Trixie Mattel (Getty Images)
Trixie Mattel has joked that gay people find real life scarier than Halloween, “especially in 2026”.
In an Out interview, the drag performer, musician and podcaster explained why spooky season remains such a big deal in LGBTQ+ culture, dropping a line full of her trademark humour at the same time.
“The gays take Halloween very seriously! Gay people love scary stuff. Life has been scarier! It’s just a murderer? That’s fine! It’s a guy killing your dreams? That’s fine too. It’s a haunted house? So what?! My dad hates me! We’re more afraid of reality, especially in 2026,” she said.
Mattel is currently promoting Trixie’s Halloween Mattelathon, a Halloween-themed parody fundraiser that is streaming now as a YouTube special.
What is Trixie’s Halloween Mattelathon?
The project is framed as a “hysterical variety mock telethon” featuring “a few A-level horror cameos”, alongside the big looks and musical moments fans have come to expect from Drag Race All Star Mattel.
She also suggested drag-led TV projects may struggle to get traditional backing, saying: “Trixie’s at home on Halloween doing a fundraiser because she couldn’t get a sponsor or network to pay attention to her special. In Trump’s America, I don’t think we’re going to see high budget drag projects on TV.”
Mattel added that what started as a joke ended up exceeding expectations: “It started out as a joke, but it actually turned out so fun and good that I weirdly think it’ll pay for itself. Trixie not going into debt on a self project? Can you believe it?”
Alongside the special, Mattel has released a Halloween album, ’Till Death Do Us Part, which is available now and accompanies the mock telethon.
She also shared what she finds funniest about drag performance: “It’s fun to watch a drag queen struggle! What I love about drag is when drag queens are trying to make the best of a bad situation. The music is skipping, the audience doesn’t care, your wig falls off… I love when things aren’t going right.”
Mattel, the drag persona of Brian Firkus, rose to global fame through RuPaul’s Drag Race and later won RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.