Scarlett Bobo: Activist Queen

Mary Anne Ivison (Voiceover)  0:02  
The Women Of Ill Repute with your hosts Wendy Mesley And Maureen Holloway.

Maureen Holloway  0:08  
Everybody loves a drag queen. Or at least they used to.

Wendy Mesley  0:12  
A little bit of show voice there which was fine. Yeah, but at least they used to it's so true Maureen like maybe not everyone loves a drag queen anymore you there's RuPaul Grag Race Show. Performers like Dame Edna shows like Kinky Boots, Hairspray. They made a real difference. I thought we were getting somewhere. 

Maureen Holloway  0:31  
Well, you know, it goes back it drag is not like the ballet Trocadero, you know the man who dances and Some Like It Hot movie 

Wendy Mesley  0:40  
Mrs. Doubtfire.

Maureen Holloway  0:43  
Tootsie with Dustin Hoffman. 

Wendy Mesley  0:45  
Rocky Horror, Rocky Horror Picture Show. 

Maureen Holloway  0:48  
And Hedwig and the Angry Inch, have you seen that? 

Wendy Mesley  0:51  
I haven't seen that. But I'm I'm familiar with what it is. 

Maureen Holloway  0:55  
Oh, it's just it's so good. I did a couple of shows with drag queens. I was with them. I was emceeing an event and they were they the the the entertainment and drag queens are cosmic performers. I mean, they're they they look amazing. They taught me a lot about makeup. I can tell you that. 

Wendy Mesley  1:13  
Yeah, but you know what these are really their dark times for drag queens and the trans community in general, anyone who identifies as queer or people who want to support people who are, identify as queer. There are legislative bans against drag people in the US right now. I think in Tennessee in particular, it's unbelievable. 

Maureen Holloway  1:33  
It's not just the US Senate here in Canada, people have been protesting drag queen story hours, where drag queens read to kids in libraries. Just and the whole point is to spread messages of inclusiveness and acceptance. 

Wendy Mesley  1:48  
Yeah, so it's part of a of a way bigger problem, a growing lack of tolerance. And that's why we're really happy to speak to Scarlett BoBo . I don't know how she's going to show up whether she's- 

Maureen Holloway  1:59  
I don't know, Scarlet is a drag performer. Born Matthew Cameron, originally from Ottawa and and Scarlett has been working to pass a provincial Bill supported by the NDP, here in Ontario that would prohibit acts of violence and intimidation near drag venues which seems to be such like obvious, but apparently a bill needs to be passed. 

Wendy Mesley  2:24  
So Scarlett she was also a top three finalists on season one of Canada's drag race kind of a big deal. She helped create absolute absolute Vodkas and fireball Toronto's most inclusive drag competition kind of a cool thing. 

Maureen Holloway  2:37  
So many questions so Matthew has moved to LA This is a Scarlett's alter ego, we'll find out which one is dominant but just before we get to Scarlett, I put our names in the drag queen generator directory-  

Wendy Mesley  2:54  
Oh, this is all is this old timey? 

Maureen Holloway  2:58  
Yeah, so it's completely random. So I'm now known as a drag queen. My name would be Ophelia Macaroon. 

Wendy Mesley  3:05  
Ophelia Macaroon, well, that's well, that's not too bad. I don't think you'll make a big career out of that. What am I?

Maureen Holloway  3:12  
You are Felicia Lapugh. Bye bye Felicia.

And hello to Scarlett Bobo. So I just gonna say you're very cute, man. At what point did you say you are. So at what point did you say? Well, I could be a stunning woman.

Scarlett Bobo  3:39  
Oh, you know, it was it was Halloween. I was like, 16 Because I was going out to the clubs under age, because I guess that's what you do when you're 16 and gay and living in Ottawa. And so then my mom, she said to me, on the first day, I came home, I wasn't going to a gay bar out for the fake ID. She was waiting for me. And she was like, I will never forgive you for this. I said, 'What I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.' 'You went to your first gay bar without me.' So mad at me . And so she put me in drag. So I guess my mom is my real drag mom. She She made me a slutty nurse for Halloween and she was Marilyn Monroe and we went up to the clouds. And then everyone was like, 'You look so good. You look so good.' And I really didn't like I was like, totally busted. But everyone was like, 'oh my god, it looks so good. You should try driving sometime. Like you should do this. Like, you know, you should do a show.' And I said, 'Oh yeah, maybe I'll try it out.' And I did and I just I loved it. I loved the attention. I loved. I loved like, just dressing up and just being so glamorous, and you know, dancing around, like my favorite song on stage with all my friends around. It was it was fun. And then it got like addicting and I was like, Oh, I could do this all the time. 

So when did you become? I don't know if we're launching into the hole All thing right now but I want to know when did you become Scarlett Bobo? Like when did when did you start doing that?

That started probably quickly after I started doing drag so did drag when I was like 16. So yeah, I was 16 I was turning 17, It was Halloween and then I did a show and I had one of the Bobo's paint me for the first time. So then they were like, well, and to Nora Bobo was my drag mother and she wanted a drag daughter so bad. And Jeanette Bobo who was like rest in peace, who is the head of the ball was like she started the whole Bobo family like 40 years ago and she said, No, I don't want any more like Bobo's running around. And she said, Yes. Like no more. There's too much. And she said, Please, please just me. And then I came around, and I'm the most popular too and the most  pretty. Well, Bobo was gonna be last name. So what is going to be your first name and then Bobo like bubble the clown. It's funny. It's silly. I mean stupid in Spanish. And then Scarlett kinda was like the sexy like, I thought Scarlett Johansson, Scarlett O'Hara, you know, Scarlett Letter, like just color red. And then it kind of just came to me. And then it was just someone said, Scarlett Bobo. And I said, Yep, that's it.

Wendy Mesley  6:26  
Oh, and there you be. Yeah. We were wondering how are you ever going to show up. Or would you be like Scarlett with the wig and the lashes and the whatever. But you're kind of beautiful this way too. T

Scarlett Bobo  6:36  
Thank you. 

Maureen Holloway  6:40  
So So Wendy and I were talking about we've worked with with it was drag shows I've emceed events where they entertainment spend drag reviews and back in the olden days, and I'm not I'm only talking about maybe 10, 20 years ago, drag queens were called female impersonatorsnd they almost I mean, I'm just preaching to the choir here. But there was always a Tina Turner there was a Barbra Streisand there was a Dolly Parton any of these women but now I feel for I think certainly from watching Ru Paul's drag race and so on that there, you create your own persona. Now you a unique persona. How is Scarlett different from you? 

Scarlett Bobo  7:20  
Well, I do I do a lot of female impersonation as well, like I but like the old school queens, like, you know, that was there, like they will go by their real name. Like they would be like Chris Edwards, or they'd be like Eddie Barnett, but Eddie Barnett was known for only doing Cher, like she's like, the most  popular Cher in Canada pretty well, at least at Ontario. And, you know, she was in Toronto, she had a whole career of just doing Cher. And so that's kind of how, like, I guess they taught me how to do drag was like, find people that you like, admire and that you look up to, that, like mean something to and kind of like, trying to embody them and impersonate them. And I definitely feel like that, like, shines through my drag a lot. Like, I try to always be like my mom, my mother, I should always be like, you know, Pink, Pink is really badass. And, you know, but then I love being like thinking I think of Marilyn Monroe because she was a big part of my life because my mom was a huge fan of hers. She's, she's, we've always had her photos everywhere. So that was kind of like my glamorous side. But then kind of Scarlett became has its own character. Like, I feel like Scarlett is like a part of Maddie but like she's got the balls to do everything that I don't. 

Maureen Holloway  8:37  
Interesting. 

Scarlett Bobo  8:38  
Yeah. Yeah, even though I tucked them away. Maybe that's why maybe putting them back inside me, like turns into a turn makes it like my superhero or something. I got super strength, I don't know. 

Maureen Holloway  8:51  
Sure. 

Scarlett Bobo  8:51  
But yeah, like I feel like I feel like Scarlett just like more daring and more and more out there more loud. And you know, and like as Maddie I could be like, kind of an introvert sometimes. And sometimes they just want to like, you know, tuck away in the corner or like, you know, be at home with my dog and my fiance and but um, but Bobo is like, the big loud bigger than life and it's what's the hair like once I see what he's done with the makeup and I throw the lashes on the way gone. And it's like history like I'm just like, ooh, totally transformed.

Wendy Mesley  9:29  
I was reading about about RuPaul because you know, started researching and then went down a complete rabbit hole with the with RuPaul because he she I'm not sure he's really chosen a pronoun but but the quotes from from him from her are amazing. I think one that I really loved was that we're all born naked and everything else is drag. And Maureen and I were talking about like I used to be an anchor on the news and I used to wear like false eyelashes and go into makeup and and like what's the difference really?

Scarlett Bobo  10:02  
Honestly like that's your drag honey, you know what I mean? Like, that's a your way of like putting on like kind of like your like your, your, it's like your warpaint, right like and then you're gonna go take on the day and take on a job, take on whatever you do, you know, take on the news take on the world take on a stage, you know, so it just like a heightened version of that really, it's it's to me dry, like anyone could do drag and drag is in everybody, you know what I mean? Everybody, everybody on Halloween, like that's drag. You know what I mean? Like testing is your favorite character or like your favorite. The unit? I mean, like how many Jessica Rabbit turnaround or Harley Quinns run around during Halloween, right? So it's kind of like, it is yeah, that, you know, we're all born naked. And the rest is drag, because everything can be drag and drag is everything. It's such a show. It's a it's a spectacle. It's exciting, you know what I mean? It's just, it's just here to like, promote happiness and love and, and acceptance. And you can find that in everything.

Maureen Holloway  11:02  
You can, but this is okay so taking a more serious note to this. And you know, somebody said might have been RuPaul because, you know, they're evidently codable. But something to do with just putting on drag is being an activist. And yet you have found yourself taking this to the next level. Because what has happened, what has been happening over the last year or two go goes back a little further. But now there's actual legislation in the states banning wearing drag anywhere where a child might see you and here in Canada, of course, we've had we've had people protesting a drag queen story hour, and you've been very involved with the NDP in passing and it just seems so stupid that we need to pass a bill that will prevent violent crime. Yeah, yeah, to prevent hate against drag queens.

Scarlett Bobo  11:52  
People attacking us.

Maureen Holloway  11:53  
It's scary. So you're you say that Maddie is an introvert but Scarlett's the one is gonna get up there and fight and Scarlett has gotten up there and is fighting. Tell, tell us about what you're doing?

Scarlett Bobo  12:05  
Yeah, well, I've always been an activist since I was younger, I felt like my mom always taught me just like, everyone should feel love, and everyone should feel respected and safe. And, and when I would see people of different minority groups, you know, struggle and not have the same things that I had even me by being in like a minority group as well. I was just like, This isn't fair. Like why? Why is it like this? Why can't it be like that. So I've always been just trying to do my part in changing the world, little by little to, you know, be a happier, safer place for myself and for, for others for everybody. Everyone deserves a chance to feel an opportunity to feel safe and respected. And sorry, you asked me how I still got started. So I went on a rant.

Maureen Holloway  12:53  
Just how you got, did you approach?

Wendy Mesley  12:56  
Kristyn Wong Tam this in a long time with the with a woman- 

Maureen Holloway  13:00  
Thank you. Yes. Yes. 

Wendy Mesley  13:02  
Sponsored the bill. Yeah, about making drag places safe. Performances safe.

Scarlett Bobo  13:07  
Yeah. So my, my fiancee, Peter Maragos. He worked in politics for many, many, many years as an executive assistant to one of the NPPs. And so through that, I met him I met a bunch of political people to him. And then there'll be times where like, like the politics and drag  kind of cross over like, I hosted like the annual AIDS Walk, and marriage attorney was there and Kristyn Wong Tam was there. And then so Peter saw Dr. Kristyn, and, Chris, it's like who says I go, I'm Scarlett, I'm the host, but I'm also like, I'm also dating Peter. So it's kind of like always mixed together. And, and I was never very political. I was always very, I was always like, an activist. But Peter got me into politics. And he knew Kristyn. So he reached out to Kristyn and because I was just going on and on about how all these bills are popping up and how it's just like, seeing drag go from underground to mainstream and then like, going backwards again, is just like, blowing my head apart. So he was like, I don't want to see like this, like we're gonna do something we need to figure something out. So he contacted Kristyn's are this and Kristyn and Marit Stiles met with us. And we we have a big list of it's three pages long of every link and incidents that's been going on in Canada and in, sorry, even in like, the GTA and yeah, and so she brought up this bill and she said, you know, we've been sitting on this for a minute and we need some help pushing this out. And I was like, okay, let's go let's I want to do this. I want to see this happen and man, it is a blanket bill, but it's just so the government can like say we are helping you like, yes, we are going to protect you. If this is what it takes, like, you know, we baby steps, but the fact that we even need this at all is ridiculous. But- 

Wendy Mesley  15:11  
Yeah I find it really strange.

Scarlett Bobo  15:12  
But you know, someone tried to burn down a library with children inside it. Yeah, like, because because there's a drag story hour. 

Wendy Mesley  15:22  
Where was this? 

Scarlett Bobo  15:23  
I think that was-

Maureen Holloway  15:24  
In Tennessee. 

Scarlett Bobo  15:25  
Yeah. Like that was that like this this sorry for my language this shit is crazy. I mean, it's like, and we're not doing anything wrong. It's we're just existing, and people are just so mad at us for nothing, I've been called groomer I've been called a pedophile on like, social media and stuff. And it's just like, what it's like, it's just, it blows my mind.

Wendy Mesley  15:51  
I was really struck by you know, you say that going up in Ottawa. I'm mean, obviously, your mum has been really supportive, which is amazing. Wants to wants to go party with you, which is amazing. 

Scarlett Bobo  16:02  
Yeah. 

Wendy Mesley  16:03  
Yeah, but but when you were growing up, like 10 years ago, whatever, you're still look young and fresh. Yeah, but that we've basically gone back that you've like, lost space that you've yeah, you've lost respect. And that, that before you used to feel free to well, not free, but you didn't. And now you're You're terrifyied. So what the hell is is going on?

Scarlett Bobo  16:30  
Yeah, like, I remember starting doing drag, like 16 years ago. And like, it was like, in the basement, down the hall, you know, over there, down the hallway. Like, all great clubs were always in the basement, or they were like, tucked away in the alley or something. And it's all very underground. And I'm gonna get the amount of times I've been thrown beer bottles out when I was younger, because people would just not understand what this was. And then RuPaul's Drag Race came about and then, you know it brought drag, like into the light. They brought drag to during the day, during projects like mainstream media, and TV, and then, you know, I'm touring around the world, doing drag doing what I love to do, and I never ever thought that that would ever happen. And now that it is, like, that's cool and I don't want to lose that, but I'm watching it like, I'm watching us like revert and go backwards. It's, it blows my mind. I cannot believe that we're like, we're actually like, stepping backwards and we have to have these bills. It's like, we've been around forever on all your TVs, and like billboards. And like, I've been in a billboard like three times and has, you know, like, I'm like, what, why now and, and I think it's a lot to do with this whole like Trump mafia. And now these the, they're just so angry for anything, you know, and they just, they just want everything to be fucking boring and white and hetero and if you test that limit, even a little bit, that's it. You're a pedophile now, you're a groomer, you're this, you're you, oh, no, you're coming out to our children. Like-

Maureen Holloway  18:18  
I think it's fear, you know, a racist, a bigot, a homophobic, transphobic. They all are angry and anger comes from fear. I mean, I'm not going to they're afraid of something. And, you know, there's that old trope that, Oh, you're you know, you're homophobic, because you're probably homosexual. And I don't I don't even think it's that simple. Although there may be some truth to that. You know, and you're afraid of attractions that you don't that you that are not social, that have not been socially condoned? Who knows what it is, but you're it is getting worse. Nobody really knows why. But it's, it's not just drag queens, it's the trans community. It's anybody who identifies as queer. It's anybody who has a child who's queer. It's, it's, it's terrible. And it's a frightening, frightening world. For people who are different. That's not a question. That's just me up on a soapbox.

Scarlett Bobo  19:10  
Yeah, no, it's true. And especially right now, the trans community is under attack the most right now. And it's that I think it stems from not now they're looking at drag queens and they're kind of putting everybody in one bubble like oh, if you're a drag queen, if you're trans or this you're all you're just evil, evil evil, and they're not going to stop at all. So that's why we you know, we need these legislations we need these, these terrible legislations go away and we need these these bills like, like Kristyn Wong Tam to go through just so the government can say to us, like we're, we're okay, like, you know what I mean? Because if not, then people just get it when these bills are getting passed. That it just gonna give people the sense of like, oh, see, we were right. They are bad. Look now the government thinks they're bad. So now they have to be bad.

Mary Anne Ivison (Voiceover)  20:03  
The Women Of Ill Repute.

Wendy Mesley  20:06  
I'm really struck by the sort of the the link in so many people's heads between sexuality, gender, drag queens and, and all of that and-

Maureen Holloway  20:16  
Trans people. Yeah, it's not one community.

Wendy Mesley  20:19  
Yeah. And all this stuff about being a groomer or being a pedophile. Like, where on earth like, did we not get rid of of that that? Because it was such a false characteristic that was a trope that was assigned to gay men and and I thought we got rid of that but now it's back. And it's applied to drag, applied to to trans people, the whole groomer pedophile thing and, and I guess the whole storytime thing is is is huge, and Ontario, and I just wonder, like I was looking for trying to find a quasi intelligent statement from a protester who is bothered by the storytime thing with in libraries. And it says, this protester says 'A drag queen is more appropriate for cabarets, it's up to parents to discuss sexuality with their children',. Like why does it always come bac to sex? And, and what what do you say to that person is like, no, don't don't have don't have a drag queen in the library.

Scarlett Bobo  21:23  
It's, it's crazy, because like, like a drag queen dressing up, like, a little mermaid or, or, or Bell, like, a drag queen dressing up as a fake, make believe character, reading books, about fake things to children is not sexual at all. And and, and the thing is, yes, parents shouldn't be the ones that talk to their kids about sexuality, but they don't. And the majority of parents don't, and they don't know how to, and they're not educated properly. And they just don't care enough to actually do what's right, and talk to their children about this. And It's the parents that are bringing the kids to, to our storytimes. Like, they're the ones booking these storytimes. And they're the ones organizing this, making their choices.

Wendy Mesley  22:12  
Making their choices yeah, like they want their kids to hear something different, that it's not just straight people.

Scarlett Bobo  22:18  
And somehow somehow it all came down on us. And it's like we didn't, we showed up for a gig we showed up. And you know, we read our books. It's just so crazy. It's how like, some of these girls don't even get paid. They just do it out of the kindness of their heart and get up at the crack of dawn and throw on makeup to go read to other people's kids because they enjoy doing things in their community and it's just flipped around so much. And yes, like, for instance, my drag, I usually do a cabaret show, because my drag is more of an adult entertainment crowd. Do I have things for an all ages crowd? Of course I do. I have my characters and my, my funny dance and stuff like that. But you know, I choose to do that. But if parents want to expose their children to love, acceptance, happiness, then let them and there's so there's so many amazing drag artists that frequent, you know, frequent storytime hours or all ages drive brunches, and it's amazing, and they love what they do. And they love the kids and the parents love it. The kids are happy that kids get all dressed up and a little princess costumes and stuff. And I've done a couple of these brunches. And some of these kids. Like have seen me on TV like they go absolutely like bonkers. And it literally makes me cry. Like there's so adorable. And I just don't understand where this whole, like, where this hate came from. And and, and it's like, Why do you care? It's not your kid. And I always say I keep saying to people, if you don't want to come, don't come. If you don't want to look at it. Don't look at it like. Go home, and leave us alone, that we just want to be left alone. Like, like just literally go away. And you don't want your kid to be seeing that and then don't but if that parent it wants to show their kids this or that. Like, I'm pretty sure I watched movies I wasn't sure I shouldn't have when I was younger. You know, we've got we've got parents throwing their little kids in bikinis and makeup and fake hair to do beauty pageants. Like you know, and then you're then you're talking about sexualizing like children it's like we're reading a storybook you know, and if you don't like it, then leave it alone. That's not your kid. Why are you talking about someone else's kid? Like it's weird.

Wendy Mesley  24:42  
So is Canada bad, like we hear about the US the ban and Tennessee is Canada-

Scarlett Bobo  24:48  
It's getting quite bad. Yeah, they've definitely they've definitely started protesting. They've been breaking windows. They've been shouting like awful things like what and everywhere out of libraries, they would when parents and their kids come up to the library. They just start yelling awful, awful things in front of like young kids like all like, terrible slurs that, like kids should never hear. It's like you're the ones endangering these children. Not the parents trying to like, get them away from a crazy mob of angry men yelling at children.

Wendy Mesley  25:24  
So are you scared again? Are you because as a kid, you were,

Scarlett Bobo  25:28  
Oh yeah, I'm constantly looking over my shoulder now. But my mom put me in kickboxing when I was younger, and I continue to do kickboxing, so I'm okay. But I definitely I literally look over my shoulder all the time now. And, and it's not a fun place to be in it's like, and now like, with the Pulse shooting, the anniversary was just just two days ago. And the anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting, which is 49 of our brothers and sisters dead. And you know, I'm scared and living in a two blocks up the street there's a sign that says, we don't call the police, no trespassing with a gun on it. I'm like, well, cool, America. 

Maureen Holloway  26:15  
This is Los Angeles, which is apparently you know, more liberal than other places. But-

Scarlett Bobo  26:20  
Yeah, and I'm in California like, but now I have to now when I'm in a when I walk into a bar, I always look at my exits. I always look at where's my nearest exit. How can I get to an ER nurse and sometimes I'm like paranoid and I'm like I will stand and dance and have a drink by an exit like that's not the way that anyone should live their lives and that's not fair.

Maureen Holloway  26:43  
It's not fair. 

Wendy Mesley  26:45  
Well, we thought everything was changing with RuPaul and everybody else whether the sort of mainstreaming of of it as as a as an art form, reality show with a bit more glitter like really? But you're it's it's worse now.

Scarlett Bobo  27:02  
Yeah, but you know, the good thing is I just I was just talking to the Globe and Mail about this I said back then it was just us that were fighting for us you know? And now now we have we have you ladies we have allies we have so many other people that drag has you know shone on their lives and people have come up to using drag has change my life like straight women straight men like you know I see dads with their little kids at drag drag con walking on their their little kids are like oh my god dad dad that so and so and it's adorable. So we now there's more of us than or is that like there's more allies now there's more people on our side there's more people that will be will take the time to listen to us and listen to what we have to say. And I think that's super important that we were stronger together you know unity in the community and our community is bigger and more colorful now and when so many so many allies from other minority groups are many straight allies. It's it's it's changing. That's the world is still changing.

Maureen Holloway  28:05  
That's what pride pride is accomplished a lot of that. Hey, can we ask you some there's a couple of nice white middle aged cisgendered ladies can we-

Wendy Mesley  28:16  
Is this about eyelashes? 

Maureen Holloway  28:20  
No it is a couple of things. How long does it take you to do a full makeup?

Scarlett Bobo  28:24  
if I were taking my time probably like two hours. Like from like that's like start to finish like like with my way gone and and like with my outfit on so I guess probably like an hour and a half my makeup. I could do it I could do it quickly. I could do like a quick half an hour phase if I'm late or if I need to but yeah, I usually like to take my time because I like to like, so usually about like an hour and a half I think two hours from like shaving to like ready to leave the door.

Maureen Holloway  28:53  
Wendy jump in anytime, so where do you where are you shopping?

Scarlett Bobo  28:57  
Where am I shopping for clothes? 

Maureen Holloway  28:58  
Yeah.

Wendy Mesley  28:59  
well you're in LA now.

Scarlett Bobo  29:01  
Well a lot of my clothes are custom so I get a lot of my clothes from a custom designers like I work with Jeff Christiansen from Toronto a lot like we're work of how we be from LA, but then we have Santee Alley we have Santee Alley in LA and it's like drag heaven like you can get like like 12 hours lashes for like $10 I'm not kidding you can get like a crazy as crazy as shiny glitter hunker boots for like 30 bucks. Wow. So I love we love me some Santee Alley.

Maureen Holloway  29:37  
Okay, make a note so I hate I can't wear high heels. Can you run in them? Because you might have to?

Scarlett Bobo  29:44  
Oh yeah, I can run them. I call I somebody shouldn't call my running heels because like I will be clumsy like walking around like when my flat shoes but then once I'm in a heal.

Maureen Holloway  29:55  
Wow. That's a real skill right there.

Wendy Mesley  29:58  
I could wear high heels when I was younger.

Maureen Holloway  30:00  
Yeah I could to you I could see I could run I'm Sarah Jessica Parker said to her minallos are like slippers on my really bu y that but yeah, I used to be able to wear them you know all night now forget about it. Who are you who are your inspirations?

Wendy Mesley  30:15  
Aside from Marilyn Monroe sounds like-

Maureen Holloway  30:18  
But in general.

Scarlett Bobo  30:19  
Definitely Marilyn, my mom, Pink, the artists Pink. I love comic books I love. I love Sailor Moon. All those girls really get me going, inspire me. I love Harley Quinn. Harley Quinn is probably my favorite character. She's wacky and crazy, but nice, but psycho but bad. I like I like, I like strong women I like you know, seeing like strong figures in pop culture. Beyonce, for instance, you know, just someone that fearless women of pop culture, you know, really inspire me.

Maureen Holloway  30:55  
And you're getting married?

Scarlett Bobo  30:57  
Yes, I was supposed to be married in May 2020. And that didn't happen.

Wendy Mesley  31:02  
That's a COVID thing?

Maureen Holloway  31:03  
Oh, yeah. Yeah. My son was supposed to be married. Yeah, it was a COVID thing. 

Scarlett Bobo  31:07  
Yeah and then when we tried to plan our wedding, I went on tour for like, we both went on tour for like, almost a year, we were all out touring around the world so then we put kept pushing back, pushing back pushing back, but now we're just debating going to Vegas. 

Wendy Mesley  31:28  
What no party?

Scarlett Bobo  31:30  
Oh, we're gonna have a party. But I'm thinking what I'm thinking like, I'm thinking of just like, why don't we just like, go do it in Vegas. And then like, instead of having to plan a wedding when you're just planning like a big party, back home in Toronto, with all of our friends rather than like, I don't know, we're figuring out.

Wendy Mesley  31:45  
What's better than is it? Is it because you used to live in Toronto, I think, right? You grew up in Ottawa. And now you're in LA.

Scarlett Bobo  31:52  
Yeah. For 13, 13 years, I was living in Toronto, and I spent three years in Vancouver.

Wendy Mesley  31:57  
Yeah. So I mean, why did you leave us?

Scarlett Bobo  32:00  
Well, yeah, we're, where are you? Where are you ladies? 

Maureen Holloway  32:03  
We're in Toronto. 

Scarlett Bobo  32:04  
Cool. Cool. Yeah, I got my work visa. And as soon as my work visa came in, I got like, whoa, oh, my god, I gotta go work at this day. And I got really excited. And, and I've been coming to LA for 10 years. And the last couple years have been really, really good for me here. Definitely, I think because of the show, Canada's drag ratio. Yeah, really, really, really shot me up in my career. And then all these opportunities for me were were popping up in LA. And I've got a couple of really good friends here. And a nice core group of people. So it kind of just felt like, I've done everything in Toronto for 13 years. I took over Vancouver for three years. And I went back to Toronto for about like, eight months a year. And I wanted to see like, if I wanted to Toronto again, and it just wasn't the same and everything felt the same. Everything felt like I've done this and I felt like I was repeating myself. And honestly, Hollywood was the next big thing. It was the next natural step for me to to push myself and to do something scary. And now I'm living in Hollywood.

Wendy Mesley  33:13  
And you're a superstar. Well, yeah, no, it's lovely to see you. And this is Pride Month.

Maureen Holloway  33:19  
Happy Pride.

Scarlett Bobo  33:20  
Thank you. You too 

Wendy Mesley  33:21  
Yeah so it's Pride, I didn't realize that it was it was all like, everyone's heard of the raids. Stonewall, which was, what 50,55 years ago, but that's why it's in June. I didn't realize because the parades are all different months, depending on which city you tend to live in. 

Maureen Holloway  33:39  
It's also a good month for pride. And you know, because the weather's nice.

Scarlett Bobo  33:42  
I don't you know, what's crazy is it has been gray all of June. 

Maureen Holloway  33:46  
Oh, really? 

Scarlett Bobo  33:47  
In LA. And I'm like, I thought I moved to LA.What is going on?

Maureen Holloway  33:52  
I think you've brought it Maddy, thank you so much for talking to us. And finding the time, good luck with everything and let's hope that the the world reopens to, to to anybody who wants to be themselves.

Scarlett Bobo  34:07  
And it will it will mark my words it well. 

Wendy Mesley  34:10  
Yeah. You promise?

Scarlett Bobo  34:11  
Thank you so much. Honestly thank you for taking the time to talk with me and and shining a light on these issues. It's really important to have allies like you both.

Wendy Mesley  34:19  
Yeah, it's great to have you on the show. Thank you.

Scarlett Bobo  34:22  
Thank you.

Maureen Holloway  34:26  
She was lovely.

Wendy Mesley  34:31  
That's what we say about everybody. She was lovely. Although she didn't appear as a she she appeared as a they I wasn't sure you know, because it's a lot of work putting on the the wig and the eyelashes and everything but but yeah, she Matthew, Maddie, they.

Maureen Holloway  34:49  
I think Matthew is the Maddie, Maddie, is a they and Scarlett is she but they are you know, like we said off the top. Wow, you're really cute guy.

Wendy Mesley  35:01  
Who is sometimes a drag queen. Often the drag queen and I'm so glad that their mom is has been so supportive I mean that's so cool I mean I some of the best times I had were in gay clubs but yeah good well who knows who knows who knows but but it was so lovely to hear that he hasn't she hasn't they haven't had that they haven't had that battle.

Maureen Holloway  35:23  
No No and I think that's really important. I mean I don't I understand I know that there are a lot of people out there who reject their children if they're there if they are trans or and I can't even imagine I mean I have two sons they happen to you know be straight but I can't imagine ever having a problem with they were anything but and and and Maddie is such a such a lovely person so I'm really glad that they have a wonderful mom and lots of fans and a wonderful fiance and and a fantastic career-

Wendy Mesley  35:56  
It doesn't sound like being a runner up on the on Canada's drag race as has hurt them at all because-

Maureen Holloway  36:04  
Not at all. No they're pretty happy and and and getting married. A lovely bride.

Wendy Mesley  36:11  
I know well I'm gonna call up the mom and see if we can get invited. 

Maureen Holloway  36:14  
Yeah, that would be cool. It be in Toronto.

Mary Anne Ivison (Voiceover)  36:17  
Women Of Ill Repute was written and produced by Maureen Holloway and Wendy Mesley with the help from the team at the Sound Off Media company and producer Jet Belgraver.