Meet Beth Amphetamine

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Beth Amphetamine a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Beth, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?

I believe that growing up in Southern Indiana is one of the main reasons I’ve been able to succeed even when I’ve stood alone in spaces. My hometown was very homogeneous, white and heterosexual, and being raised by an openly lesbian couple was already “different” enough- without acknowledging the fact that I am multiracial. When I moved to Baltimore in 2019, escaping that whiteness was a huge motivating factor- but even then, as a biracial Filipino-American, it was hard to find an Asian community in Baltimore. When I entered the drag scene, it was similarly isolating, but for different reasons.
Though the climate is currently experiencing what I can only describe as a renaissance, when I debuted in August of 2023, there were significantly fewer transmasculine and specifically femme-presenting or self described “drag queen” performers in the scene. I looked up to people like Floozy Carmichael and Hazel a lot, for being some of the only representation I saw in the city- and even then, getting booked as someone who was perceived as a woman was a real struggle.
However, having grown up in an environment where space for me didn’t exist, creating it for myself didn’t throw me. Maybe that’s sad, but I think it instilled a real strength in me as an independent producer; as I have grown in Baltimore as a performer and showrunner, I have made my own spaces. I have created my own shows. I learned to ask people if they wanted to work with me, and had hard conversations- I have messed up, repeatedly, and through the patience and trust of many wonderful queer people in the city, have been met with love and guidance.
Somewhere, in that work, (and thanks to years of circumstantial experience in events coordination, behind-the-scenes production, and stage management), I figured out how to be effective on my own, when I was one of the only folks who looked like me in those rooms- but I’m not anymore. I don’t have to be. I don’t know what hand I played in expanding the scene, but there are so many more people like me, trans-identifying producers and queens and specifically transmasculine drag queens and femme-presenting performers permeating the scene- that it no longer feels isolating. If anything I did helped expand the space we now have, then I have succeeded.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Beth Amphetamine (they/he/she) is Baltimore’s premiere red tattooed Filipina diva! A founding member of the Dawg Haus, she can be found performing and producing in drags all around Baltimore city and sometimes in DC! Specializing in camp and sex with a flair for live music, he leaves it ALLLLL on the floor. Beth is also available for freelance illustration, graphic design, makeup, and more! For booking, dm @beth.a.bmore on instagram or email [email protected]

Upcoming Events
– Dawg Haus x The Queers Upstairs Presents: STAGEFRIGHT
What: A Halloween Dragstravaganza featuring a sickening array of local legends, a full haunted house inhabited by horrifying DRAG MONSTERS, and a costume contest with the chance to win up to $250 (you read that correctly, folks!) This is a party you don’t wanna miss! Tickets: $15 presale, $20 at the door, 21+
When: Saturday, 10/26, Haunted House 8-10, Doors 8, Show 9:30.
Where: Aliceanna Social Club, 1603 Aliceanna St

– Chasing Tail: UNCHAINED! A Totally Bitchin’ Dragstravaganza, every second Saturday at the Greyhound Tavern!
What: CTU: NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS! Featuring SHELITA RAMEN and KARLI MARX, NO COVER! 21+ With full decor, themed drinks and snacks, a costume contest featuring themed prizes and a FREE HANDOUT just for showing up- this is one show you don’t wanna miss!
When: Saturday, 11/9, Show at 9
Where: Greyhound Tavern, 1822 Fleet St

– Beth Amphetamine x The Queers Upstairs Presents: BIMBO NIGHT
What: Baltimore’s silliest, sexiest, stupidest drag and dance party! From camp to coutoure, bratz doll to demon twink, this show features a sickening array of performers from the DMV area. Tickets: $15 presale, $20 at the door, 21+
When: Friday, 11/22, Doors 9, Show 10
Where: AliceAnna Social Club, 1603 AliceAnna St

-Bratz LaVey x Beth Amphetamine present: MOST WANTED
What: A night of drag and burlesque fantasy with a twist- there’s a killer on the loose! A murder mystery show like no other! Tickets: $15 presale, $20 at the door, 21+
When: Saturday, 11/30, Doors 8 Show 9:30
Where: Club Car Baltimore, 12 W North Ave

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think that the qualities most impactful to my journey were drive, self-discipline, and self-care. I am only able to do what I do because I care deeply about it, the quality of “it”, but most importantly, because I take the time to care for myself. Creating good work and being successful is not possible if you burn yourself up, and this world romanticizes that kind of behavior and ethic. Yes, I hold myself to a high standard and I am hardworking, I do a lot, and I am efficient and focused. But I do not sacrifice myself for the work I do- it simply is not worth it.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

The most impactful thing my parents did for me was give me the privilege of growing up in a healthy and distinctly queer household. I am the product of a big gay upbringing- raised around LGBTQIA+ folks from the day I was born. Transness, gayness, polyamory- all of this was and has been normalized for me, my entire life. This does mean my vernacular is a little garbage, and my tendencies are both butch and flamboyant- but it also means that I was able to avoid a great deal of the baggage so many queer people are unfairly saddled with by the people who are supposed to love them unconditionally. My family gave me so much more than I could ask for- and for that, I am very grateful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://beth-amphetamine.carrd.co/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/beth.a.bmore

Image Credits

Braxton Sparks, Tobias Packer, RGF Ent