The Drag Enthusiast: Boa: Can't Be Tamed

Something that comes to mind about typical drag performers nowadays is that they all want to try out for the almighty Rupaul's Drag Race and become insanely famous and live happily ever after. When one meets a person such as Boa, those perceptions of drag that they had before might fade away. Boa doesn't want to be insanely famous, just well known...and known for all the right reasons. With a witty personality and a strong determination, nothing can stop Boa from accomplishing what she wants...which is the opportunity to showcase herself and share her art with a bigger audience.

1. Who is Boa?

Well my name is Ryan Boa...hence "Boa". I'm really fun, outgoing, and energetic. I always try to stay positive. I've always been creative and I've also always been the odd one out. I went to an art high school that has the leading drama program in all of Ontario. I was never in the drama program because I felt like I didn't fit in because the kids were always super snobby so I consider my drag as my outlet.

2. When and why did you start doing drag?

The no makeup selfie challenge. I was challenged by someone who I considered a "frenemy" so I wanted to a lot better job than them. So I watched a Willam Belli tutorial and used my mom's makeup to do it. This was literally about a year ago. It all started from that...I started playing around with makeup and realized I was a pretty ass bitch and here I am.

3. Where did you get your drag name?

I really don't know. I found it really difficult, actually, to figure out a drag name. When I was in high school, people started calling me by my last name which is "Boa" and I didn't like it at the time. My principal even started calling me "Boa" which was really weird. So when I started doing drag I decided to use it as my drag name because everyone knew me as Boa anyways.

4. What is your favorite song to perform to?

It's when I do my mash up and I play Hannah Montana and she turns into Miley Cyrus. It goes from "Best Of Both Worlds" to "Can't Be Tamed" and I rip my wig off and I rip some clothes off and I get really crazy. I smack my pussy and twerk around and the audience loves it. It's definitely my favorite thing to do.

5. Who is your favorite queen of all time from Rupaul's Drag Race and why?

Sharon Needles...I mean she's kind of a bitch...but her drag is so different. She takes drag to a whole new level...I mean she spits blood. She even came out on one of the runways on Drag Race wearing a bald cap and before that, we haven't really seen that before. She makes it her own and it means a lot to her and you can definitely tell.

6. What is something no one knows about you?

When I was younger I watched a lot of shark movies and I went on the JAWS ride at Universal Studios. My whole life, I've had a pool, and to this day I will not go in pools by myself. I know there's no shark in a pool but in the back of my head I'm just terrified of pools but I will go to the beach any day which is really weird.

7. What is your biggest accomplishment?

My weight loss. I used to be really big, like pushing 200 pounds. I wasn't really happy with myself. People weren't paying attention to me and I love attention. What happened was I actually struggled with bulimia. What I did before was I was a compulsive eater so I would eat and eat and eat. Then I started binging and purging and it made me feel worse. I finally realized that if I ate healthy and exercised that I would lose weight. So I started eating healthier, working out, I got a gym membership and I dropped about 50 pounds and I look amazing.

8. If you were ever on Rupaul's Drag Race, what would be your signature catchphrase?

60, 40, classy, trashy. It's my explanation for when I do something stupid.

9. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

West Hollywood in California so I can get opportunities to showcase myself and for people to see how I am as a performer which would help me expand my horizons.

10. What is the biggest lesson you've learned doing drag?

You get what you give. You put a lot in, you will get a lot out from it. Be nice, make friends.

11. Who is your biggest inspiration and why?

Donna Rama Versace. She's a queen from Toronto. She's my inspiration because she does crazy performances and she's not afraid to push the boundaries. She's got a wicked personality and she's super positive and she's unlike every other queen here. I find that a lot of queens here will go to their bookings and like, 5 minutes before they're supposed to perform onstage they will pick their songs that they're going to do. Donna is always prepared. For example she has a Lego dress and she will perform to "Piece of Me" and throw Legos at people. She's just awesome.

12. What is something you want to accomplish in the future?

Find a sugar daddy. Just kidding. I don't want to be "famous" but I want to be well known and I want to be appreciated for what I do.

13. What is your favorite/least favorite part about the drag community?

My favorite is how we're a family...like we're all entertainers and we're in the same field. So we're all doing a craft that we enjoy and we're putting something out there that we love and it brings us together in a way. Even if we truly don't like each other there's still some respect as far as what we do...if you're doing it well. My least favorite thing is the shade and the cliques. People can get really nasty and it's not right. We should all be closer together than we are. We shouldn't bring each other down.

14. Do you think Drag Race has helped or ruined the community and why?

I have a 2 part answer to that. I feel like Drag Race has helped the makeup aspect of drag because since Drag Race started, the makeup in drag has become so much bigger and there's so much more to it and so much more you can do. It's ruined the community because I feel like the influence some of the queens have had hasn't been that great. People think they can do whatever they want because the queens on Drag Race say or do it...if that makes sense.

15. MARRY, KAI KAI, KILL: Adore Delano, Kennedy Davenport, Detox.

I would kill Kennedy because she kind of has a dog face. I would marry Adore Delano because she seems pretty laid back and doesn't give a fuck. I would kai kai with Detox because I feel like I would have to since I already married Adore and killed Kennedy.