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Q&A with ‘Drag Race’ champ Jaida Essence Hall
Season 12 winner makes her first major post-victory performance with this weekend’s Pride Castle
Werq the World’s Pride Castle
Starring Jaida Essence Hall and Yvie Oddly
Hosted by Candis Cayne
Wth Heidi N Closet, Raja, Naomi Smalls, Kim Chi and Plastique
Net proceeds and tips to benefit National Black Justice Coalition
Live Stream
Saturday, June 27
8 p.m. EST
(available for replay for 48 hours)
$9.99
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 12 and the currently airing “All Stars” season five are mostly feeling pretty normal — they were taped pre-coronavirus. But when it came time for the season 12 reunion “Alone Together,” which aired May 22, and the “Grand Finale,” which aired May 29, it was unchartered terrain for the drag franchise juggernaut.
Season 12 winner Jaida Essence Hall will join season 11 winner Yvie Oddly in a Werq the World Pride Castle event this weekend. She spoke with the Blade by phone June 19 from her Milwaukee home about life since winning, winning during a pandemic and how she plans to advance her career even amidst these crazy times. Her comments have been edited slightly for clarity.
WASHINGTON BLADE: How are you?
JAIDA ESSENCE HALL: Pretty good, pretty good. I’m just excited for a lovely, sunny day.
BLADE: Congrats on your win! I was happy for you.
HALL: Thank you, I was too. I was really surprised.
BLADE: Tell us about Pride Castle.
HALL: Pride Castle is a really unique, really cute live stream show that will be taking place next week and the show is just some amazing queens from “Drag Race” and also the amazingly talented Candis Cayne. We’ll all just be secluded in a castle giving some amazing performances, some entertainment for some people who need it right now. We will also be benefitting the National Black Justice Coalition.
BLADE: Is this your first time doing it?
HALL: This is my first time and also my first major event since winning. I’m really excited for it.
BLADE: What do you have planned?
HALL: I just really wanna take the people who watch it on a journey. It’s crazy — when you can have an opportunity to have like a really cute production and like a really beautiful space and let your mind wander off and come up with a really creative idea and so I just wanna take the viewers on a journey and like a little piece of my mind.
BLADE: But it’s a real place, not just some virtual thing edited together?
HALL: It’ll actually be all of us in the castle so we have this really beautiful backdrop.
BLADE: So you’ll just be giving each other space as you perform?
HALL: Oh of course, we’ll make sure we’re socially distanced. Right now there’s still a lot going on in the world so we’re taking all the major health precautions to make sure everybody is safe and we can still give them a great show.
BLADE: Where is it?
HALL: In California, a little bit outside of Los Angeles.
BLADE: Will you be doing more of these?
HALL: I’m really hoping so. I’ve always dreamed of doing Werq the World and performing the shows. If you know anything about “Drag Race” and you know a lot about drag, you know a lot about Werq the World and it’s just like a major opportunity to be able to be a part of it so I’m hoping I can do a lot more of these.
BLADE: What was it like taping the reunion and finale from home?
HALL: It was kind of crazy because a lot of technology, I’m not the most tech-savvy person out there, but we received a lot of equipment and we had to set it all up so I was a little bit nervous like, “Am I gonna get this stuff right, will I be able to produce what the audience will expect of me,” so I was a little bit of nerves but at the same time I was also really excited because I knew this would be something that the world has never seen before and it would be a very unique experience and if it was done all the way right, the world would have something that they would really enjoy.
BLADE: How long had it been since you wrapped? It must have been months.
HALL: Oh yeah, it was at least a good maybe six months or so, it’s been awhile since we filmed everything. It was actually quite awhile, so waiting for the finale was like the most nerve wracking thing so you leave and you know who’s in the top but then also at the same time, we have no idea who wins so you have to like just anticipate that for so long. It’s always in the back of your mind — finale finale finale.
BLADE: How long does it take to tape a full “Drag Race” season? How long were you in L.A.?
HALL: Unfortunately, we’re not allowed to discuss that.
BLADE: What was your favorite challenge?
HALL: Oh my god, it was between two. I really loved the political challenge, because I got to showcase another side of myself but also I really loved the makeover challenge because it was super fans. I would never have the career I have in drag right now if it wasn’t for the people who came out and supported me and so to see them be able to be have a moment of time to fulfill their dream and their fantasy to come true too, it made me feel really, really good.
BLADE: I can’t recall her name, but have you kept in touch with your partner from that challenge?
HALL: Oh my god, yes. Bethany, we called her Jazz, Bethany and I keep in touch. We talk all the time. We even did a zoom call with me, Heidi, Jackie, Crystal and all of the fans we all got on a zoom together and just chatted. We got to meet their partners and see some of their kids, it was so cute.
BLADE: Who was your favorite celebrity guest judge?
HALL: It had to be Whoopi, oh my God, I could not believe that Whoopi was there. That’s one of the things that completely shocked me. I could not believe she was there but I love her so much so I was just floored. She could have been there and literally not said a single word and I still would have been over the moon.
BLADE: What did it mean to you when she hugged you?
HALL: Like I said, growing up where I’m from and my background, seeing like really talented, strong black figures was just so incredible and to see one of the most amazing black entertainers whose work transcends race and everything like that, it was so moving to me. Just like, “I’m in the presence of somebody who worked so hard and never gave up, had so many successes.” It just made me feel so good.
BLADE: Did she smell like cigarettes or perfume or anything?
HALL: No. All I can remember is the fact when she said, “Come down here and give me a hug,” I was like, “Do you really want me to come down here and give her a hug?” And then when she started to walk over, I almost had like a blackout moment. It was good to see it back on TV.
BLADE: Did (season 12 finalists) Crystal (Methyd) and Gigi (Goode) reach out and congratulate you?
HALL: Oh yes, we always talk all the time. All of the girls from the season, we all communicate wth each other so much. And I actually got to have a full phone conversation wth both of them and they both explained how we feel about everything and they were really actually genuinely very happy for me too.
BLADE: What struck you most watching the show back? Were there any shady edits or mischaracterizations?
HALL: No. I think sometimes when we watch the show it’s always the show is almost you pull out the moments that happened the most and for me I’m always remembering like in the moment trying to remember everything that happened. So to see everything back it was just like a refresher. I’m so thankful it was recorded so we can always look back and be like, “Oh, I remember when this happened.”
BLADE: Whom are you rooting for for “All Stars”?
HALL: Oh my God, I love so many of the girls but Shea Coulee is like one of the first girls I ever met. She’s from Chicago which is like an hour and a half way from me and I’ve always been a Shea fan so of course I’m rooting for her. But all the other girls are really fantastic too so whoever wins I would not be surprised.
BLADE: Did any of the past season winners reach out and congratulate you?
HALL: Yeah, so many of them. I already speak a lot with Aquaria, who I’m a little bit obsessed with. It’s like, is there anything she can’t do? Yvie has been reaching out to me, Bianca is always sharing stuff, it’s like so many of the girls. BeBe (Zahara Benet), Raja, they’ve all reached out and been like, “We’re so proud of you for the work you’ve done.” Not just the winners but so many of the other contestants.
BLADE: Had you met many of them before?
HALL: Some of them I have, some I have not. Like season 11, there were quite a few of the girls I knew prior to the show. Some I’ve met just through meet and greets.
BLADE: Does the work room have four walls or is it more like a giant set?
HALL: No, it’s an actual room. I always wondered that too.
BLADE: Do you feel your victory has been diluted by the pandemic?
HALL: I think we all could have been working a lot more had this not happened but I also think everybody in the world could have been working a lot more had this not happened, so it’s one of those things in life where you have to like learn to roll with the punches and that’s something I’ve been doing quite often in my life. So yeah, I was like “Oh my god, I wish I could be traveling and meeting all the people that I normally would have met had I had the opportunity to travel but at the same time, I’ve met a lot of people through social media. That’s honestly been the best thing for me. That always makes me feel so much better even with everything going on in the world.
BLADE: How’s the rest of your summer shaping up?
HALL: I’m enjoying life as much as I can but also trying to stay as safe as possible. It seems like every single day details are changing of what we can do.
BLADE: Have you been going out much?
HALL: In Wisconsin everything is pretty much opened back up but it’s limited. They’re kind of saying you can, but if it’s something you really don’t have to do, it’s probably best to stay in.
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Award-winning D.C. chef reaching new culinary heights
Anthony Jones of Marcus DC competing on ‘Top Chef’
In Anthony Jones’s kitchen, all sorts of flags fly, including his own. Executive chef at award-winning restaurant Marcus DC, Jones has reached culinary heights (James Beard Award semifinalist for Emerging Chef, anyone?), yet he’s just getting started.
Briefly stepping away from his award-winning station, Jones took a moment under a different set of lights. Recently, he temporarily gave up his post at the restaurant for a starring small-screen slot on the latest season of “Top Chef,” which debuted in March. (The show airs weekly on Bravo and Peacock).
Before his strategic slice-and-dice competition, however, Jones, who identifies as gay, draws from his deep DMV roots. In the years before “Top Chef” and the top chef spot at Marcus, he was born and raised in Sunderland, Md., in southern Maryland, near the Chesapeake.
Early memories were steeped in afternoons on boats with his dad bonding over fishing, and wandering the garden of his great-grandparents spread with fresh vegetables and a few hogs. “It was Southern, old-school ethics and upbringing,” he said. “Family and food went hand in hand.” Weekends meant grabbing bushels of crabs, dad and grandma would cook and crack them. Family members would host fish fries for extra cash. In this seafood-heavy youth, Jones managed time to sneak in episodes of the “OG” Japanese “Iron Chef” show, which helped inspire him to pursue a career in the kitchen.
Jones moved to D.C. after graduating from college, ending up at lauded Restaurant Eve, and met famed chef Marcus Samuelson, who brought him to Miami to be part of the opening team for Red Rooster Overtown. After three years, Jones moved back to D.C., where he ran Dirty Habit, reinventing and reimagining the menu, integrating West African flavors and ingredients.
Samuelson, however, wouldn’t let a talent like Jones stay away for too long. Pulling Jones back into his orbit, Samuelson elevated Jones to help him open his namesake restaurant Marcus DC, which has been named a top-five restaurant by the Washington Post. Since then, Jones has been nominated as a semifinalist for the RAMMYs Rising Culinary Star in 2026 and won the Eater DC’s Rising Chef award in 2025.
Samuelson’s Marcus is a tour de force interpreting the Black Diaspora on the plate, from the American South to West Africa, along with his signature “Swedopian” touches. Yet it’s Jones who has deeply informed the plate, elevating his own story to date. Marcus DC is primarily a seafood restaurant, which serves Jones well.
“Where I’m from is seafood heavy, and as I’ve progressed in my career, I’ve moved away from meat.” Veggies and fish are hero dishes. His own dish, Mel’s Crab Rice, was not only lauded by the Washington Post, but is framed by his youth carrying home the crustaceans from Mel’s crab truck. It’s a bowl of Carolina rice, layered with pickled okra, uni béarnaise, and crab. Jones also points to a dish on the opening menu, rockfish and brassica, paying respect to a landmark D.C. institution, Ben’s Chili Bowl. Jones reverse engineered a favorite bowl of chili that’s seafood instead of meat forward, leveraging octopus and rockfish along with different riffs of cauliflower: showing his intellectual, creative, and cultural sides.
While “Top Chef” is showing Jones’s spotlight side, he also lets his identity show at work. “In the kitchen, I make sure we’re inclusive. We don’t tolerate discrimination. Everyone that’s here should feel confident to express themselves. There are so many different flags in the kitchen.”
Jones says that he didn’t fully express his gay identity until fairly recently. He felt reluctant coming out to certain family members, “you’re scared to tell them about being different,” he says, and while that anxiety ate at him, “I’m lucky and fortunate to have unconditional love and that weight off my shoulders.”
Today, “I’m me all the time, Monday to Sunday. I’m honest with people, and my staff is honest with me.”
“Being a chef is hard,” he says, “and being a chef of color is even more difficult.”
Yet his LGBTQ identity is a juggling act, he says. “I need to keep that balance, because once someone finds out something about you, their opinion can change, whether you want it or not.”
Being on a whole season of TV cooking competition, however, might mean millions more might have an opinion of him (Jones has appeared on TV already, on an episode of “Chopped”). To prepare, he says, “I’ve just kept a level head. It’s just an honor to be on top chef with amazing people happy to be there.”
Plus, this season is set in the Carolinas, and Jones attended Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, N.C. “It’s a full story of my life, now a monumental moment for me.”
Jones also recently was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award. “JBF has been a north star, a dream for so long. I always had this goal on my wall.”
Being at the top spot at Marcus DC, making waves through his accolades, and cooking on Bravo means that Jones is highly visible. “I think that if someone has a similar background to me, and can see our story, trajectory, and success, they can have more ability to be themselves. This is my goal.”
Back at Marcus, Jones has plenty up his chef’s white’s sleeves. A new spring menu is in the works. He’ll be launching a new tasting menu “dining experience,” he says, and has plans to work on more events and collaborations with chefs and friends to bring in new talent and share the culinary wealth.
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Introducing the Torchbearers Awards honoring queer, trans women and nonbinary people
Meet the Legends and Illuminators lighting new paths
The Torchbearers Awards are more than recognition—they are a continuation of legacy. They honor the quiet architects of progress in our community: those who organize, advocate, build, and protect, often without fanfare but always with purpose. Rooted in a belief in intentional recognition, this honor names those who carry our movements forward—those who make room for others, who remind us that change is both generational and generative. In a time marked by uncertainty and challenge, these leaders push forward with courage, clarity, and an unwavering commitment to expanding opportunity and equity.
This year’s honorees reflect the full breadth of our community, spanning generations, backgrounds, identities, and industries. From Legends, with decades of leadership and having created pathways for others, to Illuminators, who are lighting new paths with creativity and innovation, each Torchbearer represents the power of intergenerational leadership and the strength found in our diversity. They are organizers, advocates, artists, policy leaders, healers, and changemakers whose lived experiences shape a shared vision for equity and liberation.
This award is our love letter to queer and trans women and nonbinary people who carry the flame when it would be easier to let it dim. To those who consistently show up, who use their voice and visibility and stand firm, often without recognition, so that others may live more freely and fully. The Torchbearers Awards celebrates not just what has been done, but the enduring spirit, responsibility, and collective care that ensure the work continues, and that the flame is always passed forward.
Co-Creators of the Torchbearers Awards: Shannon Alston, June Crenshaw, Heidi Ellis
Torchbearers Awards Advisory Board: Aditi Hardikar, Lesley Bryant, Jasmine Wilson-Bryant, Stephen Rutgers
ILLUMINATOR AWARDEES
- Representative Sharice Davids (she/her), (D, KS-03)
— U.S. House of Representatives - Greisa Martinez Rosas (she/her/ella)
— Executive Director, United We Dream - Paola Ramos (she/her)
— Journalist & Correspondent - Meagan A. Fitzgerald (she/her)
— Journalist & Correspondent - Jessica L. Lewis (she/her)
— Founder / Producer, Play Play DC - Savannah Wade (she/her)
— Founder, OAR Agency - Suhad Babaa (she/her)
— Filmmaker/ Former Executive Director of Just Vision - Ashlee Davis (she/her)
— Global Head of Inclusive Outcomes, Ancestry - Jazmine Hughes (she/her)
— Journalist and Former Editor at New York Times Magazine - Queen Adesuyi (they/she)
— Policy Advisor & Organizer, ReFrame Health & Justice - Michele Rayner, Esq. (she/her)
— Civil Rights Attorney, State Representative (Florida House of Representatives) - Gaby Vincent (she/her)
— Sports/Cultural Commentator and Community Leader - Jenny Nguyen (she/her)
— Founder & Owner, The Sports Bra - Denice Frohman (she/her)
— Independent Artist, Poet / Performer - Vida Rangel (she/her)
— Founder, Our Trans Capital - Roxanne Anderson (they/them)
— Executive Director, Our Space - Ann Marie Gothard (she/her)
— Co-Founder & President, Pride Live (Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center) - Diana Rodriquez (she/her)
— Co-Founder & CEO, Pride Live (Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center) - Wendi Cooper (she/her)
— Founder / Executive Director, Transcending Women - Toya Matthews (she/her)
— City of San Antonio, Texas - Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones (she/her)
— Sports/Cultural Commentator and Community Leader - Charity Blackwell (she/her)
— Poet, LGBTQ Advocate & Community Leader - Wilhelmina Indermaur (she/her)
— Director of Communications, Tyler Clementi Foundation - Em Chadwick (she/her)
— CMO, For Them & Autostraddle - Kylo Freeman (they/he)
— CEO, For Them & Autostraddle
LEGEND AWARDEES
- Sheila Alexander-Reid (she/her)
— Executive Director, PHL Diversity, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau - Cassandra Cantave Burton (she/her)
— Interim Director of Thought Leadership & Senior Research Advisor, AARP - leigh h. mosley (she/her)
— Photographer / Educator, PhotoFlo Photography - Jenn M. Jackson, PhD (they/them)
— Assistant Professor of Political Science; Author & Columnist, Syracuse University - Jordyn White (she/her)
— COO, Washington Prodigy / VP of Leadership Development & Research, HRC Foundation - AJ Hikes (they/them)
— Deputy Executive Director, ACLU - RaeShanda Lias (she/her)
— Digital Creator, RL Lockhart - Donna Payne-Hardy (she/her)
— Educator, EEO Specialist, Founder of NBJC, Former Leader at the Human Rights Campaign - Courtney R. Snowden (she/her)
— Principal, Blueprint Strategy Group - Gaye Adegbalola (she/her)
— Musician & Activist, Musician / Inductee of the Blues Hall of Fame - Cheryl A. Head (she/her)
— Independent Author, Novelist (Crime Fiction) - Letitia Gomez (she/her)
— The American LGBTQ+ Museum, Board Chair - Lynne Brown (she/her)
— Publisher, Washington Blade - Shay Franco-Clausen (She/Her/Ella/Queen)
— Political Strategist and Organizer - Melissa L. Bradley (she/her)
— Founder & Managing Partner, New Majority Ventures - Meghann Burke (she/her)
— Executive Director, NWSL Players Association - Victoria Kirby York, MPA (she/they)
— Director of Public Policy & Programs, National Black Justice Collective - Joli Angel Robinson (she/her)
— CEO, Center on Halsted - Jeannine Frisby LaRue (she/her)
— CEO, Moxie Strategies - Alice Wu (she/her)
— Film Director (Saving Face, The Half of It) / Screenwriter - Storme Webber (she/her)
— Interdisciplinary Artist / Educator, University of Washington - Kim Stone
— CEO of the Washington Spirit, Washington Spirit - Mickalene Thomas
— American Visual Artist, Mickalene Thomas Studio - Erika Lorshbough (any/they/she)
— Executive Director, interACT - J. Gia Loving (she/ella)
— Co-Executive Director, GSA Network
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D.C. springs back to life with new, returning events
Cherry blossoms, Rehoboth season kickoff, and more on tap
Longer and warmer days are back meaning: It’s time to get out of the house and enjoy Washington D.C.’s many events. Below are a few to check out this spring.
The National Museum of Women in the Arts will host “Making their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection” until Sunday, July 26. This exhibition illustrates women artists’ vital role in abstraction, considers historical contributions, formal and material breakthroughs and intergenerational relationships among women artists over the last eight decades. For more details, visit. NMWA’s website.
Art in the Attic will host a pop-up on Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m. at 1012 Madison St., Alexandria, Va. There will be a variety of vendors selling products across different modes of art. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Play Play will host “Indoor Recess – The art of play” on Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m. This event will embody classic recess energy, including opportunities to build and experience community and connections through games, movement, art stations, and creative freedom. Tickets are $12.51 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Spark Social will host “Gay Bar Crawl on U Street” on Friday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m. This will be a fun night out in gay D.C. with other gay people, whether you’re visiting D.C., new to the area, or just looking to expand your social circle. Many crawlers have formed lasting friendships and even romantic relationships after just one night out. Tickets are $35.88 and are available on Eventbrite.
Creative Suitland Arts Center will host “EFFERVESCENT: House of Swann” on Saturday, May 30 at 7 p.m. This will be a gay, good time where we will celebrate love, joy, wellness, and visibility for the LGBTQIA+ community. Tickets start at $17.85 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
SWAG Works DC will host “Unapologetically Her” on Saturday, March 14 at 2 p.m. at 701 E St., S.E. This event is a powerful celebration of womanhood, resilience, creativity, and self-expression in honor of Women’s History Month. This all-women exhibition highlights the diverse voices, stories, and artistic perspectives of women who create boldly, live authentically, and stand confidently in their truth. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
9:30 Club will host “Gimme Gimme Disco: A Dance Party Inspired by ABBA” on Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m. There will also be a “Donna Summer Power Hour – The Queen of Disco” segment during this event. It’ll be one hour of music with no skips. Tickets are available on 9:30 Club’s website.
Harder Better Faster Stronger will host “Heated Rivalry Rave” on Friday, March 20 at 9 p.m. at Howard Theatre. This event is open to all ages. Tickets are available on the theater’s website.
CAMP Rehoboth hosts its 25th annual Women’s+ FEST, April 9-12 in Rehoboth Beach, Del. Entertainers include headliner Mina Hartong, a comedian, storyteller, and founder of Lez Out Loud; and singer Yoli Mayor. There are dances, dinners, pickleball, and much more. Details and tickets at camprehoboth.org.
Also in Rehoboth Beach, the Washington Blade’s 19th annual Summer Kickoff Party is set for Friday, May 15 featuring Ashley Biden, who will accept an award on behalf of her brother Beau. State Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall will also speak. More speakers and the venue to be announced soon.
The annual D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off March 21 at DAR Constitution Hall and culminates with Petalpalooza on April 4, the day-long, outdoor street party with music and art, stretching across Navy Yard, and ending with fireworks over the Anacostia River.
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