We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Thom Boy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Thom below.
Hi Thom, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
Today, I am 25 years old and up until around a year ago, I was in a very different person than I am now. Not so much outwardly (debatable), but the way that I think about myself and the world has shifted quite a bit. Luckily for me, I can pinpoint the very ~thing~ that changed the course of my life. DRAG. In November 2023, I entered an amateur drag competition for charity. I had just gotten out of a relationship and quit my job around this time and I was ready to just go for it. Drag is something that I had thought about doing for a long time, but I never fully dove in. I had experimented with it a couple times over the last couple years in terms of doing makeup or putting on a wig, a Halloween party perhaps. I had never performed in drag before, or what my current version of drag is anyway. I did theater when I was younger, but I remember feeling uncomfortable and struggling to not come across too feminine. Flash forward to my first performance in drag, I experienced something I wish for everyone to experience. I got to let go. I was the one dancing alone in their room feeling like a star, but I wasn’t alone in my room. I was in drag, performing, in front of people. I was genuinely having the time of my life and worries went out the window. You may say my worries sashay’ed away, even. People were showing me so much love and I had never felt that type of freedom before. I got the opportunity to embrace my inner femininity outwardly which was something I always felt shame for. I have my moments, but over the course of this last year I have grown more than I ever have. I have grown confident in my body and with who I am. I have met incredible people and fellow performers in the community that have made such an impact on me. Drag has allowed me to harness so many different facets of myself to work together. I am more sure of myself today. Honestly, now I may be overly confident and may be perceived as delusional, I don’t know! I’m also realizing that I started anxiety meds last year as well, which may also have had an impact on my confidence and self-esteem. Anywho! I love drag and I’m so happy it loves me back. I know that I’m young and I’m eager to see how my confidence develops and where it takes me.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Thom Boy! I am the bright and bodacious bimbo beauty of Baltimore, baby. I am a performer and host. Drag can be unserious or it can be serious which is why it is my favorite thing in the world. I may have a slight preference for the unserious. You can do anything you want in drag (within reason). You can come up with insane kooky concepts. You can dance. You can sing. You can be funny and weird. Personally, I like to look very pretty and dance around moving my lips (usually to the words) to a song in front of people while I gaze at them in enchanting ways. Maybe I’ll hum a note or two out there if I’m feeling musical. I started hosting shows in Baltimore in May of this year and I now will absolutely be plugging The Aliceanna Room in Fells Points! I work alongside The Queers Upstairs to bring more drag to Baltimore. My show, Thom Foolery, showcases a variety of local talent that displays how drag can be ANYTHING and can be done by ANYONE. From kings to queens, to gender non-conforming and trans artists. This community is expanding and we need more space! The world needs drag now more than ever to be quite honest with you! Along with my show, Thom Foolery, I recently created a new drag brunch in Baltimore. The show is called Order Up! and I can’t wait to host the next one soon.
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?
There are three things that I strive for and they all just so happen to begin with the same letter so it’s aesthetically pleasing and also convenient for memory. Humility. Humor. Honesty. I know that humility isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a drag queen, but I’ll explain. I feel the fantasy when I am in drag 100%. I am gorgeous and stunning and all that, but so is everyone else. I want everyone to have their moment and I am so grateful to be doing this. I put on a show for you and become Thom Boy, but I also am just Thom. I would just remind yourself to stay present and grounded as much as you can. Humor is something that I have always had and will continue to have forever. You can’t take life too seriously all the time. I mean you can, but I wouldn’t! I want to have as good as a time on this planet as I can. In the darkest times is where you need the light the most. It’s a corny quote, but it’s true. Find what makes you laugh and never let it go! Honesty can be tricky. We all tell a white lie every now and then. We may have even told other colors of lies. But I try my best to be real. I want genuine connections in my life, so I aim to give that to others.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Drag is just getting started for me and I have never wanted to grow so much in my life. Except for maybe when I was a baby and probably wanted to talk and walk on my own so badly. Anyway! I am always eager to meet new people and make new connections. I want to expand my network to infinity and beyond! I am open to the world. If you would like to work with me or book me, you can find me on Instagram @thombo.y
I know I did not reference photography at all, but I got a degree in it and would also love to work with you in that department as well! You can check out my instagram @thomstillworks
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thomstillworks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thombo.y/
Image Credits
Braxton Sparks, Austin Bennett, Madeline McLinden
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
