NYC Drag Queen Of The Week – Bella Noche
There is no shortage of drag queens in NYC. You can’t throw a rock without hitting some twink in a dress thinking he’s got what it takes to shantay down the runway just because he’s seen every season of Ru Paul’s Drag Race while practicing YouTube makeup tutorials. There’s a difference, though, between learning how to just paint your face and turning that face into a work of fucking art. This weekly series highlights the queens who stand out from the crowd and rock those heels til they bleed.
Meet Bella Noche.
Photo Credit- Alix Kramer
What was it like coming out to your family?
I grew up Pentecostal. My parents were very anti-gay. I kept it hidden for a long time. At 19 I was outed and I was kicked out of my house. Me and the boy I was dating at the time had gone to the movies and we did one of those photobooths where the photos print out and my mom found it and one of the photos was us kissing. It was a lot. She wasn’t prepared for it and I wasn’t prepared for it and it was this colossal accidental discovery. My parents were like “You can’t be gay in our house”.
Is your relationship with them still bad?
My relationship with my parents has definitely gotten better, especially in this last year, but it’s been hard. They definitely don’t know that I do drag they just know that I’m gay.
Why do you call yourself a drag mermaid?
That’s who I am. I’m the drag mermaid of New York City. Ever since I was younger I’ve had this fascination with mermaids. There’s that classic scene in The Little Mermaid that every girl and gay boy knows where she gets to the surface and flips her hair back. When I started doing drag I wanted to create this mermaid character. Sailors gave their lives trying to find mermaids and there’s one right here in the West Village. Come see me.
Photo Credit- Billy Hess
Describe your look.
There’s a lot of color. Even if I’m not doing full mermaid there’s always a little nod to the nautical. I like looking like a fantasy character out of a storybook.
You’ve performed at Stonewall. Were you familiar with its place in LGBT history before you started drag?
When I was in college I worked at an LGBT youth center and I would do gay history workshops because they’re not teaching that in schools. We would tell them about Stonewall, we would watch Paris Is Burning and we would look at who the pioneers of the civil rights movement for gay people were. Not only did I know the history beforehand, now that I’ve started doing drag there, it becomes even more relevant and more alive and more of an honor to be on that stage and perform where so much amazing history has happened with our community.
What’s something that another queen has done on stage that you would never do?
I didn’t see it per se, I saw a picture, but she ate someone’s ass on stage. I was like, “No, no, that’s messing up my lipstick and my highlights so that’s not going on”.
What’s something about you that might surprise people?
I’m a football fan. My family watched football growing up and I played football in high school. And, honestly, most of the guys I’ve dated are also football fans. It’s fun to watch, it’s engaging and at the end of the season you get to throw a massive party.
What makes a Bella Noche show stand out?
First of all, I’m funny as fuck. Second of all, I like to make every person at my show feel special, feel included, feel wanted, and feel like they’re in for a good time because they’re with me. And third of all, how many times do you get to see an ex-mermaid walking about New York City?
Follow Bella Noche on Facebook and Instagram.
See her perform every Tuesday 7pm-9pm at Rockbar (West Village) for Game On Trivia Night.
