About a month ago I was asked by my pal DJ Skiddle to fill in for him at ElectroPOP Thursdays at The Baltic Room. Arden & Jimmy, who throw the night, were especially gracious and delightful and I had a fabulous time. I have to say though, my FAVORITE part of the evening was when I first set these eyes of mine on Mama Tits, AKA Busty McGee. I was sitting on one of the lounge chairs, sharing a tasty beverage with my lady when out of the corner of my eye I caught a little glint of fabulosity through the window. I focused my attention to this fierce giant with a BEAT (read: amazing) face. Lo and behold, this was my personal intro to Mama Tits. You know how I love me a drag queen! I get REAL excited when I find a new one to love, and love Mama Tits I do!
With this newfound love, naturally I became curious about the ins and out of Mama Tits. I had questions yo! So I reached out with a few questions, for an interview for my blog. Yes, that's it. (Not because I'm a tranny stalker. Of course.) What did I find? More fascination. Wonder what the hell I'm talking about? READ ON. You're gonna find there's a whole lot behind this larger than life character who's currently blazing a trail through Seattle's nightlife!
LAK: How did Mama Tits aka Busty McGee come to be?
MT: I have been a drag Queen for 15 years now. Mama Tits aka Busty McGee came about when I joined LeFaux. I had been known in Seattle as Sister Stella Standing, however I was not able to use that name for this so I needed to come up with a fun name that I liked and people could relate to. I am over 6'6 out of drag and when I am in Drag I am over 7ft with hair and heels and my tits have to be in proportion to me so they are HUGE. I was tossing around names with some of the cast members of LeFaux and I came up with Busty McGee and we soon spun it into the humor side even more so than the original name and I started saying "The name's Busty McGee but you my dears can call me Mama Tits!" and it stuck.
LAK: You were/are also a Sister Of Perpetual Indulgence as Sister Stella Standing. What's it like to be a Sister?
MT: I am also a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence and a member of the Abbey of St Joan in Seattle, My name is Sister Stella Standing. Being a Sister has been one of the most fulfilling journeys I have ever been on in my life. It is a way for me to give back to a community whom has given me so much. My calling within the Sisters is one of HIV and AIDS prevention as well as self love. Being a Sister is an enormous responsibility and one that I take very seriously. I have taken a break from the Sisters for the past year to focus on LeFaux but I am now able to start working on the Sister part of my journey once again.
LAK: You are an actor, a writer, a fierce mf drag queen...how do you balance it all?MT: I do my best to balance everything, but sometimes I don't. I have had to allow myself the ability to take a step back sometimes, for myself, so I do not run myself down. However the key to how I have been able to do so much is my loving husband of 7 years Daniel Jason Klaudt. Married for 7 years, together for 10. He takes care of all the back end things for me so all I need to do is focus on being me and doing my work. Without him I don't know how I would have been able to do so much.
LAK: You've been hosting Le Faux at Julias...how did you get involved there?
MT: I was the host of LeFaux from September 2010 until November 3 2011, and it was an amazing ride! I had been around LeFaux for many years and Eladio had been after me for a long time to come join and I continually told him no because I was working on my Sister journey. After Pride 2010 I came to Eladio and asked to do my own show there on an off night and he responded to me asking me to host LeFaux, and I said yes. It was the best decision I have made in a long time. Being the host of such an amazing show with such an amazing cast teaches you a lot about yourself and who you are as an entertainer.
LAK: There's been quite a bit of buzz about your feature film, Heart Breaks Open. Tell me a little bit about that.
MT: Heart Breaks Open is my first Feature Film.
Synopsis:A model queer activist and community advocate, Jesus (Maximillian Davis) prides himself in his work with the Seattle LGBT community. At the same time, Jesus is having unprotected sex and cheating on his long-time partner (Samonte Cruz). Jesus’s world implodes when he discovers that he is HIV positive, forcing him to confront his innermost fears, his relationship with his ex-boyfriend, and a future living with HIV. Faced with the unknown, Jesus is pulled from the brink of self-destruction by Sister Alysa Trailer (Brian Peters), a drag queen nun who leads him down a path of self-discovery.
‘Heart breaks open’ is a feature film about queer life, public health and community accountability. It was written as a four page outline and transformed to a feature-length project through a collaborative filmmaking process. Actors used improvisational acting to create dialogue and action. Documentary filmmakers captured performances using cinema verité techniques. Seattle locations and their staff were used to create an undeniable meditative realism.
That's what the synopsis says but to me it is more than that. It is an opportunity for us to tell one persons story of HIV infection without sugar coating it, without patronizing the audience, we wanted to show as much reality as possible. This film was all grassroots, independent. We made it with no money, we made it with love and volunteers. The script was all improvisational with the exception of a few key lines that had to be in the film, every line was felt by every actor in the project and it all came from the heart. We were so blessed to have our world premiere at the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival in the spring of this year and the film has been around the world since. We have been in 17 Film festivals world wide and had 20 screenings, from Mumbai India, to South Africa, to a few countries in Europe including England, Germany and Italy, many cities all over the USA, Canada and even China! Now the film is even available at TLAGay.com for purchase and on-demand at our website heartbreaksopen.com.
LAK: Recently I DJ'd for ElektroPop and had the best time. One of my favorite memories from that night was watching you pull up in your car, larger than life, colorful and full of energy. You bring a lot of life to that situation. What's your goal in being involved in ElektroPop?
MT: My goal in being apart of ElektroPoP! is one of fun. I enjoy what I do and I love to share it with other people. I want to continue to learn how to be better at what I do. Sinfinate Productions and I partnered up in this venture to help expand the nightlife in Seattle during the week. We do not want to take from anyone but rather we want to show people that there is more out there then the same old routine. We change our theme every week to keep it fresh, we have games or performances or both, sometimes celebrity guests and friends will pop in to party, and we want people to know this is a place for all to come and dance and let loose. Thursday is the new Friday after all.
LAK: As someone living with HIV, what advice do you have for the LGBTQ community in regards to educating and awareness? What can the rest of us do to contribute positively not only to those people living with HIV, but in regards to educating the younger crowd coming up?
MT: In the words of a very dear friend of mine, ChiChi LaRue, "WRAP IT UP"! Also get tested, know your status and know what risks you are taking. We are all adults, if you and your partner(s) know the risks, take precautions and are being consentual then I am happy. I will not condemn someone for practicing unsafe sexual acts I just want them to educate themselves on what risks are out there and what risks they are willing to take for themselves and stay true to that. However, NEVER take risks for others. Let them decide on their own once they have all the information. If you do find out that you have contracted HIV or you know someone who has, know that you or they are not alone. Reach out, there are many people out there like myself that are willing to talk and help you through your times of trial.
LAK: You've been with your partner for 10 years. In Gay years that is a lifetime! What's your secret to the longevity?
MT: Communication, trust, Love and a willingness to work through the bad shit as well as having fun in the good times. Letting each other be themselves and loving them for who they are and not trying to change them.
LAK: Amen sister! What is your inspiration for this life you lead? What gets you out of bed in the morning?
MT: I am not done with my work yet on this earth, I am motivated to get up every day because I am not dead. Any day that I wake up is a good day.
LAK: Any hot news you'd like to share with my readers on up and coming happenings for Mama Tits?
MT: ElektroPoP! every Thursday at Baltic Room 10pm-2am 21+ no cover. Follow me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TheOneandOnlyMamaTits. Check out my website http://www.briandanielpeters.com. Look for my new podcast called 'Mama's Milk" soon to be relasing the first episode. Stay tuned, Mama's got a few other things up her sleeve.....
LAK: Waiting with baited breath!
Need more Mama Tits? Catch her tomorrow night at ElektroPOP Wednesdays at The Baltic Room as they celebrate Britney's 30th!
XXX
L.A.K.
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