FabApp Profile: Dallas Dubois
On this edition of Profile Wednesday, FabApp got to learn more about Broadway’s drag diva, Dallas DuBois. See what she had to say below:
Vital Stats
Name: Dallas DuBois
Sign: Gemini
Hometown: Seaford, NY (Long Island)
Years in New York: 5
Current Neighborhood: Astoria
FabApp: First off, congrats on Miss Fire Island Entertainer of the Year! How does it feel?
Dallas DuBois: Thanks so much. It feels a bit surreal. I am so happy and fortunate to have the amount of love and support from everyone, and so glad to show off what I can/could do as a performer.
FA: It’s a very high honor, and we’re very excited for you. So tell me: how long have you been doing drag?
DD: Two years and a month (or so), but who’s counting. (chuckles)
FA: And I’ve heard some nasty rumors of some queens you’ve buried in the last two years. Do any of these names ring a bell? Baby Powder? Madonna Manson?
DD: Baby Powder was horrid. She was a cross between Courtney Love and Bozo the Clown, and she thought she was pretty. And Madonna Manson was another one of my “alter-egos”… not as horrid or ugly, but still not very pretty or put together. They’re long gone…
FA: And now there’s Dallas DuBois. How did she come about?
DD: Dallas is a cross between Old and New Hollywood. There’s the showgirl aspect and the fashionista side of it, as well as the business side of her. Think Ann Margaret meets a bit of Christina Aguilera with a splash of Lindsay Lohan (pre-drugs).
FA: You’re now a full-time drag queen–no small feat. How difficult was that to do?
DD: Difficult for the hours and the pace of it all, but certainly not the getting up on stage part of it all. That came naturally. The dealings with many people and personalities at once can be quite overwhelming and draining at times… but also exciting!
FA: You must have had the opportunity to work with some infamous personalities. Any crazy stories you can share?
DD: Hmmm… that’s so tough… I worked with Joan Rivers once, and she was
great! She looked like a ventriloquist doll in person, but she was a
blast… and funny. I also worked with John Cameron Mitchell (Short Bus, Hedwig and the Angry Inch).
We sat down in between the “Celebrity Autobiography” show sponsored by
Barefoot Wines during Pride Week and has a 20 minute conversation about
randomness in gay life, performing, and people. He was the most down to
earth person I’ve met to date, I think.
FA: Drag culture has really been much more mainstream lately due to shows like Logo‘s RuPaul’s Drag Race. How has that affected the nightlife culture?
DD: More and more people have become invested in drag culture since “Drag Race” and taken more kindly to our art form. However, I feel like people now want to be in the drag scene because “Drag Race” has made them believe you are elite when you put on a wig and a dress.
FA: Well you certainly make it seem so. But on a more serious note, you came out in Next magazine as being HIV positive- still a taboo topic even in gay culture. How have people responded and has your life changed much, if it all?
DD: Yes, my life has absolutely changed. For the better, I would say. Coming out was the best thing I could have done for me in my life. There’s no more skeletons in the closet, no more secrets to hide. I feel FREE! I did it also to let people know that you can stand up and be a proud individual who’s comfortable enough with who they are to continue on each day, even with everyday obstacles and hurdles. It’s definitely a taboo subject still, but it’s no longer become the stigma it used to be. More and more infections are happening and more people are realizing how close this epidemic is to them–be it a mother, father, sister, brother or friend. It’s now said that 1 in 5 gay men in NYC are HIV+ and the climb is continuing. It seems that the newest and biggest hit has fallen to African-American women between 18-25. It’s something that affects everybody in NYC and all over the world. Coming out for me was proof that you can be beaten and fall down, but you can pick yourself up and be a voice for those who can’t speak up.
FA: Very inspiring, and a change in the people’s opinions definitely seems to be happening. So where can people currently see you?
DD: I am about to celebrate my two year anniversary of (every) Friday “The Drinking Does Dallas Show” at Evolve Bar (11pm at 221 E 58th St). I also co-host with 21st Century Life every Sunday for the “Confession” tea dance at the Ritz (369 W 46th St) from 3pm-10pm with the show at 8pm.
FA: Busy, busy… What do you think the future holds for Dallas DuBois?
DD: Well, I am currently writing two projects (one as Dallas and the other as myself), doing a web-based news reporting show, and I am traveling to Europe in a few weeks for the first time. There will be leisure and shows (stories to come!). But where will I bee in a few years? No one knows. Few months? I have no clue. Next week? Beats the hell out of me, but only time will tell… But watch out world, here I come!
