This Queer Talent Show and Red Idol alum is creating a sparkling new showcase of her own in Manhattan: Ms. Dora Diamond!
Thotyssey: Dora, hello! How did February treat you?
Dora Diamond: Despite February being the coldest, bleakest month of the year and being terminally single on Valentine’s Day, I’d say it treated me with mercy. How about you? Did you come out unscathed?
Relatively, lol! Actually on Wednesday night I was at Metropolitan in Brooklyn working behind the scenes with Senerio for another installment of the “Queer Talent Show,” which is where I first saw you perform an original song about two months ago!
OMG, Senerio is the best.
Def! Can you tell us a bit about your original music: how much of it is out there, and how long has it been in the universe?
I currently have one single out on all platforms called “Temple” — that’s one of the songs I did when we met. That’s been out since 2023, and I’m currently finishing up my first album.
Where are you from originally, and were music and performance always parts of your life?
I’m originally from a small town in northern Wisconsin, and music has always been my first love. I started in community theater when I was 10 and that’s also where I started singing onstage.
What were some of your favorite musical artists or genres growing up?
I have two very distinct musical memories from childhood. The first is hearing Ace Of Base’s “The Sign” on the radio when it first came out. That’s still one of my favorite songs of all the time.
The second memory is the second half of 1998. Madonna’s Ray of Light and Cher’s Believe came out, and those albums activated me like a drag queen sleeper agent.
How did Dora Diamond get born, and how did you become a New Yorker?
They say that there are two kinds of queens: Halloween and Pride queens. Shockingly my rural hometown didn’t have Pride in the late 2000s, so I first donned the wig and lipstick on my eighteenth Halloween. The name “Dora Diamond” came to me at study hall, when I was rearranging the letters of my deadname instead of studying.
When it comes to being a New Yorker, I put the trans in transplant. I’m AMAB (Assigned Midwestern At Birth), but I like to think I was born to be a New Yorker. My maternal grandmother was born and raised in Manhattan, and I grew up with a fierce and undying love for this city. As I grew up and came into my queerness and womanhood, I knew I needed to live in NYC with its rich history of queer and trans liberation.
The process of becoming a New Yorker was rough, if I’m honest. After Wisconsin turned red during the presidential election in 2024, I felt an urgency to escape that had been building in me since I first visited the year prior. So I did the stupidest thing possible, and used all my money to buy a one way plane ticket and a storage unit. I took the leap — and while I don’t recommend moving to the most expensive city in the world with no money, I don’t regret a thing. Being here has exceeded my wildest expectations.
What’s it been like performing in drag spaces… and do you consider yourself a drag performer today?
I love performing in drag spaces. The audiences are so welcoming, and I’ve met so many incredible talented people in the short time I’ve been here.
I consider my act to have strong elements of drag, but I consider myself a musician first and foremost. My goal is to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Chappell Roan, making and performing pop music whilst looking as cunt as possible.
You competed in a season of the Red Idol singing competition at Red Eye! That sort of created its own community within the nightlife and cabaret world, right?
Absolutely. That was an absolutely incredible experience, and I made so many new friends.
On Sunday, March 8 you’re gonna premiere a new monthly Red Eye showcase: “Fresh Meat!” What can you tell us about it?
I’m so excited for this show, I’m practically vibrating. After my run at Red Idol, I approached one of the owners with an idea to launch a monthly show centered entirely around artists who write and perform original music. I wanted to create something exciting and provocative, so I decided to call the show “Fresh Meat” as an affectionate nod to the infamous parties thrown downstairs at Red Eye. I’m so thrilled that the owners trusted me with this project and we have some incredible talent lined up.
We love your three guests for the premiere: Mel Lennon, Justice LaBrave & Kris Cherry!
Tell us more about your upcoming new music: who or what inspired it, how might you describe the sound, and do you enjoy the recording process?
This will be my first album, and I can honestly say I’ve never felt more connected to a project in my entire life. This is the culmination of 5+ years of work, and it features the most intimately personal lyrics I’ve ever written. It’s an ode to the nostalgic sounds of the 1990s, exploring some of my favorite genres and subgenres of electronic music including jungle, house, trip-hop, New Jack Swing… and there’s even some classic pop thrown in just for fun. It’s a musical autobiography that also, hopefully, resonates with audiences on a deep level.
I also adore recording. Performing is my main squeeze, but recording is definitely in the polycule. As someone with a bit of a perfectionist streak, I love being able to choose my favorite bits from different takes to make the best sounding final product.
What else is coming up for you?
I just (like literally an hour ago) wrapped up a video shoot in collaboration with the New York Public Library, and I won’t spoil anything… but I’m really excited for it to come out!
Very exciting indeed! Okay lastly: what’s you’re go-to drink order?
I love fruity drinks. Lately I’ve been favoring a tequila pineapple when I drink. But when I’m dry, I love indulging in Sprite or 7-Up all night.
Thanks, Dora!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Dora Diamond’s upcoming appearances, and follow her on Instagram and LinkTree.
Thotyssey 