Paris Gore Interview

1. Who was the first drag performer you seen live? Do they influence you?

The first drag queen I ever seen was Daytona Betch. She blew my mind, how funny she was and how fast she was on her feet. She very much influenced my drag.

2. What's your drag strengths and weeknesses?

My drag strenghts is being on mic, I love reading people and telling jokes. My weeknesses are the bloody heels! I hate them.

3. How would you describe drag to other people?

That is hard to answer as drag is not the same to others, but what I tell people is drag is a place where you get to be free and forget about the real world. It's comedy, drama, it's about teaching the history of LGBTQ.

4. What's the key to a great lip sync?

The key to a great lip sync is learn your words. If not smile, it's a trick that makes people think you know what's going. Don't just stand in the one spot, move around, play with the audience.

5. What does it feel like when you perform in drag?

As someone that has really bad social anxiety it feels freeing. I get to talk to people without wanting to run away.

6. How would you describe your style of drag?

Queen of shade, rhe mother of Halloween, Paris is very gothic but with a glam.

7. How did you get your drag name? How long did it take you to come up with it?

My last name, Gore, came from the fact that I use a lot of blood and guts in my acts.

8. How did you find out about drag?

When I was a kid I watched "To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything" and seen this gorgeous men become gorgeous women. I did not fully understand it until I was older.

9. What made you decide to start doing drag?

When I found out I had HIV I went into a very dark place and a queen that was not a big fan of me seen me going down hill fast and told me to start doing drag. She taught me a few things and drag and she saved my life.

10. If you were stuck on a dessert Island with any 2 drag queens, who would it be and why?

It would have to be one of the Boulet Brothers and my drag sister It's just crystal. Because I would need someone hot to look at and any of the Boulet Brothers are hot out of and in drag, and It's just crystal well we need someone to make fun of. LOL

11. How did you start doing drag?

I began doing drag in 2013 when I found out I was HIV+. A drag queen that wasn't a fan of me saw that I was going into a dark place and suggested doing drag to help me get away from it.

12. What pressures do you think there are on new queen's?

New queen's are facing a lot of new challenges. As great as RuPaul's Drag Race and Dragula are what most fans don't know is that there is a filter there. It filters both how those queen's look and act. So now it's just expected of new queen's to be at their very best all the time, even if they are just starting out; and if they aren't no one will give them the time of the day.

13. What made you decide to become a drag mum?

I became a drag mom for two reasons. I started noticing new queen's and kings that had so much potential and I wanted to help them as much as I could. Giving them my last name was my way of giving them the ultimate seal of approval, and letting them know that I believe they can do great things with and for The House of Gore. Gemini Gore and Elliott Gore are doing so well with what they are doing, especially considering they haven't been doing drag that long. They make me so proud.

The other reason is that my drag mom only cared about me when I was beneficial to her, that pushed me to be as helpful and as supportive as possible to my own drag kids.

14. What's the most rewarding part of drag?

For me it's being part of something that creates a safe space for people to just be themselves for an hour and a half. It's seeing straight men absolutely loving it. It's giving back to people who need it. In The House of Gore we do shows to help raise money and awareness for people with HIV/AIDS, those shows are by far the most rewarding ones for me.

15. What has drag given you since you started doing it?

Drag has given me my old self back, back before I was married. I didn't have social anxiety then. I was married to a man that tried to kill me multiple times and that has given me PTSD. But when I get into drag I don't have any of that. My social anxiety, my worries, and the things that haunt me from my past melt away. I get to make jokes, and be silly, I get to have fun without worry. If I could sit down with my alter ego (Paris Gore) I would thank her for everything she has done for me, and everything she is going to do for me in the future. She and drag have given me the opportunity to meet so many great people and do so many great things, as have the team from Drag It Up.