Last week ended the current cycle of Drag Wars All Stars. Local drag queens who had competed in previous Drag Wars competed for the title of All Star. The competition was fierce but in the end, only one queen could take the crown – and the winner was….Bev!

Mimi Imfurst, host and head judge of Drag Wars said, “She consistently delivered performances that not only were entertaining but met the criteria we asked for In each challenge. I really believe that she is Philadelphia’s next drag superstar and will take that title and represent myself and drag wars well.”

We sat down with Bev to learn more about Philly’s favorite Christian Drag Queen

How did it feel to win drag wars?
It was honestly overwhelming because it had been such a long process. I came in 2nd the last cycle, and didn’t really have much of a break in between, so when I agreed to participate in All Stars, I knew I was gonna have to put in 110% if I was going to win. I work over 40 hours a week and have been hosting/participating in weekly shows and events so it definitely took time management, planning, and effort. It felt so awesome to have all that hard work recognized and be validated by my peers.

You mom was in the audience cheering you on. Was she always so supportive?
I’ve always been very fortunate in that my family has been supportive from the beginning. My parents are both involved in PFLAG and my mom was very active in getting marriage equality legislation passed in Maryland (where I grew up). I grew up doing theatre and they’d come to most of my shows. When I transitioned to doing drag, Mom was my number one fan from the beginning.

Tell is about the first time you did drag.
Bev started as a character I did in the musical Hairspray when I lived in Baltimore. My friend and I had to play moms in a scene and we created these trashy mom characters named Bev and Carol. They kind of took on a life of their own with our friends, so we started recording youtube videos (which are still up and quite embarrassing lol). We tried a few times to do the drag shows in Baltimore, but Baltimore’s drag scene is very “pageanty” and no one really got it. When I moved to Philly, I didn’t really try to do Bev again until the last cycle of Circus of the Stars at Tabu. I ended up coming in 3rd and was shocked to see that the crowd really liked what I was doing.

Where did you come up with the concept of a Christian drag queen
I’ve always been a fan of campy large characters. One of my favorite movies is Drop Dead Gorgeous, where the town has a “Lutheran Sisterhood Gun Club”. Bev started as a knockoff of those characters. I grew up heavily involved in church and was actually the youngest member of my church’s governing board (LOL) and so I’ve pulled a lot of my material from my upbringing as well.

What do you plan on doing with the prize money?
Honestly, I’ll probably just invest it back into doing drag. Once you commit to doing drag regularly, you quickly realize that in order to deliver a polished product, you have to invest in new costumes/wigs/makeup etc. I’ve had my eye on a few lovely things lately.

What does Bev have planned for the future?
I have a lot of exciting events coming up in the future that I don’t have permission to announce yet, but I am excited to be a mentor for Drag Wars cycle 4 which starts next month. I’m also excited to announce that my show Bev’s Bitchfest returns to Tabu in the end of August. PLUS – I’m headlining the Pride show at Voyeur with Wendy Ho and Scott Nevins.

What advice do you have for next cycles queens?
The best advice I’ve always given new queens is to not be so concerned about the look. That will come. I am living proof that you can look a mess on stage, but if you deliver a performance that is entertaining, engaging, and exciting, the audience will embrace you. Also, be true to your character and your aesthetic. You can take critiques and suggestions while staying true to yourself. Also, respect your other queens.

We are excited for all that Bev has to offer. Stay tuned to PhillyGayCalendar.com for all her events. The next cycle of Drag Wars starts Thursday June 19th at Voyeur Nightclub.

Photo Credit: Garrett Matthew Photography