Drag Queen Spotlight: Yvette Getarian on Lesbians, Cats, and Vegetarianism

March 16, 2023
JORDAN JAYRO

Hello friends! This week I'm back with another Drag Queen Spotlight! This week we're getting to know the fiercely stunning and talented Yvette Getarian! She is the Peoples' Plant-Based Princess, and we love to see it! Yvette is a sickening queen, with some of the fiercest celebrity illusions I have ever seen! Check out her Instagram to see for yourself. Yvette is a mother to her cat Bologna, and a member of Haus of YUQ, producing some of the fiercest drag-related content on the planet. It was so nice getting to do this interview with Yvette! Check out her answers below!

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A post shared by Yvette Getarian ️‍⚧️ (@yvettegetarian)

How did you get your drag name?

I wanted something that screams “one of those meat-hating, men-hating lesbians.” Oh, and I have been a vegetarian for 7 years now. I am such a fan of pun drag names…

How long have you been doing drag?

I have been performing in drag for 3 years. I started makeup and dressing up much earlier, but my first show was right before the world shut down. Funny enough, it was meant to be with Kornbread Jete from RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15, but she was sick that day.

When is your birthday? How old are you?

I am an early April baby! As an Aries, I must say… Aries really are superior. I am twenty-three years old at the time of writing, so I’m quickly approaching that age where I can no longer not stretch before my performances.

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A post shared by Yvette Getarian ️‍⚧️ (@yvettegetarian)

Relationship status?

I am single, much to my chagrin… nothing screams Happy New Year quite like being dumped! Maybe 2023 will have some new suitors enter my love arena.

What was your first time in drag like?

My first time in drag was a fucking blast. Not to toot my own horn, but I feel like I really sold it (what little I had to sell). At the time, I was intending to be a much more grungy, alternative performer, taking inspiration from femme fatales of rock like Joan Jett. However, I have since moved away from those references in my art.

What made you want to start drag?

I wanted to start drag thanks to the amazing queer community at UC Santa Barbara! Having seen drag for the first time at their annual drag show, I knew I had to give it a go. I remember being so unbelievably nervous, but I felt so proud taking that first step and just throwing myself into it.

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A post shared by Yvette Getarian ️‍⚧️ (@yvettegetarian)

Who inspires your drag (celebrities, other queens, etc.)?

I find inspiration for my drag in peculiar places. I am highly inspired by brown-town bleak modernism of celebrities like Kim Kardashian releasing beige earbuds, but also floral arrangements, flora, fauna, and even foods. I like to elevate my looks to be something highly specific, yet look effortless or not overdone. My recent fashion inspiration is definitely Deon Lee’s 2023 Spring collection.

Favorite song/artist to lip sync to?

The only correct answer is Celine Dion. She is not only one of the best-selling singers ever, but she is also just such a raw and emotional songstress that lends her emotion so well to performance. I have performed, “I’m Alive,” “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now,” “My Heart Will Go On,” and many others.

Have you ever hooked up in drag?

Absolutely not! I am a woman of God… no not really, but drag by definition is uncomfortable. Why on earth would I want to do all that in a corset and a glued-down wig cap?

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What’s your favorite thing about drag?

My favorite thing about drag is definitely the community building. I feel like I can walk into any bar, club, or event in LA county and recognize people, spot friends, and know who to avoid. I feel like the drag scene is, in a way, a piece of my life I was always missing and it feels so correct to finally belong somewhere.

What are your hobbies outside of drag?

Outside of drag, I love to cook, I love to garden, I am an avid enamel pin collector, and I also have a para-social relationship with my cat, Bologna. She tolerates me, whereas I worship the ground she walks on. I would die, kill, or commit tax fraud for her.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve witnessed in a dressing room?

I once witnessed a queen spray down her (rancid) hip padding with Got 2 Be hairspray to “make it smell fresh again.” I can only imagine how sticky they were to put on, but I am more-so fixated on the fact that it is not that perfumed and the pads most definitely still reeked.

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A post shared by Yvette Getarian ️‍⚧️ (@yvettegetarian)

Biggest pet peeve about working with other drag queens?

Tardiness. If you cannot be on time, I am not seeking you out to work with you. Valid reasons exist, of course, but if you are late to everything you are in, you need to evaluate why you are so willing to waste not only your coworkers’ time but also the audience’s time.

Biggest pet peeve about audiences in nightclubs?

TOUCHING THE MERCHANDISE! I get it… I am gorgeous beyond compare. But the second you start grabbing me, touching me, even trying to hold me back, that is when I stop being nice about it. Consent is key. And let it be known… I know very few people who consent to be handled like that.

Any advice for someone wanting to start drag?

Originality and creativity are key. Do not aspire to look, be, or perform like someone else. If you want to go out there and perform slow ballads in French, werk bitch! Here is a dollar!