INTERVIEW – ‘Pride is the People’: Bob the Drag Queen on creating connection during Pride in era of COVID-19

Maintaining a packed schedule can be tricky for drag queens at the best of times, but for Bob the Drag Queen, even a global pandemic can’t keep her down. Despite heading into a Pride season filled with nearly across-the-board event cancellations and postponements due to the novel coronavirus, the season eight winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race is regularly making appearances across the virtual stage everywhere. Fans can catch Bob in the HBO series "We’re Here," a brand-new comedy special Bob the Drag Queen: Live at Caroline’s, MTV’s Drag My Dad, on her Sibling Rivalry podcast with fellow Drag Race winner Monét X Change and across YouTube.
But as much as this June showcases Bob’s wide range as a performer, she’s also using some of her platforms as an opportunity to make note of, and show support to, the nationwide police brutality protests. In the midst of a packed-despite-the-odds schedule, we caught up with Bob to get a feel for drag in the age of COVID-19, the importance of increased visibility for black queer performers and the deep personal connections people create through drag.
GayCalgary: What does it feel like to be a drag queen going into a summer that celebrates Pride virtually this year?
Bob the Drag Queen: Well, I mean, I’m not saddened by it. I think that it is going to be different. I also think that Pride is going to be different not only because of COVID-19 but because of the Black Lives Matter Movement, and I’m excited that the world is going to be focusing on black queer stories.
GC: A lot of Prides are certainly taking a similar approach. New York City Pride is using its platform to protest...