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Unstoppable: Pittsburgh Drag Popstar

Unstoppable: Pittsburgh Drag Popstar

Unstoppable: Pittsburgh Drag Popstar

Unstoppable: Pittsburgh Drag Popstar

BY DEZZ JUST DEZZ

BY DEZZ JUST DEZZ

BY DEZZ JUST DEZZ

BY DEZZ JUST DEZZ

January 24, 2024

January 24, 2024

January 24, 2024

January 24, 2024

In the Lord’s year of 2024, I purchased a Zoom membership. With the energy of meetings longer than 40 minutes in my soul, I logged on for a conversation with “Pittsburgh’s Pop Star,” Joey Young. Of course, as we joked, and then dissected, there is no stopping her. Upon answering the call, I found Joey sat over a bowl of rhinestones. And that’s just what I wanted, the most authentic Joey Young experience. That theme, of human beings as an experience, has been integral to drag, but do entertainers still get the privilege to really be humanized? Joey Young has been performing since she was one month old, making her debut as baby Jesus in the nativity scene. She joined choir, she became a solo artist at 15, and now, here she is, mastering the art of drag as a traveling entertainer. Joey has made her mark on the culture throughout the entire country. Though in the stormy weather, in our rooms, behind our screens, we started the interview, as Lydia Kollins likes to tell her, “home grown on the bone” in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.


The wind blew through the curtains, spreading stones and cans of Celsius, symbols of Joey. “...Celcius, I did not invent,” she said, but many pieces of Joey’s self have become staples of the scene. This “repertoire”was formed entirely by herself and in the act of being herself. “The biggest pieces of success are things that come organically to you..and that you then elaborate on.” All of these references have not been the sole reason for Joey’s uprising, but the concept of the identity behind them plays a key role. As she defines herself, and as we like to jest, red is her color, but the origin runs much deeper than its hue.


Red became personally thematic through her single, “Scorpio,” while ironically, it was formed through the presentation of what she proclaimed as the “Anti-Joey.” The track took her own balance in her “best” and her “worst,” and amalgamated this concept into the picture of a “supervillain.” This version of Joey Young is so unlike her typical self, being seen in latex, space buns, and grit, but it was also a lane she found herself flourishing in during the time of release. This look, featured in Scorpio’s music video, was one of her first larger purchases when gearing her image more towards drag. In becoming her antithesis, she made an investment. This red latex get-up became a repeated style, something others were looking forward to finding her in, and in being against herself, she became herself. “Scorpio is someone telling you all these negative things…” but as the lyrics bring into question, “You might say that I'm crazy, But maybe we're the same.” We are all human. We are all flawed. And we all have room for growth.


Joey has been “Pittsburgh’s drag baby;” she’s been the middle child, constantly working for everything she’s earned, extending that passion to the newer parts of the scene, all while honoring those who have nurtured her on her entire journey. This thread of respect, and the concept of paying your dues, is one of the most vital parts of the concept of growth as a drag entertainer. Joey says,“We can set expectations and goals…in order to give beginner entertainers their flowers, but I believe, in the same breath, we can also give them their flowers now.” When Joey Young entered the scene, the levels of support were much weaker, but as the generations grew, the sisterhood we all carry now, grew with it. “There’s a lot of heart…There’s a lot of love,” and this idea of admiration is part of her message at large. Joey Young’s image, while personal, was heavily formed by connection. She accredits a large portion of Pittsburgh’s past and present with having a hand in her creative process, referencing names like Scarlet Fairweather, JoeMyGosh and Jaxa Froot, Blade Matthews, and many other pillars in the community. With “the right people backing you,” we both agreed that there is so much that can be achieved.


Pittsburgh drag is often defined by its individualism, but also in its “filth.” Our drag is unlike any other, alternative, but in the way that everyone’s dirt and grime is personal to them. “My drag makes no sense out of Pittsburgh, but it makes complete sense in Pittsburgh.” Having accrued the title of “Pittsburgh’s drag popstar,” Joey believes that her presentation as “glitzy” is the “irreverent” part of her drag. This style can be seen as perhaps not generic, but, as she shares, almost the thought arising of, “Oh, here we go.” Yet, when viewed by location, this appearance transcends the concept of stereotype. It becomes campy, it becomes unique, and it becomes an even more evocative representation of us as a community. “The best, most influential drag is someone who gives you themselves on a platter.”


Joey Young has even been able to carry this representation nationwide, oftentimes being the first person an audience member sees performing from Pittsburgh. Currently, we are entering the “Pittsburgh Renaissance,” to which Joey references in credit to our most beloved, Lydia B. Kollins. For the first time in 12 years, a local queen has entered the cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and “there’s nobody better to have been chosen.” Lydia has been, to Joey, myself, and the entire community, a “trailblazer, not only just in aesthetics or presentation, but in her movement. Appearance is just one part of branding, but the aspect of performance can be an entirely separate conundrum.


Joey references her first time watching Lydia perform, having seen the heels of her shoes snap on P Town bar’s stage, and Lydia’s reaction, or lack thereof, oozing nothing but confidence and the ability to overcome. Joey Young describes herself as someone who has “a natural ability to live in a way that is very unfearful.” And while yes, everyone feels fear, “the hardest thing for any person, including myself, was just to find the peace in knowing that there’s always going to be somebody who has something negative to say…but if you’re constantly working towards trying to prove something to that person, you’re losing your essence. What matters is what you think…Why would I cater myself…to people who will not be in my surroundings for the rest of my life, when I’m going to be here for the rest of my life?”


Joey is proud of her work, and she should be. When releasing music she felt as though she was doing it “just to put something out…to stay in the machine,” but Joey has since been able to become the machine itself. “I am the machine that creates my art.” Her process is “not necessarily sustainable,” it’s constant, but it’s rewarding. The difficulty in consistency, though, lies in the idea of “perfectionism,” something Joey and I have frequently related to within each other. The only cure, for lack of a better term, is balance. There is a degree in feeling good about your work, while knowing what aspects you’d like to change in an all encompassing sense of acceptance. Kaydence McQueen told her that “Perfectionism is another word for procrastination.” Though, according to Joey, Kaydence herself, may not remember this revelation, it stuck. “You’re setting your standards for yourself so high that you’re telling yourself you won’t be able to achieve it…as you gain experience you gain knowledge.” The goal does not need to be “perfect,” but you must have “achieved something you haven’t achieved before…I don’t strive for perfection, I strive for growth.”


While having this discussion, Joey ends a thought by saying “...my ego aside,” but why do we feel the need to add these qualifiers to our pride as though “pride” does not define queerness? “Ego and arrogance are projections of what you want the world to believe that you are, and confidence is actually believing that you are that.” Drag, as a culture, is commonly viewed through the media’s idea of gayness, but in dissecting where that idea was born, what arises is simply a miscommunication. Entertainers are more human than people would like to accept. Even our pop star was once a child being bullied, and by her peers who were experiencing similar circumstances in their own lives. “When you look at drag…being able to feel your feelings and communicate them…eliminates that shadiness.” This true idea of success is created by an openness through dialogue and the ability to speak for what you need, whether it be tangible or emotional.


At the end of this call, I’m left with the overwhelming sentiment of humanity. Joey says, “Let go of…glamourising each other. I don’t expect you to be perfect.” We agreed that there is no benefit in chasing your peers in order to gain their understanding of what you already know you are. “I surround myself with people who want me to be Joey, just the human being,” and while I find myself laughing at my own branding behind the word “just,” I’m grateful to have had someone as warm as Joey Young to carry on that sentiment with me. There is no better self than what is created between the balance of unconscious ideas and your interpersonal truth, and like in Joey Young and her work, the growth when that is fully acknowledged becomes constant. This community, this scene, is entirely built on who we are, not who anyone else thinks we should be.

There is no stopping Joey Young, and there is no stopping Pittsburgh drag.

In the Lord’s year of 2024, I purchased a Zoom membership. With the energy of meetings longer than 40 minutes in my soul, I logged on for a conversation with “Pittsburgh’s Pop Star,” Joey Young. Of course, as we joked, and then dissected, there is no stopping her. Upon answering the call, I found Joey sat over a bowl of rhinestones. And that’s just what I wanted, the most authentic Joey Young experience. That theme, of human beings as an experience, has been integral to drag, but do entertainers still get the privilege to really be humanized? Joey Young has been performing since she was one month old, making her debut as baby Jesus in the nativity scene. She joined choir, she became a solo artist at 15, and now, here she is, mastering the art of drag as a traveling entertainer. Joey has made her mark on the culture throughout the entire country. Though in the stormy weather, in our rooms, behind our screens, we started the interview, as Lydia Kollins likes to tell her, “home grown on the bone” in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.


The wind blew through the curtains, spreading stones and cans of Celsius, symbols of Joey. “...Celcius, I did not invent,” she said, but many pieces of Joey’s self have become staples of the scene. This “repertoire”was formed entirely by herself and in the act of being herself. “The biggest pieces of success are things that come organically to you..and that you then elaborate on.” All of these references have not been the sole reason for Joey’s uprising, but the concept of the identity behind them plays a key role. As she defines herself, and as we like to jest, red is her color, but the origin runs much deeper than its hue.


Red became personally thematic through her single, “Scorpio,” while ironically, it was formed through the presentation of what she proclaimed as the “Anti-Joey.” The track took her own balance in her “best” and her “worst,” and amalgamated this concept into the picture of a “supervillain.” This version of Joey Young is so unlike her typical self, being seen in latex, space buns, and grit, but it was also a lane she found herself flourishing in during the time of release. This look, featured in Scorpio’s music video, was one of her first larger purchases when gearing her image more towards drag. In becoming her antithesis, she made an investment. This red latex get-up became a repeated style, something others were looking forward to finding her in, and in being against herself, she became herself. “Scorpio is someone telling you all these negative things…” but as the lyrics bring into question, “You might say that I'm crazy, But maybe we're the same.” We are all human. We are all flawed. And we all have room for growth.


Joey has been “Pittsburgh’s drag baby;” she’s been the middle child, constantly working for everything she’s earned, extending that passion to the newer parts of the scene, all while honoring those who have nurtured her on her entire journey. This thread of respect, and the concept of paying your dues, is one of the most vital parts of the concept of growth as a drag entertainer. Joey says,“We can set expectations and goals…in order to give [beginner entertainers] their flowers, but I believe, in the same breath, we can also give them their flowers now.” When Joey Young entered the scene, the levels of support were much weaker, but as the generations grew, the sisterhood we all carry now, grew with it. “There’s a lot of heart…There’s a lot of love,” and this idea of admiration is part of her message at large. Joey Young’s image, while personal, was heavily formed by connection. She accredits a large portion of Pittsburgh’s past and present with having a hand in her creative process, referencing names like Scarlet Fairweather, JoeMyGosh and Jaxa Froot, Blade Matthews, and many other pillars in the community. With “the right people backing you,” we both agreed that there is so much that can be achieved.


Pittsburgh drag is often defined by its individualism, but also in its “filth.” Our drag is unlike any other, alternative, but in the way that everyone’s dirt and grime is personal to them. “My drag makes no sense in Pittsburgh, but it makes complete sense in Pittsburgh.” Having accrued the title of “Pittsburgh’s drag popstar,” Joey believes that her presentation as “glitzy” is the “irreverent” part of her drag. This style can be seen as perhaps not generic, but, as she shares, almost the thought arising of, “Oh, here we go.” Yet, when viewed by location, this appearance transcends the concept of stereotype. It becomes campy, it becomes unique, and it becomes an even more evocative representation of us as a community.“The best, most influential drag is someone who gives you themselves on a platter.”


Joey Young has even been able to carry this representation nationwide, oftentimes being the first person an audience member sees performing from Pittsburgh. Currently, we are entering the “Pittsburgh Renaissance,” to which Joey references in credit to our most beloved, Lydia B. Kollins. For the first time in 12 years, a local queen has entered the cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and “there’s nobody better to have been chosen.” Lydia has been, to Joey, myself, and the entire community, a “trailblazer, not only just in aesthetics or presentation, but in her movement. Appearance is just one part of branding, but the aspect of performance can be an entirely separate conundrum.


Joey references her first time watching Lydia perform, having seen the heels of her shoes snap on P-Town bar’s stage, and Lydia’s reaction, or lack thereof, oozing nothing but confidence and the ability to overcome. Joey Young describes herself as someone who has “a natural ability to live in a way that is very unfearful.” And while yes, everyone feels fear, “the hardest thing for any person, including myself, was just to find the peace in knowing that there’s always going to be somebody who has something negative to say…but if you’re constantly working towards trying to prove something to that person, you’re losing your essence. What matters is what you think…Why would I cater myself…to people who will not be in my surroundings for the rest of my life, when I’m going to be here for the rest of my life?”


Joey is proud of her work, and she should be. When releasing music she felt as though she was doing it “just to put something out…to stay in the machine,” but Joey has since been able to become the machine itself. “I am the machine that creates my art.” Her process is “not necessarily sustainable,” it’s constant, but it’s rewarding. The difficulty in consistency, though, lies in the idea of “perfectionism,” something Joey and I have frequently related to within each other. The only cure, for lack of a better term, is balance. There is a degree in feeling good about your work, while knowing what aspects you’d like to change in an all encompassing sense of acceptance. Kaydence McQueen told her that “Perfectionism is another word for procrastination.” Though, according to Joey, Kaydence herself, may not remember this revelation, it stuck. “You’re setting your standards for yourself so high that you’re telling yourself you won’t be able to achieve it…as you gain experience you gain knowledge.” The goal does not need to be “perfect,” but you must have “achieved something you haven’t achieved before…I don’t strive for perfection, I strive for growth.”


While having this discussion, Joey ends a thought by saying “...my ego aside,” but why do we feel the need to add these qualifiers to our pride as though “pride” does not define queerness? “Ego and arrogance are projections of what you want the world to believe that you are, and confidence is actually believing that you are that.” Drag, as a culture, is commonly viewed through the media’s idea of gayness, but in dissecting where that idea was born, what arises is simply a miscommunication. Entertainers are more human than people would like to accept. Even our pop star was once a child being bullied, and by her peers who were experiencing similar circumstances in their own lives. “When you look at drag…being able to feel your feelings and communicate them…eliminates that shadiness.” This true idea of success is created by an openness through dialogue and the ability to speak for what you need, whether it be tangible or emotional.


At the end of this call, I’m left with the overwhelming sentiment of humanity. Joey says, “Let go of…glamourising each other. I don’t expect you to be perfect.” We agreed that there is no benefit in chasing your peers in order to gain their understanding of what you already know you are. “I surround myself with people who want me to be Joey, just the human being,” and while I find myself laughing at my own branding behind the word “just,” I’m grateful to have had someone as warm as Joey Young to carry on that sentiment with me. There is no better self than what is created between the balance of unconscious ideas and your interpersonal truth, and like in Joey Young and her work, the growth when that is fully acknowledged becomes constant. This community, this scene, is entirely built on who we are, not who anyone else thinks we should be.

There is no stopping Joey Young, and there is no stopping Pittsburgh drag.



In the Lord’s year of 2024, I purchased a Zoom membership. With the energy of meetings longer than 40 minutes in my soul, I logged on for a conversation with “Pittsburgh’s Pop Star,” Joey Young. Of course, as we joked, and then dissected, there is no stopping her. Upon answering the call, I found Joey sat over a bowl of rhinestones. And that’s just what I wanted, the most authentic Joey Young experience. That theme, of human beings as an experience, has been integral to drag, but do entertainers still get the privilege to really be humanized? Joey Young has been performing since she was one month old, making her debut as baby Jesus in the nativity scene. She joined choir, she became a solo artist at 15, and now, here she is, mastering the art of drag as a traveling entertainer. Joey has made her mark on the culture throughout the entire country. Though in the stormy weather, in our rooms, behind our screens, we started the interview, as Lydia Kollins likes to tell her, “home grown on the bone” in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.


The wind blew through the curtains, spreading stones and cans of Celsius, symbols of Joey. “...Celcius, I did not invent,” she said, but many pieces of Joey’s self have become staples of the scene. This “repertoire”was formed entirely by herself and in the act of being herself. “The biggest pieces of success are things that come organically to you..and that you then elaborate on.” All of these references have not been the sole reason for Joey’s uprising, but the concept of the identity behind them plays a key role. As she defines herself, and as we like to jest, red is her color, but the origin runs much deeper than its hue.


Red became personally thematic through her single, “Scorpio,” while ironically, it was formed through the presentation of what she proclaimed as the “Anti-Joey.” The track took her own balance in her “best” and her “worst,” and amalgamated this concept into the picture of a “supervillain.” This version of Joey Young is so unlike her typical self, being seen in latex, space buns, and grit, but it was also a lane she found herself flourishing in during the time of release. This look, featured in Scorpio’s music video, was one of her first larger purchases when gearing her image more towards drag. In becoming her antithesis, she made an investment. This red latex get-up became a repeated style, something others were looking forward to finding her in, and in being against herself, she became herself. “[Scorpio is] someone telling you all these negative things…” but as the lyrics bring into question, “You might say that I'm crazy / But maybe we're the same.” We are all human. We are all flawed. And we all have room for growth.


Joey has been “Pittsburgh’s drag baby;” she’s been the middle child, constantly working for everything she’s earned, extending that passion to the newer parts of the scene, all while honoring those who have nurtured her on her entire journey. This thread of respect, and the concept of paying your dues, is one of the most vital parts of the concept of growth as a drag entertainer. Joey says,“We can set expectations and goals…in order to give [beginner entertainers] their flowers, but I believe, in the same breath, we can also give them their flowers now.” When Joey Young entered the scene, the levels of support were much weaker, but as the generations grew, the sisterhood we all carry now, grew with it. “There’s a lot of heart…There’s a lot of love,” and this idea of admiration is part of her message at large. Joey Young’s image, while personal, was heavily formed by connection. She accredits a large portion of Pittsburgh’s past and present with having a hand in her creative process, referencing names like Scarlet Fairweather, JoeMyGosh and Jaxa Froot, Blade Matthews, and many other pillars in the community. With “the right people backing you,” we both agreed that there is so much that can be achieved.


Pittsburgh drag is often defined by its individualism, but also in its “filth.” Our drag is unlike any other, alternative, but in the way that everyone’s dirt and grime is personal to them. “My drag makes no sense in Pittsburgh, but it makes complete sense in Pittsburgh.” Having accrued the title of “Pittsburgh’s drag popstar,” Joey believes that her presentation as “glitzy” is the “irreverent” part of her drag. This style can be seen as perhaps not generic, but, as she shares, almost the thought arising of, “Oh, here we go.” Yet, when viewed by location, this appearance transcends the concept of stereotype. It becomes campy, it becomes unique, and it becomes an even more evocative representation of us as a community.“The best, most influential drag is someone who gives you themselves on a platter.”


Joey Young has even been able to carry this representation nationwide, oftentimes being the first person an audience member sees performing from Pittsburgh. Currently, we are entering the “Pittsburgh Renaissance,” to which Joey references in credit to our most beloved, Lydia B. Kollins. For the first time in 12 years, a local queen has entered the cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and “there’s nobody better to have been chosen.” Lydia has been, to Joey, myself, and the entire community, a “trailblazer, not only just in aesthetics or presentation, but in her movement. Appearance is just one part of branding, but the aspect of performance can be an entirely separate conundrum.


Joey references her first time watching Lydia perform, having seen the heels of her shoes snap on P-Town bar’s stage, and Lydia’s reaction, or lack thereof, oozing nothing but confidence and the ability to overcome. Joey Young describes herself as someone who has “a natural ability to live in a way that is very unfearful.” And while yes, everyone feels fear, “the hardest thing for any person, including myself, was just to find the peace in knowing that there’s always going to be somebody who has something negative to say…but if you’re constantly working towards trying to prove something to that person, you’re losing your essence. What matters is what you think…Why would I cater myself…to people who will not be in my surroundings for the rest of my life, when I’m going to be here for the rest of my life?”


Joey is proud of her work, and she should be. When releasing music she felt as though she was doing it “just to put something out…to stay in the machine,” but Joey has since been able to become the machine itself. “I am the machine that creates my art.” Her process is “not necessarily sustainable,” it’s constant, but it’s rewarding. The difficulty in consistency, though, lies in the idea of “perfectionism,” something Joey and I have frequently related to within each other. The only cure, for lack of a better term, is balance. There is a degree in feeling good about your work, while knowing what aspects you’d like to change in an all encompassing sense of acceptance. Kaydence McQueen told her that “Perfectionism is another word for procrastination.” Though, according to Joey, Kaydence herself, may not remember this revelation, it stuck. “You’re setting your standards for yourself so high that you’re telling yourself you won’t be able to achieve it…as you gain experience you gain knowledge.” The goal does not need to be “perfect,” but you must have “achieved something [you haven’t] achieved before…I don’t strive for perfection, I strive for growth.”


While having this discussion, Joey ends a thought by saying “...my ego aside,” but why do we feel the need to add these qualifiers to our pride as though “pride” does not define queerness? “Ego and arrogance are projections of what you want the world to believe that you are, and confidence is actually believing that you are that.” Drag, as a culture, is commonly viewed through the media’s idea of gayness, but in dissecting where that idea was born, what arises is simply a miscommunication. Entertainers are more human than people would like to accept. Even our pop star was once a child being bullied, and by her peers who were experiencing similar circumstances in their own lives. “When you look at drag…being able to feel your feelings and communicate them…eliminates that shadiness.” This true idea of success is created by an openness through dialogue and the ability to speak for what you need, whether it be tangible or emotional.


At the end of this call, I’m left with the overwhelming sentiment of humanity. Joey says, “Let go of…glamourising each other. I don’t expect you to be perfect.” We agreed that there is no benefit in chasing your peers in order to gain their understanding of what you already know you are. “I surround myself with people who want me to be Joey, just the human being,” and while I find myself laughing at my own branding behind the word “just,” I’m grateful to have had someone as warm as Joey Young to carry on that sentiment with me. There is no better self than what is created between the balance of unconscious ideas and your interpersonal truth, and like in Joey Young and her work, the growth when that is fully acknowledged becomes constant. This community, this scene, is entirely built on who we are, not who anyone else thinks we should be.

There is no stopping Joey Young, and there is no stopping Pittsburgh drag.

Volume Two Out Now

Volume Two Out Now

Volume Two Out Now

Volume Two Out Now

Volume Two Out Now

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