TAIPEI, Taiwan — To hundreds of thousands of fans around the world who watched this season's finale of the hit reality show "RuPaul's Drag Race," the final plea for victory from one of the contestants wasn't especially memorable.

"It would mean a lot to be the first East Asian queen to win the crown and to be able to represent my country," said the Taiwanese drag queen known as Nymphia Wind, who minutes later got her wish.

It was a single word in that sentence — "country" — that became a source of delight in Taiwan.

In deference to China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory, all but a handful of countries refuse to recognize the island democracy as a sovereign nation. But to many who live there, it was a proud moment to hear one of their own refer to Taiwan as a country in its own right before a global audience.

Ko Ting-Hsun, who watched last month's finale at home, started to cry as Nymphia Wind celebrated her win.

"A lot of people can relate that their own identity as Taiwanese may be diminished by stronger, bigger powers," said Ko, 29. "This is one of the very few times that Taiwan can be represented on the international stage so unabashedly."

Ko also happens to perform as a drag queen, using the name Beauxba Tea.

Drag is a thriving art form in Taiwan that has helped advance its reputation as an open and tolerant society — one that is markedly distinct from mainland China, where the government has shuttered LGBTQ+ support groups.

"The contrast with Taiwan has become ever greater," said John Givens, associate professor in the international studies department at Spelman College in Atlanta. "They're increasingly like, 'Hey, we are this place where LGBTQ rights are respected.' China has been cranking the knob the other way."

The latest season of "RuPaul's Drag Race" offered Taiwan a massive stage to show off its values and its culture.

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