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“I am only interested if you do it side by side,” I type.

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3. Her dogs are named Lola, Sadie and Mr. Shakes.

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I firmly believe that, had she played her cards right, she would have icon status like that of Beyoncé: current, innovative and untouchable.

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Though I still found her strange, I was intrigued that, not only was there a drag queen from Pittsburgh, but that she looked how she looked. It was almost as if she had slapped the city’s conservatism in its face. Being unusual not just for a person, but for a drag queen? That takes guts.

“

I began to envision myself up on the stage, the crowd worshipping my secretary hips, my muffin top spilling over my G-string, the insides of my long thighs that would rub together as I’d slink seductively offstage. Finally last Thursday, I stripped out of my inhibitions and signed up for a $15 beginner class with the New York School of Burlesque.