We had the good fortune of connecting with Eddie (Elijah) Broadway (Palles) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eddie (Elijah), why did you pursue a creative career?
My career in drag was pursued first on the basis of exploring my performance side. Through that I quickly found my gender identity. I had always in a round about way been in the arts, especially performing arts, but never felt comfortable or confident in it mostly due to my gender expression at the time. For me, drag is art and it is another form of performance art and acting so when I am on stage or doing things through this avenue, I get to be whatever I want to be unapologetically. Now as my authentic self through my gender transition, I have the confidence to continue this career and really build something that I am proud of. Drag is such an amazing outlet for me creatively and I continue to evolve in my craft.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I never know the best place to start with this because I have two careers that sometimes overlap and assist each other. In the daytime, I am a mental health practitioner and an activist. I graduated with my Masters in Social Work, have sat and currently sit on a fee boards, and have been involved in planning councils and more. With regards to my drag career, I have won two national titles and two local titles and have been excelling in this career for almost 12 years. My personal life as a social worker sometimes overlaps with my drag career in that I have had opportunities for my “day job” open up due to my interactions with the community as my drag persona. I would say both of these careers have not been the easiest, especially when doing both together. One of the hardest things for me has been setting up boundaries and limitations on when to say no to things. Since I do have two successful careers happening, it is a balancing act of how much time I can spend in each area. Eddie and Elijah overlap quite often, but both need each other to continue to succeed in the other area. I am an HIV activist, drag entertainer, social worker, therapist, artist, and more and I love every second of it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Besides the Melrose area, I live in the Garfield district downtown. I am big on checking out new restaurants and new venues so I would definitely be showing them some of the speakeasy’s downtown. I want them to get a feel for that vibe as well so maybe down to Valleybar as well or something similar. Phoenix art museum would also be a place I would take them as well as Wonderspaces would be a fun place as well. I would then top it off with Platform 18 and Grey Hen cocktails.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have several mentors that have helped me start my drag career; Brandon Packer and Gunner Gatlyn are both my drag dads. My ex wife, Carrie Geisler always supported my through this journey. My drag kids,; Slaytanic Savage, Dustin Riot, Rhiannon Nichelle, and Alexander Stryke. The PRIDE at Kobalt features all of my brothers from Phoenix Pride and the Imperial Court and they are a key group that keeps me going and thriving (Carrington Hall-Dubois, Kristofer Inez Onyx, Geo, Gray Matter).
The Queer Agenda at Kobalt continues to help me evolve creatively as an entertainer; hosted by Benaddiction with Koco Caine, Astrud Aurelia, and Dahli.

Instagram: eddie.broadway

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/elijah-lee-palles-lmsw-1774b941

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/100003556550298/ – eddie broadway

Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgqXrUmB4pPKjGPl6JdoEoJDbFRal-IkX

Image Credits
Scotty Kirby Photography Tios Photography Rachel Z Photography Christina Faye Photography Bearded Gonzo Photography

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