted in some way. In very well done international studies, the mentally ill in America tend to do worse in health and wellbeing with all the medications and illness labels than folks in less developed countries.

Well for starters, it means that a child could have a male body and a female brain, or the reverse. Gender is not binary in the biological world, and clearly not in the behavioral world. Being transgendered or differently gendered is NOT a mental illness.

[John Hazelton Smith]

04:46 AM on 02/14/2012

You're right. It's a choice.

[Mak1921]

11:37 AM on 02/14/2012

That is not what DrPaxis said. Perhaps you need to get some education on the subject before commenting further,

[Dael Sumner]

10:19 PM on 02/14/2012

Then you're really Gay, you just choose to be straight? Good for you!

[Valerie Keefe]

02:09 PM on 02/16/2012

Glad to hear a developmental psychologist make this point, that we are a sapient species with a goodly prevalence of intersex conditions and that the brain is a sexually dimorphic organ.

Of course, the willful bigots didn't buy the truth when it came from this economist, so I don't know why they wouldn't rationalize your repetition of the truth away as well... but just take heart. Fortunately this debate isn't for the advocates of equality or the advocates for a return to a social fiction that never quite existed... it's for the audience. And they pay attention to facts.

[Braedyn Ezra]

10:03 PM on 02/13/2012

first of all, you're right, there is no such thing as "transgenderism". second of all, your second claim invalidates your first claim. TROLL.

[nightwind928]

11:16 PM on 02/13/2012

I can see that all of your fans completely agree with you.

[robivecchi]

10:53 PM on 02/13/2012

it?

seriously?

[TabaskoKat]

01:46 AM on 02/14/2012

seriously

so what, or is there a more appropriate term.

[TheSarge]

12:31 PM on 02/13/2012

Its all biological folks!

[Marla Louise]

12:04 AM on 02/14/2012

Being transgendered? I know that's the defense, and even though I'm transgenered, I don't agree. I think it's a mix of biological, environment, and perhaps just as important general personality and will. Most importantly, it's strength of character to transcend past the constraints society tries to impose on one's person. Perhaps it's a real definition of being a free human being.

[Dael Sumner]

10:24 PM on 02/14/2012

I agree completely with you, being transgendered myself , however, I think it's more difficult than that. It is about the soul.The soul ,or deepest psyche, is much more complicated than any are capable of undertsanding. Their is where who we truly are, resides.

[Westley Dafydd]

12:33 PM on 02/18/2012

And that is the difference between "transgender" and "transsexual". For transsexuals, it IS biological; it's a medical condition with medical explanations. Maybe the same doesn't hold true for all transgender people, but not all trans people are transsexual.

[Mak1921]

12:01 PM on 02/13/2012

What a beautiful soul. While I don't think she is talented in the traditional sense, she is noteworthy because of her drive and self awareness.

[Mak1921]

09:47 PM on 02/13/2012

And you, sir, are an ignorant bigot.