172. Picture It: Ballroom, Drag, and Queer Expression (with Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton)

Snarky Opener (0:00)

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

My husband said we should do drag in Mexico for Pride. So, I went out, and I bought a ton of makeup, threw it on my face, and he looked at me and said, what are you doing?

I said, well, you said we're getting into drag in Mexico, right? And he's like, well, I was joking.

And then I looked at him and said, well, I wasn't joking. We're doing drag in Mexico.

Episode Introduction (0:36)

Rob Loveless

Hello, my LGBTQuties, and welcome back to another episode of A Jaded Gay. I'm Rob Loveless, and today I am a non-jaded gay because I had a super calming weekend of cleaning my house.

I know that may sound like the opposite of calming, but for me, cleaning my house, just having a clean home, it feels so relaxing.

And I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but like once a month, I mean, I clean every week, but once a month I do, like a deep clean of the house.

So, it starts with me saging the house to get all that bad shit out, get rid of the bad energy. And then, you know, I dust the whole house. I run the Roomba, I mop the floors, just everything top to bottom.

And it's exhausting and takes hours. But then afterwards, I usually plop on the couch and look around and say, I am at peace.

Drag, Golden Girls & Authentic Identity (1:19)

Rob Loveless

Anyway, from me sweeping the floors to a queen who is truly sweeping the stage, I am super excited to have a very special guest on today to talk all about drag performances, Golden Girls, and the importance of identity and authenticity at the center of all of that.

So, we will bring her on in a minute. But before we do, you know the drill, let's pull our tarot card.

Tarot (1:43)

Rob Loveless

So, the card we drew for this episode is the Six of Cups. Now this is a Minor Arcana card, so it's reminding us it's time to do some work in our day-to-day lives that can make a big impact in the long run.

Cups is tied to the element of water. It's feminine energy, which encourages us to meditate and reflect.

And Cups is tied to our emotions, so you can think of our emotions flowing freely like water. In numerology, six immediately follows number five because math.

Did I mention that I aced my stats class last semester? But five is typically referred to as the conflict number.

So, when we pull the six, it's showing us that we've moved on from that hardship and we're entering a period of balance and harmony.

And specifically, the Six of Cups is asking us to turn inward, to reconnect with our inner child, so that we can experience that sense of wondrous joy like we did when we were younger.

And by doing so, we give ourselves permission to feel free, spontaneous, and creative.

And ultimately, this helps center us in the present moment, so we can channel our authentic selves and intuition to guide us forward.

Guest Introduction (2:42)

Rob Loveless

And with that in mind, I'm very excited to welcome our guest. She is a truly stunning queen and Miss Gay Pennsylvania America 2025.

Please welcome Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton. Hi, Betsy. How are you today?

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

I am good, Rob. How are you, love?

Rob Loveless

Doing well, thanks. Thank you so much for coming on on this early Saturday morning. I know you said you had a late-night show, so I appreciate you being up and at him for this episode.

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

Girl, we gonna try and get it together, because, truth be told, one eye is open. My mouth is still crusty from the drool. We'll get it together.

Rob Loveless

I totally get it. Been there, done that. But hopefully, you know, the episode will be energized, and we'll be good to go by the end of it.

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

Yes, ma'am.

Rob Loveless

So, I want to kick it off. Can you please introduce yourself to the audience? Tell them a little bit more about you, how you identify, pronouns, background, career, all that fun stuff?

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

Absolutely. So yeah, so my name is Heavens 2 Betsy in drag. Out of drag, my name is Joe, but we don't talk about him right now because we're focusing on Betsy.

But out of drag, I use he/him pronouns. In drag, I use she/her pronouns. I live in Philadelphia with my husband.

And I've been doing drag for almost seven years now, which I'm sure we'll get into a little bit more in a bit. And as you mentioned, I just got it from a show last night pretty late, so I'm tired.

Rob Loveless

Well, usually my next question is, I'm going to ask if you are a jaded or non-jaded gay today, but I'm guessing you're probably a little bit of a tired gay too.

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

Absolutely tired. And honestly, I think I'm jaded this week. And I'll tell you why: this weather. I'm not about it. I know we're recording a few weeks before this actually airs, but outside right now, it's cold.

I think we're supposed to get snow today. This is not part of my fantasy. This is not my tea. I am unhappy. I want my mommy. Just take it away. I am fully jaded.

Rob Loveless

See, I'm the opposite. I kind of like when the weather gets like this, because it gives me an excuse to not leave the house, so then I'm just in sweatpants all day on the couch with a cup of tea.

So that's, that's what my plan is going to be after this hopefully.

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

That sounds really nice, and I'll accept that for you; that's good.

Rob Loveless

Thank you. Awesome. Well, as we touched upon at the top, here you are, Heavens 2 Betsy, the fabulous drag queen.

So, to kick off the episode, can you tell us a little bit about what drew you to pursuing drag and the career you've built over the past seven years?

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

Absolutely. So, truth be told, it was my husband who got me into drag. Not into drag physically, like he's not my drag parent, but he introduced me to the world of drag. I'll try and summarize this story.

But when we first started dating almost 10 years ago, and we're married now, we've been married for almost three years.

When we first started dating almost 10 years ago, he wanted to watch a TV show about drag queens one night, and I said, Sure, we could watch it.

Of course, that show was RuPaul's Drag Race, which I had never seen before. Drag just wasn't my thing. I didn't know much about it before meeting my now husband. So, we watched the TV show.

It was fantastic. I loved it. The very first episode I ever saw was a season nine finale with Sasha Velour and the rose petals.

For any of your followers and fans who know that episode, they know what I'm talking about. Iconic episode. That was the first one I ever saw, set the bar incredibly high. Absolutely loved it.

So, then we started going to drag shows locally in Philly. I loved going to drag shows, so much fun. So fast forward a couple years.

We were planning a vacation to Puerto Vallarta, or PV, as is commonly known, Mexico, for vacation, and we were going to be there during their Pride.

And my husband said we should do drag in Mexico for Pride. No one's gonna know us there. So, we should do it. I said, Yeah, we should.

So, I went out, and I bought a ton of makeup, threw it on my face, and he looked at me and said, what are you doing? I said, well, you said we're getting into drag in Mexico, right?

And he's like, well, I was joking. And then I looked at him and said, well, I wasn't joking. We're doing drag in Mexico. So, we fully did drag in Mexico for Pride. I absolutely loved it.

Came back home to the States, started performing, and I have been performing ever since. So, I fully attribute my drag career, at least the beginnings, to my husband.

If it wasn't for him, I likely would not be where I'm at right now.

Rob Loveless

That's awesome. And it sounds like since then, you've really developed your persona and built this awesome career. I know you have a ton of accolades that I definitely want to get into.

So, can you tell us, from starting out to now, how would you describe your drag persona and performances?

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

That's really interesting. I definitely would say starting out, Heavens 2 Betsy wanted to be, I don't wanna say popular or trendy, but was definitely influenced by things like Drag Race and what a lot of local performers were doing, dance styles. I'm gonna say dance styles.

I know this is audio only, but I'm using air quotes dance because if you ever really notice, Heavens 2 Betsy cannot dance. She pretends to dance. And she pretends very well, but she pretends very well.

And mostly people at drag shows are drinking, so they don't know the difference anyway.

But anyway, when I first started, I haven't, definitely wanted to be part of the in crowd, and tried to model herself that way.

But I think as I've grown over the years, I really found my niche in doing what I want, which isn't always going to be the most popular thing, and that's fine. I love doing a park and bark, which is a ballad, like you stand there and you look pretty and you do like an emotional song.

I love doing spoken word, especially for talents, when I'm in pageants, which I, you'd mentioned to have lots of accolades, we can get to those later. I love being stupid and silly and somewhat campy.

I love making stupid videos like it's just I truly am all about having fun now, whereas I'm not so concerned about trying to do what everyone else is doing or trying to be influenced by what's on TV currently.

I'm just here living my best life and enjoying every moment of it. I think that's the best way I could describe my persona over the years, is just someone who's out to have fun.

The Golden Girls & Queer Culture (8:50)

Rob Loveless

And your shows are definitely fun. I actually got to see you perform back in February last year.

And I was really impressed by one part of your performance in particular, you did Hush Hush by the Pussycat Dolls, and then it cut into interpolations of monologues from Golden Girls.

And I know, you know, we've obviously talked since then, and Golden Girls has a special place in your heart, so I wanted to learn a little bit more about what inspired you to incorporate that into your performance?

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

So, it first started because that number in particular, because I was asked to do a Golden Girls brunch.

Um, so a lot of drag performances, as you may know, or as some of your listeners may know, there are a lot of themed shows or themed brunches or themed events.

So, you try to create a number based around that theme. So, it's actually was a Golden Girls brunch.

So, when I was thinking of doing Golden Girls, immediately, I went to one of my favorite characters, Dorothy, who is just so quick-witted, and she is, her one-liners are just fantastic.

And she has her funny moments, but she also has her moments where she can be serious and quite emotional, which that number you're referring to. I had some of that in there.

Um, Golden Girls for me was just so impactful. It's very nostalgic, in a way. I watched Golden Girls with my mom a lot growing up. It's one of our many shows. That and Judge Judy. I see a trend here.

Dorothy and Judge Judy are both very quick-witted and quick on the tongue.

I just, it spoke to me in ways that I don't always have the vocabulary to articulate, but just something about how these women were so powerful in just living their truths and just enjoying their life.

I know they honestly were not old, but they were portrayed as being older. Except for Sophia, she was old. But the other three, they weren't, they were like in their 50s, maybe 60s. That's not that old.

I say that because as I get close to 40, I realize that 60 isn't that far away. So, it's not that old. Yeah, it just I really was drawn to the quick wittedness of Dorothy and all the girls in general. It was really fun.

Rob Loveless

Now, I have to admit, The Golden Girls is a little bit of a cultural blind spot for me. I didn't grow up watching it. During the pandemic, I did watch a couple of the seasons, and I liked it.

Part of the reason why I watched it was because I know so many gay men said they loved it, and it had a big tie into gay culture. It seemed to be kind of like an iconic gay show.

And I think through your description there, you kind of touched upon some themes that we're going to get to here. But why do you think the Golden Girls resonate so deeply within queer culture?

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

That's a tough one. I can think of several things off the top of my head.

So, one is seeing a group of people living together because they lived in same home, except for Dorothy and Sophia, who are related. They were mother and daughter. The rest of them were just friends.

I think in the queer community, we oftentimes build our families with our friends. In some cases, we may even live with them. And so immediately, that's a tie-in, right there.

You're seeing something that's familiar to you. A home situation that is not your quote-unquote norm. It's out of the norm. And a lot of queer life is out of the norm.

So immediately, there's that connection, I think too, just the dynamic of the friendships and the different personality types. I think there's lots of parallels between queer friendships and queer friend groups.

You have your motherly type. You have your quote-unquote slutty one. You kind of have the dumb blonde, and then you have like, the mean, jaded, bitter one.

And I think a lot of queer men, particularly, have those archetypes in their friend groups. Sometimes they overlap. Maybe one person is more than one of those archetypes.

And so just seeing that portrayed on television, and seeing something that's so relatable, kind of drew gay men to it, I think.

And then also just the quick-natured, quick tongue, the cattiness, the subtle shade back and forth between the three, rather the four women, something definitely queer people, particularly queer men, have in their friend groups.

We are definitely shady and quick-witted. Quick tongued is one another. It's all in love. We don't do it if we don't love you. So honestly, if we're nice to you, we don't like you.

But if we're mean to you... It's so relatable. And I think that's what really drew people to it, just the relatability of it all.

Rob Loveless

And as you're talking through those archetypes there, I was wondering, which Golden Girl do you most identify with, and how do you channel her in both your day-to-day life and in your drag performances?

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

I 100% believe I'm Dorothy. I think Dorothy. I love her. She's strong-willed. She knows what she wants. She had a, I don't wanna say bumpy past, but she's had some troubles in the past with her ex-husband.

She's caring, she I mean, her mother lives with her. She's taking care of her mom. She cares deeply for her friends.

She's quick-tongued, and she is quick to be sarcastic, which I love, and I also feel like I can be at times. I think also Dorothy is funny.

Without trying to be funny, she's just saying things, what's on her mind, and people just respond to it and laugh and whatnot. And I think that's true in my case.

In daily conversation, I find sometimes people laugh around me, and it's like, I'm not trying to be funny, I'm just talking.

But then, when I try to be funny, it doesn't always work, which I also think happens with Dorothy. She tries to be funny. It's like, girl, sit down. So, yeah, definitely Dorothy in drag.

I just try and have that power that she she empowers like that, that that persona, and that's what Betsy tries to do. And my everyday life as Joe, I try and be strong-willed, especially on the job.

I try and articulate what I want. I can be quick-witted with people in and out of drag. So, I fully resonate with Dorothy.

I think I definitely have moments of Blanche, strictly when I'm in drag, because Blanche was the slutty one. Heavens, can try and be slutty. Rose is the dumb one. Joe is more dumb than Heavens.

I will say Joe has his moments. My husband would agree with that. Joe definitely has a moment where it's like, I don't think the elevator is on the top floor. Like, I don't think your dozen eggs has all dozen.

You know, Joe's definitely Rose in that respect. And then Sophia. I don't really see myself as Sophia, except for the fact that I'm old.

And my one friend would mention that I'm always the oldest in our friend groups. So, fuck you, Josh. That was him specifically. He knows who he is.

So, I feel like I am, I have a little bit of all of them. But to fully answer your question, Dorothy, 100%.

Rob Loveless

And this next follow-up question is a little bit more of a heavier question, hard hitter, because it does tie in so much to Golden Girls and their personality. Do you like cheesecake?

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

I love it. You know, I actually I do love cheesecake. That's very good. That's awesome. You've done, you know, I will say you do your research.

You know what? I listen to your podcast. You always are well prepared. And I appreciate that. So, well done.

Rob Loveless

I have to admit that one's only because I see it on my Discover on Instagram all the time. There's like memes of them and their cheesecake, so...

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

Love it.

Rob Loveless

Well beyond the humor, The Golden Girls often tackled serious topics like aging, chosen family, and love, which you kind of just talked about as well.

So how do you see those themes resonating with queer experiences today?

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

Oh, my God, they're everywhere. So, I joked several times about age recently. I'm saying I'm getting older, getting closer to 40. My friend says I'm the oldest in the friend group. I think queer culture, I've seen it.

I guess I'm biased, because I'm a queer man. Queer men, in particular, have this obsession with age. I think you even have a podcast episode or two about this very topic.

I'm still listening to some of your earlier podcasts. I'm trying to start from beginning and work my way up.

But this obsession with youth and trying to maintain it, and then eventually just having to accept the fact that we are going to age, and we have to embrace getting older.

I think the Golden Girls definitely touch on because they talk about age and getting older and how that affects their lives and how things have changed with friendships and family and whatnot.

So again, I mentioned earlier that relatability with Golden Girls in the queer culture, you see what you're seeing in everyday life on TV, which I think definitely resonates. There's also with chosen family.

I mean, these people are living with their chosen family, the ones they're the closest to. So oftentimes, in queer culture, we don't have our biological families with us. Some of us are very fortunate, and we do.

My husband's one prime example. I think yours as well has family that's accepting and loving. But for the most part, we don't have that.

I mean, I personally have no relationship with my immediate family, some of my extended family, sure, but being ostracized from friends and or family, and having to find your own community and surround yourself by that.

It's a lifeline for a lot of queer people. And so, seeing that again reflected on TV with these women, it's relatable. You see how you're able to survive by being with your chosen family.

And that's a lot of queer men do, they survive by having a chosen family around them.

Identity, Drag, and the Roots of Ballroom (19:07)

Rob Loveless

As we talk about those themes that resonate across the queer experience, I also want to shift the conversation a little bit to talk about how identity plays a role in your work.

So, February, as you know, is Black History Month, and drag itself has deep roots in Black and Latinx queer culture, particularly within the ballroom scene.

And for anyone unfamiliar, ballroom was an underground LGBTQ+ subculture dating back to the 1800s, where Black and Latinx performers formed chosen families known as houses and participated in competitive balls that centered on identity and artistry.

So, with that in mind, what does the intersection of identity mean to you, and how do you celebrate identity in your performances?

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

That's really important to me. There are so many facets of my identity that I try and embrace in and out of drag. So, I am a Black queer man. So, Black and queer are the two primary identifiers there.

So, in drag, showing up as a Black person, in oftentimes predominantly white spaces or non-Black spaces, is really important to me, because diversity and representation, in my opinion, matters.

And not just in showing up and being visible, but also what I perform.

So, I do enjoy various types of music, and I tend to perform things that I know would be crowd pleasers, but there are times when I do things simply because I want to do them and they're important to me.

And particularly with pageants, I do a lot of talents that focus on the Black experience.

I love doing spoken words, spoken word poetry in particular, that focuses on empowering Back people, Black women in particular.

So, I've done a number of pageants in the Miss Gay America Pageant system, and I would say almost all of my talents have been centered around Black people and Black voices.

I've done other pageants where I've also done spoken word on Black queer experiences. It's important to show that, because not a lot of people are doing that, at least in this general area.

There's some parts of the country where they are, but at least in this general area, you don't really see it. And so, it's important for me to do that.

There are other ways that other artists really incorporate their Blackness in their artistry. They love doing things like rap songs. I can't I my mouth doesn't move that fast. Well, sometimes it does.

And showing what they're wearing really shows part of the Black culture in terms of fashion.

And I do that to an extent as well, but I really focus on the spoken word aspect of it, because I think that's also part of queer culture that is not often explored in the drag scene, is spoken word, spoken word poetry.

So, I love, love doing that. There is one talent I did, this was for a couple pageants a couple years ago.

It truly was a spoken word entirely about Black people being oppressed, and just the anger and frustration about it.

It was coming from the perspective of a Black woman, and just hearing her be so passionate about the injustices that people face and how she's feeling about it, and the fact that people come at her and say, you know, why are you angry?

And she has a litany of reasons why. Like, it's just things like that, to me, are important to show to make sure they're still talked about, because if things aren't talked about, they're not going to be addressed, not going to get fixed.

And also, that in itself is still art, because art is subjective, art is performative, and all these things I think people should see.

If nothing else, I know there's going to be someone in the audience who that will resonate with. And a lot of drag performance, in my perspective, is touching people, well, not physically. Sometimes.

But touching their emotions, and when you highlight specific experiences that can reach specific people and touch them, and then you get to see that visually, and or maybe they talk to you after a show and say like that really touched me.

That's what I love the most, which is also why I do it, because it's important to me, but I also know that it's important to somebody else. And I really love, I love that connection with people.

Rob Loveless

And who are some Black icons, both within and outside of drag, who inspire you?

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

In drag, one of the people who I love so, so much is Hot Chocolate. That's their drag name. Out of drag, Larry Edwards. They are the very first Black Miss Gay America.

They are a world-renowned Tina Turner impersonator. You might have seen them in like Miss Congeniality 2. Other TV spots. They do a Tina Turner Show out in Vegas, I believe, on the Vegas Strip.

I love them so much, and I got a chance to meet them when I went to Miss Gay America a couple years ago. The sweetest person on the planet.

So sweet. I just love their career and that they've made a name for themselves in a field where not many people get to do that.

When you think of popular drag icons, people immediately think of like RuPaul, like Lady Bunny, Coco Peru. Like these names first come up. In my opinion, Hot Chocolate is up there.

Truly making a name for themself. I love when anyone is the first Black to do something. So being the first Black Miss Gay America, absolutely love. I was a, this is crazy to say.

I was the first black Miss Gay Philadelphia America in 2023. Insane. But yeah, the first one. I just, I just find it very inspiring. It's very uplifting, seeing that example of something I like to strive to be.

Hopefully, I have a career that lasts almost 50 years. One day, like that'd be great. So that's in drag.

Out of drag, which is still in some respects you could say in drag, and when I say this person's name, Billy Porter, because Billy is very lives authentically.

Definitely blends a line between masculinity and femininity, and I absolutely love that. And they're such a voice for the Black queer community and everything they do.

Like I really fell in love with Billy when he was on Pose. I know you mentioned ballroom culture. Pose was a TV show centered around that the ball scene in New York City in the 1980s and early 90s.

And just seeing his character in that that TV show was so good. Like, I love any space Billy enters, fully representing for Black queer men and like Black queer people. It's just so inspiring.

And I just love that they don't give a fuck. They wear what they want to wear, dress how they want to dress like just. And then also to just representing for people who have HIV and AIDS. 

Just being a spokesman for that. Billy came out as being HIV positive several years ago because of his character on Pose was HIV positive. And just speaking up.

Like, I love people who speak up and speak out. I mean, it's something I definitely could do more of, but they're definitely people who inspire me to do that, you know?

Celebrating and Uplifting Queer Black Voices (27:07)

Rob Loveless

And based on your experience, what are some meaningful ways that drag and queer communities can better celebrate and uplift queer Black voices?

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

See, definitely, I think I said it earlier, just being present. Showing up in spaces, and not just in spaces with other Black queer people, but spaces where they're not represented.

Um, I'll be the only chocolate chip in a white, in a bed of white rice. You know, I'll be the only chocolate chip or raisin in a snow field, like and it's fine, because I need to be present. I want to show up.

So, I think that's something that people can do, is being present. And speaking about on issues that affect us.

There are some issues that affect the entire queer community, but there are specific issues that affect the Black and Brown queer community, and if you don't speak on it, no one's going to get it.

If it's not getting attention, nothing's going to be done to address it. There's so many disparities, like you think, wage disparities, housing, opportunities for development and growth.

And not just in the drag scene, but also, unlike in the corporate America, because I do have a day job. I work in corporate America.

And just seeing Black queer people in positions of power. It's so rare, depending on the industry that you're in. And in my industry, I work in the tech industry, it's predominantly cis, het white men.

So, you don't see a lot of women, you don't see a lot of Black and Brown people. You don't see, very few queer people.

And so, me, being a Black queer man in the tech industry, trying to, at least in my company, you know, be representative like, if nothing else, just showing up, showing your face, speaking out when you can is a huge deal.

And I think if more people did that, things would be better off. I hope that answered the question. I ramble a lot. Heavens 2 Betsy needs to calm down.

Rob Loveless

How do you want your drag legacy to contribute to both queer and Black cultural history?

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

So, when I was planning on competing again for Miss Gay America this year, you have to do several different prelims. So, I did, at least for the state of Pennsylvania. I did a city-level prelim.

I made it to the state. I won the state. Now I'm going to National Miss Gay America.

As I was planning what I was going to be doing, I wasn't sure what talents I wanted to do, because I mentioned I have done a lot of spoken words, particularly by Black queer artists or Black artists in the past.

And there was a time when I was thinking, I don't want to be known just for that. I want to be known for being able to do other things.

But then someone told me, or rather asked me, if you want me to think, you know why? Why don't you want to be known for that? What do you want to be remembered for?

And I sat back, and I thought, and I said, you know what?

I actually do want to be known for what I do best, and doing spoken word, and doing things that are centered around the Black experience, the Black queer experience, because not many people are doing that.

You have some performers who are known for their looks, some performers who are known for their activism, some performers who are known for their performance ability.

I would love my legacy to be known for representing Black queer voices in a space where it's not often represented. I think that's important to me.

Like it took me a second, even this past year, to really embrace that, and once I did, I'm full force.

And not just because it's something that I do well in a talent in a pageant setting, but also, I would love for someone to say 5, 10, 15 years from now, you know Heavens 2 Betsy? Oh my god, I love her.

She did this great spoken word piece at such and such event, or she did this amazing, you know, presentation or whatever, that centered around the Black experience, so on, so forth.

I'll give you a little, a little sneak peek. Well, I guess by time this airs, it would have already happened.

But for Miss Gay America 2026, the presentation theme is American Horror Stories: Nightmares, I believe, or nightmares in general.

And so, in preparing what I wanted to do, and I was trying to get inspiration, I'm actually borrowing a piece from another drag performer here in Philadelphia, but it is a tar and feathered look.

And if you know anything about US history, particularly with regards to racism and issues with Black people in times past that stem from slavery and the ending of slavery, so and so forth.

Black people are often tarred and feathered. So, I wanted to represent that after, again, I'm borrowing this look from someone else, because it's a statement, it's a statement piece.

And it's something that's representative of my culture, Black person in America. I would love for someone to be able to say again, talking about my legacy, in a couple of years, she wore this amazing piece.

It was so powerful. It was so moving. It was so representative of her culture, her people. I think that's what I want to be known for.

Um, and I'm happy to be known for that. I had to learn to be happy with it. But now that I'm here, I'm good.

Heavens 2 Betsy’s Titles (32:53)

Rob Loveless

Absolutely. And you touched upon some of the pageants that you've competed in, and I know you are a highly decorated queen.

So, do you mind just taking a moment to go through all the titles and awards you won?

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

You know, it's crazy. It's not many, but it feels like a lot. So, um, I won Miss Gay Philadelphia America 2023. I'll only list actual titles I've won, because I've competed in many things, but I just look at the titles.

So that's my first title. I am currently holding four titles. So, I am Miss Crimson Moon 2025, I am Miss Gay Central Pennsylvania America 2025, I am Miss Gay Pennsylvania America 2025, and Miss Bob and Barbara's 2026.

And then I won several awards in some of the pageants I've done. I know the most recent pageant, Miss Gay Pennsylvania America, I won every category. So, there's several categories I won.

When I went to Miss Gay America the first time a couple of years ago, I won several awards there. I was the first person, now I'm just bragging. But you know, why not? Brag a little bit. That's another thing.

Sometimes people, without being cocky, need to talk about their accomplishments. I'm going to sidebar just for a moment. Talking about representing for Black people, Black queer people.

I think an important part of that is also recognizing their accomplishments, recognizing their contributions. So, I'll take just a minute and recognize mine, since you asked.

So, when I went to Miss Gay America for the first time a couple years ago, I was, I placed fifth in the country. So, I was top five, fourth alternate, for those who know pageant speak.

I was the first person representing Pennsylvania to make it to the top five at Miss Gay America in the history of the pageant system.

So, in 50-something years, I'm the first person in Pennsylvania to make it to the top five. I am the first person from Pennsylvania, rather representing Pennsylvania, to win multiple prelim awards.

I was the first one to win the award for personal interview, because apparently, I interview well. How am I doing? Can you attest to that? Is that true?

*You’re doing amazing, sweetie.*

So, yeah, I've done, I've done a lot, and I've done some awards, and I'm very happy with that. I'm going to Miss Gay America again in a couple of weeks.

Again, I know by the time this airs, I would have already went. And I hope to repeat some of that success.

I mean, I would love to say that I'm the first person from Pennsylvania to make it to the top five in Miss Gay America twice, because again, I'm the first one to make it there once, and as of yet, no one else has.

So, I would love to do it a second time. Maybe even get the crown. I was really close last time, so we'll see what happens this time around. Yeah, I think that's all the titles that I have.

Yeah. I mean, I guess I've won, I've come close to winning other things, but I've only listed the titles that I actually own.

Rob Loveless

That's amazing. I mean, I really appreciate you walking us through your whole drag career, because you do have such iconic performances and are such a great performer. It was so fun seeing you last year.

So, I'm looking forward to seeing some upcoming shows and pageants as well.

And as we're coming to the end of this episode and bringing it all together, from the ballroom scene to Golden Girls, both have left a lasting imprint on queer culture throughout their themes of chosen family and resilience.

So, with that in mind, what do you hope people take away from a Heavens 2 Betsy show?

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

Ooh? I would honestly say I want people to remember they had fun.

So aside from any representation, touching people, and relating to them on certain experiences, more than anything, I want people to recognize, remember to have fun, because drag is entertainment.

People go to drag shows to be entertained. I am an entertainer. Yes, I want people to be moved and touched, and I want people to be feel seen and represented and loved.

But ultimately, I want people to have fun. Um, we both as entertainers and as guests go to shows to escape the world for a couple hours or what have you.

And there is enough going on right now that we all need an escape a couple hours a week, if you can get to it.

I would love to be able to, people to come to a Heavens 2 Betsy show and escape their world, whatever's going on, for just a couple hours, and remember that they had a good time.

If they can do that, then I have accomplished my goal, and I am happy. And, yeah, just have fun. Just have a good time.

Let loose, let your hair down. Have a couple drinks. Tell me I'm pretty. Give me money. That's really it. Give me money. That's what I want. I want your money.

Episode Closing (37:53)

Rob Loveless

And connecting it back to the tarot, the Six of Cups. Again, this card is all about our emotions and reflecting inward to reconnect with our inner child.

And this allows us to experience joy freely and channel our authentic selves to guide us forward based upon our intuition.

And like Betsy talked about throughout this episode, it is so important that we get in touch with our identities and honor every aspect of our self.

And while identity can sometimes feel individual, there is a collective responsibility there. As an LGBTQ+ community, we should be working together to uplift and affirm each other.

You know, we don't all share the same background or have the same experiences with family, so it's important that we come together as a chosen family to help everyone feel safe and supported so that they can channel their authentic selves.

And we've seen that today through talking about the Golden Girls and ballroom culture.

And while they may seem like two very different concepts, they do highlight the importance of carving out space for each other to be seen and celebrated.

So, whether we're going to a drag show, playing in a queer sports league, or just baking a cheesecake with friends, let's make sure we're creating environments filled with joy and authenticity.

Connect with Heavens 2 Betsy (38:57)

Rob Loveless

Well, Betsy, thank you so much for coming on today. This was such a great and inspiring episode. I really appreciate you being so vulnerable and sharing your insights with us.

So, for all the listeners out there, can you tell them how they can learn more about you, connect with you, and see you in some upcoming shows? Plug all the things.

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

Absolutely. So, you can find me on Instagram. That's the social media app that I use primarily. My handle is @Heavens2Betsy_Stratton. You can also find me on Facebook.

I don't use that as often, but you can find me there. It's the same handle. You can find me on Venmo that, I use Instagram primarily, but Venmo is my favorite. Give me money.

My handle is the same there as well. I do have Cash App. I don't really use that one and have my government name in it, so we'll just stick to Venmo for now. But you can follow me on Instagram.

That's where I post all of my upcoming shows. If any of my shows are ticketed and require tickets, I have a link tree in my Instagram bio, so you can get direct links to all of my upcoming ticketed shows.

I update it regularly. I updated it earlier today, in fact, for upcoming shows that I have.

You can also, if you're in Philadelphia, or even if you're visiting Philadelphia, most Thursday nights, I'll be at Bob and Barbara's Lounge in South Philly. That's 15th and South Streets.

I'm the reigning Miss Bob and Barbara's, so I'll be there almost every, not almost, but most Thursdays. There's a show every Thursday nights. I'll be there quite often. You can catch me.

There are two shows, 7:30 and 9:30. I'll be in both shows, and I am there on Thursdays at Bob and Barbara's Lounge in South Philly.

I'm also Miss Crimson Moon, so if you want to come down to Crimson Moon at Wilmington, Delaware, you can find me there.

I'll be all over the state, in the tri-state area, as you're reigning Miss Gay Pennsylvania America. But honestly, follow me on Instagram.

That will be your centralized place to keep up with me 100% and like my videos and like my posts. Make me feel pretty. Give me money. That's what I want. I want your money.

Rob Loveless

And all that information will be in the episode description, so definitely check her out. Get tickets to see a show and enjoy a great night out.

Connect with A Jaded Gay (41:11)

Rob Loveless

And for the podcast, you know the drill. You can reach out to me with any questions or feedback rob@ajadedgay.com.

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Outtake (42:49)

Heavens 2 Betsy Stratton

I feel like I'm rambling a lot. Betsy likes to talk. Oh, my, I was sitting here thinking I'm doing a lot of talking. I need some water. Yeah, repeat the question. I just want to make sure I cover all of it.