While her time on Season 2 of Canada’s Drag Race might have been brief, the impression that Beth left on the competition and her fellow competitors was definitely memorable. With a passion for indigenous two-spirit people and a fresh post-pandemic perspective, Beth’s post-Canada’s Drag Race career is poised for greatness. I sat down with Beth post-elimination and this Vancouver-located vixen had some lovely words for her Vancouver sisters and her Canada’s Drag Race experience, and has some pretty lofty plans for world domination in the future.
Michael Cook: What was it like the moment you found out you were cast on the second season of Canada’s Drag Race?
Beth: I was at work and I literally, couldn’t tell anyone.They called to tell me and “wanted to chat really quick” and I was surrounded by my co-workers and clients in the salon, with eight hours left on my day. That was rough, but the whole moment was so exciting and so surreal.
MC: You are representing indigenous, two-spirit people on your Canada’s Drag Race journey. Why was it important for you to represent the life that those people have led?
B: My goal going into the show was never to be the voice for all indigenous people. Everyone’s journey as an indigenous person and as a two-spirit person are both very different. I would never want to put words into anyone else’s mouth. I wanted to show that you can and should be proud to be an indigenous person; it is an amazing thing. When I was discovering things about my indigenous side, I learned to love myself a lot more and appreciate my differences. That was really special and I wanted people to know that you should do that; you should celebrate who you are.
MC: Some of the girls in the competition you knew prior to Drag Race, while others were brand new to you. Was having some competitors you were familiar with easier or did it make it harder?
B-You know, I was really hoping that I would be the only Vancouver girl here. I wanted to go into the show with no preconceived perceptions of who I am as a performer. I don’t want to say the I have had a hard time in Vancouver building a reputation, but it is a very competitive scene. I really just wanted to go there and start the show fresh. Seeing other Vancouver girls there it was nice seeing the familiar faces, but it was intimidating. I had to compete with girls that I know would fight to the end to get the crown.
I have been such a big fan of Kendall (Gender), I’ve competed against her before, and she won. She is just such an amazing performer and I really admire her. Another part of it was that I made it here with Kendall, and that was really exciting as well. Synthia (Kiss) also, I didn’t know her that well because she stopped doing drag for a while shortly after I moved to Vancouver. I have known of her and looked up to them. As for the other girls, it was just so exciting to be in a room that love drag as much as you. Especially after not doing drag for so long because of the pandemic, it was just great to be in a room with people and just create, have fun and do drag; it is what we all love to do.
MC: What was it like, as the world started to emerge from the pandemic, to suddenly be able to enter the workroom and start creating again? Were you doing it with a fresh perspective on life and drag?
B: In Vancouver when we had to fully lockdown, all we had was time to reflect on who we are. All I thought was “what do I want to do with my life”? I really just want to enjoy life and do everything that I love; I don’t think that I would have honestly felt ready to audition for Drag Race if it wasn’t for that. I kind of just said “fuck it, I want to do whatever I want to do with my drag and not what I think other people want me to do”. Going into the workroom after not being around people for so long and not performing for so long, without masks, it was such a wild experience to be around and touching people. It was a great experience, but at first it was like “whoa”.
MC: Now that you have the platform of Drag Race Canada, what do you want to do?
B: I want to see the world; I want to show Beth to the world, I really do. I’ve never left Canada. I want to go to UK, I want to go to the States, and I am so excited for DragCon in 2022. I want to take over the world and say yes to every opportunity that comes my way.
MC: When does Beth feel most authentically herself?
B: On stage. Backstage sometimes with the girls, I will look around and compare, that is just what we do as performers. Once I am on stage though, and someone in the audience is looking back at me with the biggest simile on their face, I feel like I am doing my job and I am doing what I love; I fall in love with that moment every single time.
Follow Beth on social media here