You can tell a performer is one hundred percent committed to their act and their look when they won't compromise it, even if refusal means being forced to accept defeat. When Valentina was asked to lip-sync for her life during the ninth season of 'Drag Race,' she wanted to keep her mask on for the challenge, and almost walked off before eventually agreeing. By that point, her fate was sealed, and she was eliminated.
Being in the show was a rough ride for Valentina, who up until only ten months earlier had been plain old James Andrew Levya in California. Her lack of experience made other contestants view her as a rookie, and some of them deemed her as unworthy of sharing a stage with them. The story has a happy ending though - she was invited back to appear on the fourth season of 'All Stars.' She didn't manage to win, but she survived to the seventh week and left with her head held high - this time without a mask on!