by Lorie Lewis Ham
KRL had the wonderful pleasure of interviewing local drag queen, Priscilla McNamara, for Pride month this year! She is a delight and I hope to get to meet her in person soon!
KRL: Is Priscilla McNamara your drag queen name?
Priscilla: It sure is, the one and only. Fun fact: that’s the first and only drag name I’ve chosen in my whole drag career.
KRL: How and when did you first become a drag queen?
Priscilla McNamara
KRL: What inspired you to become one?
Priscilla: Once I witnessed the local drag legend Rochelle Solis and experienced my first drag show, my life changed forever. I knew what I was meant to do and that was drag. Becoming a drag queen has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my life.
KRL: Is this your day job or more of a side gig?
Priscilla: This will soon become my dream job. I dream of becoming a full-time drag artist and traveling the world to showcase my drag artistry, but for right now, it is my part-time job. But the time invested behind the scenes and off that stage would definitely be considered full-time to some.
KRL: If not your day job, are you okay sharing what that is?
Priscilla: I currently work remotely full-time in health insurance. No, not as a telemarketer but more so in an administrative role. It definitely helps with drag expenses that’s for sure because drag is expensive!
KRL: Where do you perform?
Priscilla: You can find me all over California and sometimes in Las Vegas, Nevada. I perform and host shows at FAB Fresno and also at Skye in Lemoore. I also host and perform at the only Drag Queen Bingo with the Source LGBTQ+ Center here in Visalia as well. To keep tabs on this queen, you can always find my schedule on all social media platforms.
KRL: What type of act do you have? Is it singing? If so, a particular type of music? Dance?
Priscilla: It truly depends on the show. Sometimes drag shows have fun themes, some drag shows have no theme so it all varies. In my acts that I specialize in are mainly lip-sync performances and I love to dance. Drag is all about self-expression and having fun, so as long as those two ingredients are in my act, then it is going to be an amazing drag performance.
KRL: For someone who has never been to a drag show tell us about a typical one or more about yours.
Priscilla: One thing about a drag show is they’re never typical. They are always so unexpected because drag artists are all different. That’s what’s beautiful about drag is that there are all different kinds of drag and aspects of drag. You can definitely expect to laugh until your stomach hurts, smile until your cheeks hurt, and escape reality with some beautiful entertainers that put so much hard work and effort into contributing more love and light in this world.
KRL: What is a typical performance day like for you? What do you have to do to prepare?
Priscilla: A typical performance day for this queen is super hectic. Preparation on a show day consists of styling and packing wigs, styling outfits, cleaning makeup brushes, downloading and emailing music to the DJ working the drag show, along with making sure your fellow drag artists are prepared for the drag show as well. So a lot of contributing factors go into that 5 minutes on stage. While also maintaining the day job. I’m super grateful for my fiancé as he helps me out tremendously with preparation and making sure this queen is on time! 
KRL: Have you ever done a drag queen story time? If so, what was that like?
Priscilla: Yes, I have actually done a few drag queen storytime events. The experience was heart-warming and showed me the power drag truly has. Encouraging literacy while displaying to the world that being your authentic self is what it is all about and I wish more people understood that message when it comes to drag queen storytime events.
KRL: Do you have any special events coming up?
Priscilla: June is such a busy month for this queen, so there are a lot of special events lined up. We just wrapped up celebrating Fresno Pride which was an absolute blast and is such a huge local event here in the Central Valley. You can find me all over the Central Valley this year. I will be at Bakersfield Pride, Delano Pride, Merced Pride, and a special pride drag show at Skye in Lemoore, CA on June 17th!
KRL: What are your thoughts on all the attacks on drag queen events in some parts of the US now and those trying to outlaw them?
Priscilla: It’s scary and heartbreaking. I am so happy to see that the ban has been lifted in Tennessee and [they are] labeling the ban as unconstitutional. This is a great start to end the regulating of the LGBTQ+ community. The work is never done, so we as a community will continue to spread love and light to those that definitely need it, as we continue to push for equality and strive to live our lives in our authenticity. Drag is not a crime!
KRL: Where can people find out about you and follow you online?
Priscilla: People can show up to an event or message me online… I’m an open book. You can find me on all social media platforms at Priscilla McNamara on Facebook. My Instagram is: itspriscillaqueen_ and also on TikTok and Twitter.
KRL: For something a little more personal and fun-what are your hobbies?
Priscilla: I love traveling and escaping to Disneyland. I’m such a foodie as well so eating is definitely a hobby of mine. My dog, Jack Russell, is my world, so any adventure with my pup is always a fun time.
KRL: What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
Priscilla: Something people would be surprised to learn about me is that I am more reserved when the drag comes off.
KRL: Anything you would like to add?
Priscilla: I would love to add that I appreciate and am so grateful for the community’s support all these years and the opportunity to share my story. If I could leave you with one thing this Pride season it is that drag is not a crime. Remember, love and light!
Thanks so much Priscilla for talking to us!
We hope you will check out all of our LGBTQIA articles and reviews during Pride month and beyond!
Absolutely love Prisella! You go girl!