Willam Belli’s favorite bar in Chicago, Groupon’s hometown, is Roscoe’s. “I love Roscoe’s! That’s my favorite spot,” he tells us [Ed. Note: Willam prefers the masculine pronoun]. “I love to crowd-surf there. They say, ‘You’re not going to crowd-surf, right?’ and I say, ‘No!’ as I shake my head yes. If you see a queen crowd-surfing, please catch her. And avoid her lower abdomen.” We’ll let you guess why. It’s not the only piece of advice that Willam, an internet sensation, RuPaul’s Drag Race alum, and new face for American Apparel, has to offer. Channeling his inner Emily Post, he walked us through the finer points of drag show etiquette. Most of his advice is a little risqué, so proceed at your own risk. Tip the Queen Tipping queens is customary, but be sensible about it. “Keep your ones in one pocket and your big bills in another,” Willam advises. “Asking a drag queen for change is super difficult, even if she’s wearing one of those toll-belt things. I used to do that.” However, asking for change isn’t the only faux pas when it comes to tipping. “Let the queen perform a little bit first,” Willam says. “Don’t try to tip her as soon as she comes out, unless there’s a giant costume reveal, or she ‘sha-blamms.’” More importantly, “Don’t put money in your mouth. There are millions of enjoyable ways to contract hepatitis, but money in the mouth is not one of them.” Stuffing it in her dress is also off limits. It’s usually best to just hand over the cash. Don’t Touch the Queen … Most of the Time “Don’t go anywhere near the face,” Willam warns. “That will turn me into Kill Bill immediately. You will get ninja-chopped.” And while spectators are often encouraged to be tastefully affectionate, they should always get permission, even for a kiss on the cheek. “It’s constantly cold season for me. If I get sick, I can’t sing.” Be Polite to the Queen Despite the raucous nature of her performance space, a queen still expects (and deserves) to be treated with respect. One way to make sure you're making politeness a priority is to watch the booze. “Don’t get blackout drunk,” Willam insists. “You want it hazy, but you want to remember where your ATM card is.” Even if you don’t drink, drag shows are still rowdy, interactive affairs, so be prepared. “If you pay to get in, you can do what you want, but that does come with the risk of getting read to death by the queen.” For newbies, “read” translates to “cleverly insulted” in drag-speak. Flash the Queen When taking pictures, always use a flash. “It’s easier to filter down than filter up,” Willam explains. “If a picture’s bad, I literally take their camera and say, ‘That’s not going anywhere.’ And then if they try to get it back from me, I run. [And] my legs are longer. I’m in 5-inch heels.” One more photo tip: “When you take a picture with a drag queen, do not put your arm around her shoulder. That makes her wig want to run away from her forehead.” Have Fun With the Queen Despite all of the above tips, Willam mostly wants everyone to just “have a good time, and be semi-respectful.” In other words, “Treat each drag queen like a drunk aunt at a wedding. Know to have fun, but don’t lift up Auntie’s skirt. We’re monsters, but we’re like Monsters, Inc. We’re the nice ones. There’s a reason we’re performing in public and not just hiding on YouTube doing makeup tutorials. We want to be your friend, you know?” Willam performs at drag clubs and theaters around the world; check her schedule for upcoming appearances. In the meantime, you can find music parodies and her newly returned web series “The Beatdown” on her YouTube channel. Read more about drag on the Guide:

A Drag Queen’s Guide to Cocktails	A “Drag Race” Star Shows a Fan He’s Not “Un-Draggable”

Top photo: Magnus Hastings. Bikini photo: Paul Boulon.