Drag performer Hormona Lisa will compete on the upcoming 17th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” becoming the first performer from Chattanooga to appear on the show.
“With a city that has such a diverse drag scene, for me to be the one that was selected is really special, and I’m honored, and I can’t wait for Chattanooga to be on the map,” Hormona Lisa, known out of drag as Noah Corbin, told the Chattanooga Times Free Press in a video call.
Describing her drag as “Marilyn Monroe meets a Disney princess,” Lisa said she started performing in September 2019 after a theater director suggested she do drag. While she enjoys performing, Lisa said her favorite part of drag is getting ready because she likes the transformational aspect of it (“I’m like, ‘Oh my god, there she is,'” she said of putting on her makeup). She’s also big on rituals, and part of her routine is to have a cupcake every time she gets into drag.
“It’s not good for my blood sugar and stuff, but praise the Lord, I’m still alive,” Lisa said, punctuating with a laugh.
At a Hormona Lisa show, one can expect a fusion of comedy and classic music – Connie Francis, Doris Day and Etta James to name a few, Lisa said. It’s important to be a versatile, multi-faceted performer and to not take oneself too seriously, she said.
Where to watch “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 17
– At home: 8 p.m. Fridays on MTV, starting Jan. 3
– Watch party: 8 p.m. Fridays, starting Jan. 3, at The Big Chill and Grill, 103 Cherokee Blvd., Suite 1A
(READ MORE: Exploring Chattanooga drag with Alyvia St. Claire and Bambii Montice)
Chattanooga’s drag scene makes sense for the size of the city, Lisa said. The scene is not overly saturated nor is it too small, she said. And there’s a diversity of performers embracing different styles of drag such as pageantry or alternative performance, keeping the city’s scene fresh and different, she said.
In addition to drag, Lisa has served as president of Chattanooga Pride for the past several years, noting that this will be her last year in the role. Having a community wherever one lives is important, because everyone wants connection, Lisa said.
“There’s people that don’t agree with drag or agree with anything in the (LGBTQ+) community, but I think that it’s important that we passionately love one another and love ourselves more than people hate us,” she said.
Elizabeth Haley, executive director of the Seed Theatre – a nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ adults and youth – has known Lisa for at least eight years, with Lisa having grown up with Haley’s wife in North Georgia, Haley said by phone. Lisa is an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and is one of the local community’s leaders, Haley said.
Knowing Lisa personally and professionally, Haley said she’s excited for the drag performer to be on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” because she has seen the level of professionalism and dedication that Lisa has put into her craft. It is also exciting for Lisa to be on “Drag Race,” because the community is embracing her, Haley said.
“It’s really cool to be able to have somebody in a national spotlight to step up and say, ‘Yes, there are queer people here in the South, and we celebrate queer joy just like everybody else does,'” Haley said.
For Lisa, drag has given her a support system that she otherwise would not have, she said. Reflecting on her evolution since starting drag, Lisa said she created a mood board when she first began performing of who she wanted to be and what she wanted to do. Who she is now is the realization of that vision, she said.
When asked about her future post-“Drag Race,” Lisa said she believes her potential is unlimited. She would like to have a successful career in comedy, and her dream would be to have a cupcake-baking competition show on the Food Network. Ultimately, though, she said she might just take over as the host of “Drag Race.”
Contact Sam Still at sstill@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6579.
Staff file photo by Abby White / Drag performer Hormona Lisa poses for a portrait at the Chattanooga Pride Festival on Sept. 6, 2024. Hormona Lisa will compete on season 17 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”