Bearded queen Ursula Major talks drag & traveling the West
For the past few weeks, Ursula Major, a stunning, off beat, eccentric, thought provoking, bearded drag queen from Los Angeles, has been making rounds throughout the Wild West with fellow performer Gabe Wing.
The duo left LA in the rear view mirror of a PT Cruiser filled with dresses, wigs, and even a sewing machine for any last minute alterations or unforeseen mishaps, and started driving 370 miles west to Phoenix, Arizona to perform. From there, they traveled 116 miles south to Tucson.
“When we finished the final show in Tucson I was exhausted,” Ursula said. “We had just performed five nights in a row in two different cities. But, we got a few days off and I was able to visit with my mom and few friends.”
Ursula reigns from Tucson, where she spent the first 22 years of her life before moving to Seattle. The decision to break free of the Tucson bubble stemmed from wanting to live an authentic life, rather than living a life dictated by those around her. She bounced around from higher education and a few career opportunities, none of which were making her happy.
“I moved to Seattle because it was time to get out of that space. I needed to do what makes happy, and not everyone else.”
Looking to surround herself with more gay people, and get into a city with a better body modification scene, Ursula packed up her life and moved to Seattle where drag fell into her lap.
Although she had done drag once or twice before for fraternity events sporting “Ross crossdress for less dresses,” it wasn’t until a friend invited her to a show called Bacon Strip, which she now has tattooed on her thigh, that her drag persona came to life.
“It felt like the right time to start doing it,” she said. “It was also at a time when I was filled with shame about it. I wanted to do it, but I was freaked out when I thought people knew I was buying bras. I was scared of my femininity, and it caused a lot of self-hate. But, I was in a new city and didn’t know a lot of people, so I decided to get in drag and go out.”
The night was themed after queer icon John Waters, so Ursula painted a Divine inspired mug and won a signed John Waters poster in the costume contest.
“I sold the poster two weeks later so I could have money for food,” she said. “It’s sad, but who knows where I’d be if I didn’t sell it.”
After the show, the host invited Ursula to perform at the next show and her drag career was thrown into overdrive. She performed at every Bacon Strip for the next two years. Alongside Bacon Strip, she started performing with a burlesque troupe where she learned a lot about being a performer and giving the audience a story with every gig she booked.
Eventually, she moved back to Tucson for a spell where she really honed in on her art before moving to LA where she lives and performs regularly when she isn’t putting miles on her PT Cruiser.
“It’s always great on the road,” Ursula said. “It keeps everything fresh in a way.”
After spending a few days with family in Tucson and resting from the travel and constant shows, Ursula and Gabe packed up the car once again and drove 320 miles to El Paso, Texas, where their luck took a turn for the worst when Gabe’s wallet, and the money funding the trip, was stolen.
The queens, however, didn’t let it stop them and continued their trip another 270 miles north to Albuquerque, New Mexico where they met Billie C. Wonka and Nicky Wonka who took the queens under their wing and helped them back on their feet.
“I can’t even tell you how much appreciation I have for those two,” Ursula said. “They helped us get to Denver with a lot less stress than when we arrived in Albuquerque. They were incredible.”
With a newfound inspiration and a lighter load on their shoulders, Ursula and Gabe trekked another 450 miles to Denver, just in time for 4/20.
“We ended up going to the rally at [Civic Center] park in full geish and had a fantastic time,” she said. “People would stare at us from a distance until one person walked up and asked for a picture, then others would start approaching. It happened in little spurts the entire time we were there. I think I took, like, 200 photos in the few hours I was there.”
The distance and hesitance most likely stems from her drag aesthetic, which is far from the anything you’ve seen on RuPaul’s Drag Race. A self-taught queen, whose only drag mother was the internet, Ursula is a one of kind collectable.
With dermal piercings framing her mug, a split tongue mocking the diction of songs, no padding, and full beard Ursula is at the very least thought provoking with her gender bending drag.
Tonight, Ursula and Gabe, are bringing their PT Cruiser to the Compound for the monthly queer party Blow Pony alongside Grace Towers.
“It’s my first time in Denver, and I have something pretty special planned,” Ursula assured us. “Come prepared to have a good time and expect to see something you may have never seen before.”
A photo posted by Ursula Major – Justin Bear (@theursulamajor) on
A photo posted by Ursula Major – Justin Bear (@theursulamajor) on
