This article contains spoilers for the most recent episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK has won praise from viewers following a conversation between contestants Ginny Lemon and Bimini Bon Boulash in this week’s episode.

Ginny and Bimini are both non-binary, and discussed their gender identity and their personl journeys to self-acceptance in a moving exchange during the latest instalment of the BBC Three reality show. 

Speaking to teammate Sister Sister, Ginny said they like for their drag alter-ego to wear all-yellow ensembles because the colour represents “healing and positivity – and it’s also the non-binary colour”

“I’ve always struggled with my identity,” an emotional Ginny explained. “For years and years, I didn’t know what I was. I didn’t know whether I was a boy or a girl, I just didn’t know.

“And that’s why I wear yellow, because it doesn’t say anything, it doesn’t define me as anything.”

Speaking during a confessional, Ginny said: “My whole life I’ve never felt comfortable in my body. I’ve suppressed it for years, so I do drag as a release. I’ve found more success as a woman than I ever did as a man, and I realise that I was neither of these things.”

“When I realised there was this whole community of non-binary people I was like, ‘yes, that, that is for me’,” they continued. “But the journey to loving oneself is the longest and hardest journey – and I’m not there. I don’t love myself, in any way.”

Overhearing the conversation, Bimini went over to check on Ginny, telling them: “I think it’s always a difficult conversation to have, especially when some people don’t understand, some people don’t quite get it, it can be emotional.”

“Non-binary isn’t a new thing, it’s just a new term,” Bimini added, in a cut-away confessional. “It’s just basically someone that doesn’t feel like they are either masculine or feminine, they kind of float between the two.

“As humans, we are so complex, that having a binary to fit everyone into, whether it’s just male or female, doesn’t make sense, when there are seven billion plus people in the world.”

Ginny then told Bimini they feel like they didn’t have support to explore their gender identity growing up, telling their fellow contestant: “I grew up in a very working-class, council house… anybody who was any different from the binary was a freak, an outsider.

“Every day of my life, I’ve grown up thinking I was ugly and stupid. So I never really had a possibility to explore anything else, apart from the idea that I was ugly and stupid.”

“I’m still finding out who I am, as are you,” Bimini added. “And it’s a struggle and a battle every day.

“We’re like square pegs in a circle, and how we want to self-identify isn’t up to anyone else. It’s not up to anyone to have a debate about it, about how we feel inside.”

As the two hugged, emotional viewers – including last year’s finalist Divina De Campo, who is also non-binary – heaped praise on both Ginny and Bimini for their honesty, with many even saying they’d been moved to tears:

After the episode aired, Ginny tweeted: “The outpouring of luv is astounding… fank u and love to all my trans and non binary siblings united we rise.”

Bimini also wrote on Twitter: “It warms my heart reading so many of you came out to your family about being non-binary after watching tonight’s episode! Honestly emotional!

“Non-binary isn’t new and it’s okay to exist somewhere in between! POWER TO YOU ALL.”

This week’s episode saw Lawrence Chaney crowned the winner of the design challenge, while Tia Kofi and Asttina Mandella lip synced for their lives to Dua Lipa’s Don’t Start Now.

RuPaul decided to keep Tia in the competition, with Asttina becoming the third contestant of the series to sashay away.

New episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK arrive on BBC Three every Thursday evening at 7pm.

Useful websites and helplines:

• The Gender Trust supports anyone affected by gender identity | 01527 894 838
• Mermaids offers information, support, friendship and shared experiences for young people with gender identity issues | 0208 1234819
• LGBT Youth Scotland is the largest youth and community-based organisation for LGBT people in Scotland. Text 07786 202 370