Although still a relatively new New Yorker, this body haired beauty has been a queen among queens in drag scenes all over the country. She was even in the original cast of one of drag TV’s most popular franchises. And make no mistake… despite thatshow’s ghoulish rep and her own busy schedule during this spooky season, Pinche Queen is much more Mutha than Monsta! [Cover photo: @censoredtitz]
[Editor’s note: as of 2025 this performer now goes by Dallas, or Dallas Tetas]
Thotyssey: Hello Pinche, thanks so much for chatting with us on this rainy weekend! As a native West Coaster, are you fan of weather yet, or is it all just a carry?
Pinche: Lol! I loooooove the weather here! I grew up in Arizona, so I’m used to it being dry and hot. After moving to LA and living there for about 8-9 years, you do get to experience pretty nice and consistent weather… but the moment it’s wet, all hell breaks loose and no one knows how to do anything. At least here in New York, people know how to act and are prepared.
Usually… although that recent flood nearly drowned us like rats!
That really set me up for a bad weekend of traveling. But I’m happy I missed most of it!
As a queen who is perhaps known for serving sinister glamorous monster looks, the spooky season must be a great time for you to be you.
I absolutely thrive during Halloween; I’m an October baby, so it just hits right every year. But I actually don’t consider myself spooky or monster-like at all. I focus on looking and feeling beautiful, and I carry myself with a softer energy to contrast with my hairy body. I do allow myself to let the spooky make a surprise appearance during October… but it’s usually tethered to a sexy energy.
Love that! There is a growing presence of drag queens who sport beards and / or body hair. Do you think that’s mostly just a trend in certain cities or scenes?
As far as I’ve known and participated in drag, there has always been bearded / hairy drag. When I first started nine years ago, I was inspired by bearded queens who were in the game five-plus years before I even put on a lash. Most scenes just aren’t as welcoming to beards and hair in drag, even if the scene is open minded. Bearded / hairy drag tends to be held in a certain box. I feel very blessed that I’ve somehow been able to transcend just being “The Hairy Gworl,” but it’s still a challenge when it comes to opportunities.
Can you tell us a bit about what life was like growing up in Arizona, and what you’re interests were that may have ultimately led to drag?
Oh, hands down, Arizona is the absolute worst place I’ve ever lived. I moved to LA by myself a few weeks after graduating high school, and never really looked back. My experience was definitely one of survival. I grew up pretty poor, and didn’t have the luxury of having extracurricular hobbies. It was pretty much school and home… and when I was home, I was in my room with the doors closed waiting it out until I could leave.
I wish I had the opportunity to be part of dance, or theater. But that was definitely “too gay” for my family, and the closest I could get to it was art class. I’m so thankful for my art teachers, who really gave me a good foundation in art that eventually led to makeup years and years later. My art teacher Ms. Lincoln actually was the first person who told me I should be a drag queen. At the time I was ready to argue, because, like, who says that to a child!? But she clocked me, henny. Look at me now!
Gorgeous in every way! How did you discover drag, and find yourself amongst the queens of Cali?
My first time hearing of drag in general was maybe my sophomore year of high school. I had a friend (who also now does drag, all these years later) come up to me and talk about Rupaul’s Drag Race, and was instantly hooked. I think that summer I was able to watch a season or two with my older brother, and was so gagged about the energy that the queens held. It was the first time seeing someone like me hold themselves up in positions of influence and power. At the time, I was used to seeing gay characters being shown as the flamboyant punchline to a joke.
When I moved to LA, I finally was able to come out and be my authentic self. Through that, I was able to meet so many queens. I had a fake ID, so I was pretty much out partying from 19 to 21. And just like my art teacher, so many people would tell me, you should do drag! So I took my tax return at 21, and bought way too much makeup. From that point on I was off running with it, and since I had a fake ID in previous years it wasn’t hard for me to meet people to help me get tip-spot shows, because those connections were already genuine friendships.
How did your name come to you?
It comes from a Mexican food place in LA called Pinche’s Tacos. When your order was ready, they would scream “your Pinche Burrito is ready!” and it would just crack me up. I am half-white and half-Mexican, so it was important for me to have a name that gave out the signal that I was Mexican as well.
I understand that you became acquainted with the Boulets and the Dragula brand long before the TV version aired.
Yeah! My first time ever out in drag was to a Boulet event. The Dragula club party / pageant was a huge drag staple in LA for years! It’s where I originally met Chata and Merrie Cherry back when I was 21. Contrary to my experience on the show, I actually have won two of the pageants. But those days were very different to what the completion has become now. Back then, it was very much about who could get the crowd going and entertain. You had to take your quick moment on stage, and make them eat it up to get noticed. It was more about being alternative in a general sense, and not so much about being a monster or creature.
I feel very blessed to have a relationship that is very specific between the Boulets and I; they were such a stepping stone for me in my career. They speak of me highly, for the most part (as far as I know, lol), because they have seen me rise up in the drag world on my own merits after being shot down first in the show. Most people barely even realize that I had a brief moment on the show to begin with!
When you filmed what you did of that first season, was there a sense that the show was going to eventually be a big deal?
Oh, absolutely not. That first season, when we were all asked to participate, we just thought it was gonna be a fun gig–at least, I did. When they reached out to me, I was actually expecting it to be a booking for their big show in DTLA named Queen Kong, that I was actively working towards getting. Lol! We were just doing it because it sounded fun… and like, why not? It was the first year or two of me doing drag, so I was gonna say yes to everything.
And despite your early exit, were you relieved you didn’t have to eat a ton of bugs or get stuck with pins or get dropped out of a plane, etc. like the bottom contestants in later seasons did?
Technically, I was “buried alive,” it wasn’t, like, actually intense. The first few moments / minutes of being buried weren’t really outrageous at all. I remember just looking right up to where I assumed the camera was in the dark coffin and said “this is boring,” and pushed myself down to have everything hit me in the face opposed to the chest. I imagine I went home because I didn’t really play into the “make believe” of the moment, which was my fault at the end of the day. They wanted to make compelling TV, and my mindset was not lining up with theirs. It wasn’t scary, and I’m not a great actress, lol! I do wish I was in a later season, and got to drop from a plane in full drag. That would have been amazing, and actually scary!
Would you do an All-Stars season, if that opportunity came up?
Um… I would like to imagine that I wouldn’t participate in an All-Stars season. I don’t even think I would be asked; the direction that past seasons have gone are very much not the type of drag I do in my current life. The thought of going onto the show again and putting on this facade of a “monster” would not be genuine for me. I would rather be honest with my point of view, than pretend for a moment of screen time. I’m not hungry to prove my star power–it’s already there, and IYKYK.
After a time living in Texas, you ultimately moved up here to NYC. What inspired that?
The main reason for the move was to get out of Texas, especially when the anti-drag legislation was being pushed very, very hard from lawmakers. Texas really fucked me up mentally when it came to how I viewed my drag. No matter how hard I worked, It never felt good enough for the audience. The clubs and managers loved me because I offered something new, but most audiences couldn’t have cared less–or at least that’s how I was made to feel. I’m thankful I was able to make a huge mark on the scene, and I was blessed to be booked 4-5 nights a week on the strip. But it was definitely hard.
My partner also was offered a job in NYC… and henny, we follow the money!
Speaking of that now-failed drag ban in Texas, and similar attempted bans in other states: do you feel that drag is legitimately is under attack in a growing movement in this country, or was that all just a bizarre, distracting, performative orchestration by Republicans looking for cheap fan service from their constituents?
I feel like being trans was more under attack, by way of drag; conservatives love to smash the two together and say it’s all the same. It’s more likely for someone of the trans experience to be attacked or persecuted under these laws because of their day-to-day way of life, and living their truth.
I’ve seen and heard bars speak out against the bills, but their focus was not letting it effect the business, or to prove that the performers “just dress up for their job” when that wasn’t always the case as I looked around our community. Texas has such a beautiful community of trans performers that were more at risk than the rest of us. At the end of the day I can go home, take off the wig, grow a mustache in a few days, and be left alone. But our trans family does not have the same luxury.
Are New York audiences particularly different than audiences of other cities?
I feel like the New York audience is a super receptive one. In Dallas, TX sometimes it felt like they weren’t coming out specifically for the show; they were going out to the bar because that’s what people do… there just happens to be a drag show! Here in NY, it feels like people are going specifically for the shows, and pop around to catch different shows within the area. I feel like the audience is more receptive and appreciative of my presence while at a show as well, which always feels good.
Let’s talk about some of the things you’ve been doing in NYC, and what’s to come! There’s “Not Another Saturday Drag Show” for instance, which you co-host with your fellow ex-West Coaster and Dragula alum Merrie Cherry at Macri Park every first and third Saturday night.
“NASDS” at Macri is definitely interesting; it’s in the baby stages and still trying to figure itself out. I’m thankful to have moved here and have the opportunity to work with Merrie so often. We really have a great time riffing off of each other while in the mic.
On Friday the 13th, you’ll be at Rockbar in the West Village with Alotta McGriddles for her sexy, silly show “Crotch Shot!” That should be fun!
I am so excited for Rockbar! When Alotta first approached to book me, I was gagged because obviously we have a similar approach to drag… and I was just so excited to see someone else who gets it. I really love doing the crazy, sexy shows. It will be my first dip into the bear scene here in NY, so I’m interested to see how it holds up to others I’ve experienced in Texas and LA. I’ve judged a foreskin pageant before, so I would like to think I’m very qualified for this.
And on October 26, you’ll be part of Rify Royalty’s “Scream Tribute Show” at C’mon Everybody! Are you a fan of that film series?
My first memory of seeing anything Scream-related was visiting my Tia’s house, walking into the living room with the scene of Sarah Michelle Gellar being tossed over a balcony, and immediately being scarred… and hooked. My dad loved to scare me as a kid, so horror movies were always playing in our home. Scream was always one of my favorites because how ridiculous it really was. Very self-aware and camp, henny.
Then on October 27 you’ll rejoin Alotta, this time at the East Village’s Phoenix Bar for the first anniversary of her party there with The Urban Bear, “Bear Naked!” More sexy bear realness!
I’m excited for all the sexy bears! I’m thankful to be a guest for the anniversary, and took the next day off just so I can recover properly!
But that very next evening, she’s back in the drags! October 28th will find you with the fantastic Nicky O and a large cast for the “Slash Her” show / party at the Market Hotel!
That booking was an easy yes! I love Halloween so much, and always make it a goal to be a part of something big during Halloweekend… so to be a part of this sickening show is a blessing! I’m debating between two of my favorite numbers for the show. So we shall see what I bring!
What else is coming up for you?
I have few major things coming up! I will be hosting a weekend of drag brunches along with one of my best friends, Meatball, for Orville Peck’s 5th annual rodeo! This year it will be in Pioneertown, California at the legendary Pappy & Harriets! That will be the weekend of November 11th. We hosted the original rodeo that was just two nights of shows at the iconic Troubadour in West Hollywood. Orville and the gang are always so good to us, and I can’t wait!
Leading up to that, I will be part of a Brooklyn drag panel–which is really funny, because I’ve only lived in Brooklyn for about six months. But when the other gworls say no, I say, well yes! But details of that will come out sooner to the release date.
After the Orville weekend, I am definitely debating on whether or not to take a break during the winter, just to recalibrate and refocus. I feel like the last five years have been a blur, with moving from LA to Texas and now New York. I haven’t really allowed myself to process my emotions and the stress of it all. I just kinda kept hitting the ground running, and I would love a moment to breathe. But we shall see what gigs come knocking! Lol!
Wonderful! Okay lastly… what’s your favorite go-to product in your drag cosmetic bag?
My Pat McGrath Sublime perfection under eye blurring powder! I use it more as finishing powder, to help blur and brighten not only under my eyes, but the high points of my face as well!
Thanks, Pinche, and Happy Halloween!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Pinche’s upcoming appearances, and follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
Thotyssey 