Jinkx and DeLa, UNWRAPPED
By Benjamin Jenkins
Photod: Jiji Lee
This year for Christmas, all Jinkx Monsoon and sBen DeLaCreme want is peace on Earth, a Blue Wave, a night of passion with Krampus and to be murdered by Jennifer Tilly.
In a recent interview, we caught up with the drag icons: Jinkx, fresh off her Broadway triumph as Matron “Mama” Morton in Chicago and her breakout role as Maestro in “Doctor Who,” and DeLa, a trailblazing force in drag and the indemand director behind numerous drag and queer artists’ one-person shows and concerts, including Monét X Change’s “Life Be Lifin’.” Both are founding members of Drag PAC, an organization dedicated to fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and working to end anti-trans and anti-drag laws across the country.
The creative masterminds and stars of “The Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show,” which will tour the U.S. in November and December, spoke recently about how the show has evolved, their creative process and what new drag barriers they’ll be breaking.
On the evolution of the Jinkx and DeLa holiday shows
Jinkx: Every year we create a brand new show, right? And that ain’t easy to do. In past years, we’ve only had about three weeks to write the show, build it, get everything in place, rehearse it, and then open it.
There was one year where we went to the U.K. We did about two shows, and the U.K. loved it. The show was great. Don’t question that. But that year, we realized that something about how we wrote the show was making the audience root for one of us or the other.
DeLa: They were choosing sides.
Jinkx: They were choosing sides in a show that has always been about coming together.
Competition is not a bad thing. Competition produces good art. It inspires good art when it drives people to be their best. But what also produces good art is supporting one another. So DeLa carried the weight of doing some massive rewrites while I was keeping us on track to keep doing this version of the show in the U.K. So when we get to America, we hoped we’d fixed this unintentional thing that was happening in our show.
DeLa: It was crazy. I was literally doing rewrites between our shows of the current version, running them by Jinkx, but then we had to remember the current script. Then we landed in the U.S., had like one day of rehearsal and then put it on.
Jinkx on ‘All Stars’ 7 format vs. traditional
seasons
As Jinkx and DeLa discussed how they’ve intentionally shifted away from a rivalry in their annual show, Jinkx recounted another opportunity to revisit an entertaining formula and demonstrate it can still work without adversarial tension: her victory on Season 7 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” — the all-winners season.
Jinkx: Our show is not the only example of that. I participated in “All Stars” [season] 7, and I feel like that was a huge celebration rather than a competition in the way we had previously seen it [on the show]. And to see everyone’s response to that sisterhood and camaraderie that we were able to experience when we removed the cutthroat element from the competition, that reassured me and affirmed that people are just as happy — if not happier — to see us work together as they are to see us being catty and bitchy.
I don’t think one [format] is better than the other. I think they both have entertainment, that they both have merit. Wonderful friendships were formed when I was in my regular season. What I want our audiences to know is that there’s room for all of it. There’s room for queens who lip sync. There’s room for queens who are more about fashion and visual spectacle, whereas we choose live theater and comedy as our way to communicate.
And we have had moments where we have genuinely just thrown off the drag ego and supported one another on stage and the audience went 10 times more nuts for that than they have for our funniest moments of being at each other’s throats.
DeLa: Yeah, and I think we want to lead by example in a larger cultural way and, you know, we have a lot of real villains to fight and so we need to stop focusing on each other and get on the same page so that we can really make the kind of change that the queer community has so often made in the past through solidarity.
Also, sometimes people would talk to us trying to get us to jab at each other. We were like, “This is not our dynamic and if that’s what you’re getting out of it, we’re going to tell you something different.”
How Jinkx and DeLa really feel about Christmas
Earlier renditions of “The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show” made this clear: The character of Jinkx was not a fan of Christmas in the slightest, while the character DeLa simply couldn’t get enough.
Jinkx: The characters of Jinkx and DeLa are what you just described. Whereas the human beings
who created those characters — Christmas was my favorite time of year as a kid. And, yeah, I have some resentment toward it now because of my fervent anti-organized religion shtick [laughs], but DeLa had the opposite experience growing up. This show actually stemmed out of her hatred of Christmas.
DeLa: Yeah, I always hated going home for Christmas. It was all the things a family could be that makes you not want to go home for Christmas.
So, in 2007 I started doing Christmas productions with some other artists before Jinkx and I teamed up in 2018. And a lot of that was so I didn’t have to go home for Christmas. I was like, “Well, I’m working Christmas Eve!” But that show ended up being, “Oh, you can have traditions. You can have a sense of home. You can have a family to spend the holiday with if you build it yourself.” And that’s the message that we have continued to spread.
And now I do love Christmas because this is how we celebrate Christmas. I also think it’s funny that
I know this, but not many other people do: I really think of DeLa as a send-up of all the things I think are stupid.
On Jinkx trying to sleep with Krampus again in the ‘Holiday Show’ this year
As the conversation shifted to what else the duo is working on, one pressing question had to be asked of Jinkx first: Will she try to sleep with the half-goat, half-demon monster Krampus once again in this year’s show?
Jinkx: Try to?! [Laughs.] Listen, every year the show is whatever it needs to be that year, and we don’t consider writing done until the show is up. So, I can’t tell you that Krampus is or isn’t coming back this year. What I can say is the costume exists. [Laughs.]
DeLa: You know, I can say that every single year there are things that happen [in the show] the year prior that people are like, “Are we going to see this again? Let us see this again.” And then every
single year we manage to make a show where people ask the same thing the following year.
So, I love that we create great new content every year, and when we do a “best of” show down the road, we’re going to have a hell of a “best of” show.
On preparing for Carnegie Hall
Jinkx and DeLa have many “firsts” to lay claim to when it comes to elevating and bringing drag entertainment to the masses. All their successes — Jinkx’s role as Matron “Mama” Morton in “Chicago” on Broadway, DeLa’s multiple director credits for several successful one-woman shows, their international “Holiday Show” — now have brought them to perhaps their greatest performance yet: A one-night-only concert directed by DeLa and starring Jinkx. So how does preparing for such a momentous performance differ from the annual “Holiday Show”?
Jinkx: It was the same but different. The way we work, we have to first completely strip down the egos, strip down the judgment and just lean into the trust and respect that we have for one another.
DeLa and I have different ways of working that complement one another, but they’re very different. DeLa is bringing her meticulous eye for detail, her meticulous eye for storytelling, and her wonderful direction and production skills. She’s bringing all of that to a show that’s going to put me in the spotlight. And for that reason, she embraced my way of working more than when it’s the “Holiday Show.”
So it was kind of like the “Holiday Show” with just a little more lean toward Jinkx. But that’s why I asked her to direct it, because I knew that she was going to want to help me put on the best show to showcase Jinkx Monsoon at Carnegie Hall.
DeLa: When we do the “Holiday Show,” you can see both of our flavors in it, in full effect. And I’m glad that I had the opportunity to help write and direct some other shows before this, because I learned that one thing I really, really love is when my fingerprints aren’t really on it. When it really is just the best version of what that queen brings to this stage, I feel really excited. Because Jinkx is at the heart of this, and I get to help her shape something that is Jinkx.
Jinkx: And I don’t have to do all the work by myself. [Laughs.]
DeLa on being at the DNC
In August, DeLa joined Drag PAC co-founder Peppermint at the Democratic National Convention, speaking with delegates and elected officials and talking about the issues affecting
the LGBTQ+ community today — a first for the convention.
DeLa: What an incredible moment. That was certainly somewhere I never imagined myself being and I got to connect with so many incredible people. I was talking to delegates. I was talking to elected officials. It was inspiring. You know, we have all been living in dread for quite some time, and feeling like there was a sense of hope to move toward. I mean, it was celebratory. And it was celebratory still with the space for disagreements.
There was a wide range of conversations happening and there were protesters outside and there was conversation between the people in the DNC and the protesters that was productive. So it was a really cool thing to be a part of and it was also a great thing to be able to make others feel more involved [in the process] as well.
Jinkx on her ‘Doctor Who’ appearance and DeLa’s dream role
On Season 14 of “Doctor Who,” Jinkx portrayed Maestro, the musical genderqueer villain who showrunner Russell T. Davies considers the Doctor’s most powerful enemy to date. But which cinematic universe would DeLa want to join?
Jinkx: Oh, I’ll answer, I’ll answer. She wants to be in the “Chucky” series.
DeLa: I’m obsessed. I think [creator] Don Mancini is such a creative genius and he takes such big swings. And I just want to tag on that seeing Jinkx in that role of Maestro was so incredible and also felt so natural. I was like, “Of course, this is what’s happening.” But to see her channel all of our favorite Disney villains and beyond into something that felt completely new and authentic to her.
Jinkx: I just think amazing things can happen when you feel trusted and respected. I don’t always take big swings in situations because I’m scared to. Because I’m already the marginalized, odd duck here. If I take too big of a swing here, is this going to ruin my chance of being here? Is it going to ruin the next queer person’s chance to be here? But from the moment they called me to play the role, I was like, “OK, trust yourself, babe, this is your time; this is your time to show that we drag entertainers, queer entertainers, marginalized performers have every right to be there and we have all the talent to back it up.”
So it’s time to put us in these [roles].
DeLa: And I want Jennifer Tilly to murder me on screen.
Photos by: Russ Bowen-Youngblood
CARTER collins: The Boy-Next-Door Gets Kinky
By Paul Hutnick
Adult film star Carter Collins may look like the guy-next-door jock type, but there’s a naughty side to him that he is exploring in his latest films on KinkMen.com.
The young stud with the captivating smile and devilish twinkle in his eyes grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago near Lake Michigan. His was a typical childhood with two parents who are still happily together, three siblings (one brother and two sisters) and lots of time spent battling for supremacy on athletic playing fields.
He experienced his first kiss at 14 with his “girlfriend”. He had his first gay experience three years later with his first “boyfriend”. According to Collins, if he had the chance to offer his younger self a piece of advice, it would be to embrace his kinks and to not be ashamed of them. He’s making up for lost time by exploring his wild side in Jailbreak, his new film with Johnny Donovan, available this month at KinkMen.com.
How did you get your start in adult film?
My career in film was actually provoked by my partner’s mom. We were Facetiming her and she noticed a ring light in our bedroom. She said something like “I bet you guys are doing OnlyFans,” which we weren’t! But then we thought about it and were like “hmm, what if?”. It led to our first studio experience with porn star Austin Wilde.
Your real-life partner, of course, is Oliver Marks. You both seem to enjoy making films. What I enjoy most is the camaraderie and the friends I’ve made. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of nasty people in the industry, too. People who couldn’t care less about how they act or treat the talent, but there are so many kind and amazing individuals too. Many of whom have become my besties.
What do you dislike most about the industry?
That’s simple… early morning call times when I’m bottoming. Ugh!
Your recently transitioned from traditional adult films to fetish films. Why?
I spend a lot of time in my personal life going to dungeons and play spaces and doing really intense stuff for my own personal enjoyment so filming fetish scenes is just another day in the office for me!
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced in making this transition?
Honestly, the biggest challenge in making this transition is the increased level of work that goes into filming scenes like these. It can be intense when you’re trying to look and feel good on camera while being annihilated. Lucky for me, I do a lot of this stuff in my free time so it’s easier for me.
Can you share a memorable experience or anecdote from your time working in fetish films?
My first-time meeting and working with Van Darkholme, the master rigger on set, was memorable for me. I’d been watching his work for a really long time and it was a full circle moment to go from watching his films to being in them. It was really cool! I remember on the second day of shooting, I was tied up tight and we were in the middle of filming some pretty intense action when Van asked me how old I thought he was. I was trying to catch my breath and gather my brain cells back after being beat and I was a little delirious. He didn’t like my answer (laughs).
You filmed your new KinkMen.com film, Jailbreak, with Van Darkholme.
I did! It’s a little film I did with the very sexy Johnny Donovan. Honestly, Johnny is one of the sweetest and most interactive partners I’ve had on set. He has got to be one of the most well-mannered guys I’ve ever met. Van directed and I really enjoyed being his helper in tying and tormenting Johnny. Since Johnny is so sweet, it made it so much sexier to do bad things to him.
Is there anything you want to try in an upcoming film that you haven’t experienced yet?
I would love to do something with electro… it’s one of my biggest kinks and it’s not very common. I think that my doing it on film might help open more people up to exploring the kink for themselves!
What misconceptions do you think people have about fetish films and the performers in them?
There is some talk in the industry that those who do fetish films are freaks. I find that really disheartening and odd, too, especially when the someone saying negative shit about your kinks has videos on “X” of them taking a 13-inch Brazilian dick. How does that make sense?
Have you noticed any differences in the audience or fanbase for your fetish work compared to your previous work?
My audience and fanbase has expanded from my work performing fetish scenes. It’s given me the confidence to be like, “wow, okay maybe I can use my kinks to really drive my image in a different way”.
What’s left to do on your life’s bucket list?
Buy a house, create a really wicked sex room with a lot of bondage furniture, and try cheese from all around the world!
What famous person, living or dead, would you most like to have dinner with?
Beyonce! If your answer to that question isn’t Beyonce, maybe it should be.
If anywhere on the planet were an option, where would you most like to live?
I think somewhere I can see myself living on the planet most would be somewhere deep in a jungle. I was an Animal Planet and Shark Week kid growing up so I was always in nature and surrounded by creatures of all kinds, so that’s where I would want to be.
What advice would you give to someone considering entering the fetish film industry?
First, make sure it’s something you’re actually into. It helps a lot. Second, request me as your scene partner. I’ll take it easy on you. (Laughs) On a serious note, though, it’s really nice to work with someone observant, experienced and who you can talk to about the good and the bad that’s happening. I was fortunate enough to shoot my first kink scene with Johnny Ford and not only was he so sexy, he and I knew each other prior and he walked me through the experience. He comforted me in between shots because he recognized the intensity and toll of the scenarios. It’s so important to have scene partners like that!
What are your future goals?
I would say my future goals are an ever outwardly expanding thought process. I don’t have one particular goal, just to live the best version of my kinky self.
Photos by: Russ Bowen-Youngblood
Navigating the Holidays
A Guide for LGBTQ+ Folks Facing Family and Friends Post-Election
Edited by Mikkel Hyldebrandt
The holiday season can be an emotional time for everyone, but for LGBTQ+ individuals, it sometimes brings an added layer of complexity. This year, with the 2024 election leaving many households more divided than ever, managing these gatherings may feel especially daunting. Whether it’s uncomfortable questions or tension over identity and beliefs, here’s a guide to help you prepare mentally and emotionally for the season, keeping your well-being front and center.
Set Boundaries Early
Decide in advance what is and isn’t acceptable for you to discuss. Being clear about these limits will make you feel more in control of interactions and give you a buffer if someone crosses the line. For example, you might say, “I’m here to enjoy time with everyone, but let’s steer clear of politics for today.” If a conversation starts to veer into areas you’re not comfortable with, calmly excuse yourself or change the subject.
Redirect Conversations with Kindness
You don’t have to engage with every question or comment that comes your way. Use gentle redirects to steer conversations in a different direction if they start veering into uncomfortable territory. For example, if a family member brings up a topic you’d rather avoid, politely shift the focus: “Oh, speaking of that, did you hear about...?” Redirecting can help preserve the peace without sacrificing your comfort.
TIP! If boundaries are hard to bring up directly, try communicating them in advance via a message or email. This can also help family members understand your perspective without the heat of the moment.
Have
an Exit Plan
TIP! Keep a few conversation starters on hand. Simple topics like holiday plans, movies, or shared interests can help ease tension and bring the focus back to lighter subjects.
Remind Yourself: You Are Valid and Loved
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, a situation may become too much to handle. Plan a way to gracefully leave the room, whether that’s stepping outside for fresh air, taking a phone call, or, if necessary, leaving the gathering altogether. Knowing you have an “escape route” can make all the difference, allowing you to navigate tough moments without feeling trapped.
TIP! Arrange for a friend or loved one to call or text you during the gathering so you have a moment to vent, check in, or even have an excuse to step out if needed.
Bring Your Support System
You don’t have to face the holiday season alone. Consider bringing a friend, partner, or ally along to gatherings where you know you may face difficult dynamics. A supportive presence can act as a buffer, help lighten the mood, and remind you that you have allies who understand you. Plus, someone who knows you well can sense when things are uncomfortable and help redirect conversations.
TIP! If you can’t bring someone physically, schedule regular check-ins with friends or loved ones over text or video calls to help you stay grounded.
Focus on Self-Care Between Gatherings
Holiday gatherings can be emotionally draining, so make sure you’re nurturing yourself between events. Prioritize activities that bring you joy and relaxation— whether it’s exercising, cooking your favorite meal, or spending time with friends. Taking time to decompress will help you recharge and feel stronger heading into your next gathering.
TIP! Create a list of “feel-good” activities you can turn to after challenging moments. This could include taking a bath, journaling, meditating, or watching a favorite show.
No matter what anyone else says, remember that your identity and experiences are valid. Surround yourself with affirming messages and people who understand you, even if they’re not present at the holiday gathering. Carrying reminders of support— whether it’s a piece of jewelry, a comforting note, or a friend’s encouraging words—can help you stay grounded.
TIP! Before the gathering, remind yourself of what makes you unique and valuable. It can be helpful to carry a physical reminder, like a small note or object, to keep your spirits lifted if things get tough.
Know When to Say “No”
If certain gatherings feel too challenging this year, give yourself permission to skip them. Your mental and emotional well-being come first, and there’s no shame in prioritizing your health. You could opt for a shorter visit, join virtually, or celebrate with chosen family instead.
TIP! If opting out feels difficult, consider planning an alternative holiday celebration that brings you joy. Whether it’s a “Friendsgiving” or a cozy solo day, creating your own tradition can be an empowering way to reclaim the season.
Connect with Chosen Family and LGBTQ+ Community Spaces
If family gatherings feel overwhelming, lean on your chosen family and community spaces for support. The LGBTQ+ community offers a powerful network of people who understand and value you for who you are. Reach out, share your experiences, and celebrate the holidays with people who genuinely appreciate and uplift you.
TIP! Attend local LGBTQ+ events, virtual gatherings, or holiday meetups to stay connected and feel a sense of belonging throughout the season.
Dini
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Socializers Club
We all have those moments of ‘wait, did they just say that?’ Lucky for you, we compile the best of the best right here on this page. Want to join in on the b*tch session? Submit your own nuggets to info@davidatlanta.com.
Requesting January 6 off from work just to make HR wonder.
Did we do it? Did we save the daylight?
Me texting Kamala back post-election: “OMG, just seeing this. Do you still need twenty dollars?”
At any point, if I whisper to you “Iʼm buzzed” Iʼve been black out drunk for half an hour.
Why did the election feel like the whole country was waiting for an STD result?
What do you mean I am weirdly obsessed with finding meaning?
When a weird guy is hot, it’s really cool, but when a hot guy is weird, it’s seriously so scary.
Chipotle is wet food and taco bell is kibble.
