Meet Fushia DeVille, Virginia Mama Bear 2025
We continue our introduction to the Virginia Bear title family with Fushia DeVille, the newly elected Mama Bear for 2025.
BWM: Can you tell us a bit about your background?
Fushia DeVille (FD): My name is Fushia DeVille. Twenty-eight years ago my Drag career started here in Virginia Beach when I was only 17 years old. I am a huge Disney fanatic to the point that our community started calling me the Disney queen of the 757.
I am the founder of Dining Divas Drag Brunch, Dining Divas Drag Bingo and the Beauty & the Bear Show as well as being a four-time titleholder. Throughout my years of drag my goal has always been to show everyone that plus sized Queens can rock just as much as anyone else and that we have something to giveback and share with not only our community, but the world in general by preforming, volunteering, speaking out, showing up, showing out, and uplifting those in our community who need it the most.
The biggest way I’ve been able to achieve this was by helping to create the Hampton Roads Unity Pageant with Johnny Benjimen as well as joining the Hampton Roads Pride Committee.
BWM: What drew you to the bear community?
FD: For years I always felt that people are more than one thing and shouldn’t be defined by that because there are so many layers to all of us. For years because of my size I was told I should pe apart of the bear world but my response was always “well I’m not really hairy or scruffy or manly the way so many of them are so how could that be possible when you see me so feminine and soft?” And one day a bear said “oh you’re a momma bear. You’re kind and giving and good natured.” And that’s when the thought of being more around bears really started to appeal to me and before anyone could snap their fingers Fushia was a part of this world and I have been loving it ever since.
BWM: Tell us about your experience as a drag entertainer in the bear world. Are you treated differently in and out of drag?
FD: Drag within the Bear community has its ups and downs just like it does and any other community. Unfortunately no matter what part of the community you are in there are always flaws and whether or not you feel the need to ignore them or address them is a personal choice. The Bear community very much is always about body positivity and embracing the skin or should I say the fur you are in whether it be Bear, cub Hunter or mama bear.
Being able to tie in to very different subcultures has its challenges but at the same time it is such a beautiful thing – to see subcultures embrace one another and figuring out how to work together hopefully towards more understanding and acceptance. Whether I’m in Drag or out of Drag, yes there is a slight difference in how I am treated and perceived. Finding out that people would much rather see you one way than another is on them, it should never be on oneself and that’s something that most drag queens have to fight with within themselves, myself included.
The biggest thing within the Bear community that has been such a positive for myself was being able to create the Beauty and the Bear show for the community and bringing together all kinds of entertainers whether they be Drag, non-binary, cis, trans, bears, kings, or bios. To bring all of these subcultures together for the love of entertaining has been just amazing and such an honor.
BWM: How do you define what a mama bear is?
FD: How do I define Mama bear? Well, you have to remember that mama bears were originally created in honor of the women who were taking care of our community during the pandemic. When so many young men were dying of HIV, the only people who would get near them were these amazing women who saw a human being there and not just someone who most people thought were getting what they deserved – that it was a way of weaning out the undesirables within our world.
And now with what our political climate is it’s even more important for somebody like a mama bear to stand up and try to keep helping and being there for those in our community; to help lift up the younger generation and support the older generation and support every generation in, between because that’s what a mama bear does. She listens, she comforts she is a mentor, a teacher, a friend, a companion, and an ear when someone needs to cry or scream.
A lot of this has brought up memories for myself and remembering being a child and thinking being a mom was the best thing in the world. Like who wouldn’t wanna be a mom?! They’re so giving and caring and it’s like they only live to nurture and support. Unfortunately, as I got older I saw a lot of moms that weren’t like that but yet I myself had a mother like that growing up. She was my best friend. She was the one person I always wanted to run to and tell everything too and I just thought that was the coolest thing. I remember saying how when I grew up I wanted to be a mom and I was told I couldn’t be. Luckily when there’s a will, there’s a way thanks to Drag and the Bear community. Its truly an honor to be the first non-binary/Drag/transitioning mama bear in the state of Virginia to show that kind of representation and open that door. It literally is overwhelming sometimes.
BWM: What will you do with your title this upcoming year?
FD: In the upcoming year there are definitely some goals I’d like to achieve, especially within the competition world and seeing certain things being put into place so that other titles aren’t feeling less than others. I also want to host as many shows as possible to try to help raise funds.
Being able to bring the Bear community to these events and making more people aware of the Bear community and who they are and what they bring to the community and the world in general is another thing that would like to help with.
Most of all I want to become more knowledgeable about things that are affecting the trans community because with the current political environment, I have a feeling that my brothers and sisters are about to get hit hard. And personally, wanting to transition so badly it’s the scariest thing right now, so reaching out to those who are more knowledgeable than myself to try to get more educated so that we can work together and figure out how to help those who may not be able to help themselves is a huge goal of mine.
I’d also like to see the creation of a mama bear flag because as of right now there isn’t one.
BWM: Anything else you’d like to mention?
FD: If I was to add anything to this I think it is we as a community need to really start soul-searching and practice what we preach because we cannot expect others not to judge or belittle us or say we don’t have certain rights if we’re not willing to be there for one another. No matter who we are, what we’re into, what we look like, what we enjoy- whether it be the arts, music, fetishes, body types, hair colors, nationalities, politics, we all need to take a moment and try to accept each other and remember when it boils right down to it we’re a community that’s supposed to be leading with love. We always say love wins, but when you’re fighting so much with yourself or within your community, how is that supposed to happen? There should be a little bit more acceptance and a lot less judgment. We need to lead with love, learn from love, and listen with love.
BWM: Where can we find you? Websites? Social Media?
FD: You can find me on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram under Fushia DeVille and you can see me at 37th & Zen and Mj’s Tavern both in Norfolk, Virginia at Dining Divas Drag Brunch and Bingo. For location & Tickets go to Prekindle.com.
Thank you all so much for this opportunity.
