Black Pride Performer Spotlight: Porsha DeMarco-Douglas

by Denny Patterson

L oud, proud, and as sassy as they come, Porsha DeMarco-Douglas is a drag queen you are bound to remember.

Originally from Fayetteville, North Carolina, Porsha has been doing drag for almost 18 years and would describe her art as very high-energy and in-your-face. Although she may be a plus-size gal, she can kick, flip, split, and buck with the best of them. From stand-up comedy to inspirational ballads, Porsha can do it all, and she says her favorite part about doing drag is connecting and resonating with audiences.

Porsha can usually be seen at Tracks, Hamburger Mary’s, and X Bar, but in June, she will be doing a special performance for Black Pride Colorado. OFM caught up with the diva to talk more about Black Pride, her drag artistry, and other upcoming projects.

How excited are you to be performing at this year’s Black Pride?

I am so freaking excited! Most of the members that are a part of Black Pride are my friends, so it's always a great time to be on stage with them, laugh and be giggly and silly—all the good stuff that comes with being able to see each other again.

Who is Porsha DeMarco-Douglas, and what is she all about?

Porsha DeMarco-Douglas, I would consider her that loudmouth auntie that everybody loves. She’s that one. She’s bougie, but a little crazy and knows how to give out tough love when she needs to. All around, she just wants to make sure that you are successful.

When and how did you discover your love and passion for drag?

(Laughs) It’s actually a very weird story. When I was younger, I was a sports gay, and I hated drag queens. I don’t know what it was, but I could not tell you what my disliking of drag entertainers was. It was not pretty. I had nothing nice to say about any of them, but then I befriended one. She became a drag mother later on, but we were legit at her house, and we were watching a football game. She goes, “If this team wins, you have to do drag. I was like, “OK, looking at their record, they’re not going to win. I have nothing to worry about,” but then they won. I said, “Oh, snap!” However, I quickly realized that I was kind of good at this, and I really liked the attention. They went hand in hand.

What can one always expect from a Porsha DeMarco-Douglas set?

Oh, that’s my favorite question of all time! You will always get a show out of me. I am typically known as the big, curvy, dancing diva, so I do the kicks, flips, and splits. I can do it all. She’s getting a little older, so she may not do it as much, but I can guarantee that you will always get a show out of me. I’m a firm believer, and it’s something that I’m fine with, you may not remember my name, but you will always remember what I did on stage.

What do you think makes the Denver drag community unique and stand out from other drag communities?

Honestly, and this is going to sound petty, but the one thing that I will say that our community does better than most, we have a huge variety of drag entertainers here that coexist very well with each other. However, no matter what drag scene you look at, there's drama of some sort. There's going to be drama. There's going to be girls that are fighting. Yes, it happens, and we all know it does. We all see it, but I also feel like our community makes sure that when it comes down to handling those situations, it's very much internal and it gets squashed. We tend to squash our drama quickly. It doesn’t really linger. There’s no, “Hey, I heard this and that.” No, no, baby. That’s last week’s news. Move on. We also make sure that our community and the people who come see our shows don’t get pulled into the drama because it sometimes happens.

Besides performing, what else are you looking forward to the most about this year’s Black Pride?

Going off something I said earlier, I’m not going to lie; I like attention, so I’m very excited about that (laughs). Then just being able to be on stage and live in my authenticity. Being able to share another part of me of that, with everything going on in the world, gets misconstrued. Being a Black entertainer, some people don’t get it.

What does Pride mean to you?

Pride, for me, is being happy, being able to stand in your truth, and being authentic. When it comes down to Black Pride, or Pride in general, I am unapologetically me. It gives me that feeling of this is my time, this is my space. This is my time to show everyone who I am and not have to question, “Am I being too much? Am I not being enough?” I am just able to live in my existence.

Do you remember the first Pride event you ever attended?

I sure do! It was in Colorado Springs in 2007, and it was a hella hot day! I was a lot younger back then, so I could do things I can't really do any more, and little baby me used to wear things that she shouldn’t have. Porsha used to very much shop off the rack. Don’t get me wrong, I was still a bigger person; I’m just a little bigger now, but I would sit there and try to buy these cute little miniskirts and small tops. I thought I was that girl. I was like, “Yeah, I look sexy!” I look at those pictures now, and I’m like, “Oh, shit. Baby, no.” There were no tights; I could never do that now. I was advocating for being a hoochie, let me tell you.

What are some future goals you hope to accomplish with your drag and platform?

One of the few things that I really want to do, I wouldn’t say that I’ve become a bit of a pageant girl, but I like doing pageants, and two of the major pageants that I’d love to do are Miss Continental and Miss Gay US at Large. Before I retire, my goal is to become a national title holder. I’ve always looked up to those pageants, and if I win one next year, I’m probably going to retire. I’ve accomplished my goal, I’m good to go.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you'd like to mention our plug?

Yeah, there are a couple projects that I’m currently a part of and working on. One, I’m doing a really cool and nifty show with a couple others at Meow Wolf called We Are Here. The Drag Guide to Pride, and that’s June 15 and 16. You’ve got some Denver hard hitters, like Jessica L’Whor, Lulu Alnite, and Mariah Spanic. I’m very excited about the event because I’ve lived in Denver for two years and I’ve never been to Meow Wolf. I also have another event that weekend, a Juneteenth performance at Tracks, and then later on in June, I’m the mother of the House of Ninja’s Colorado chapter, and we have a ball that I’m going to in Texas. This will be my first outing as a parental figure for the Colorado chapter.

Stay up-to-date with Porsha by following her on Facebook and Instagram @porshademarco. For more information on Black Pride, visit blackpridedenver.com.