Meet the Queens Of the ‘Grindr Rides Again’ Tour

This Pride season, the Grindr Rides Again Tour is hitting the road across the United States and Europe, bringing our Global Gayborhood to life with a brand-new bus experience, photo stations, and more.

The heart of our U.S. tour is a lineup of incredible drag queens hosting the party at each stop. We asked them two big questions about community, celebration, and what to expect when they pull up in your city. Here’s what they had to say.

First, meet the queens:

• Crystal Edge in Washington, D.C.
• Aaliyah Jae in Ft. Lauderdale
• Scarlett Strauss in Provincetown
• Svetlana Stoli in New York City

The ‘Grindr Rides Again Tour’ is all about bringing the ‘Global Gayborhood in your pocket’ to life, especially during Pride. What does the idea of a vibrant, inclusive ‘Gayborhood’ mean to you, and how does your art/performance help create that sense of community and celebration at events like this?

Crystal Edge (D.C.): “A great and vibrant Gayborhood to me is an area of the city that feels welcoming and safe. It should be a neighborhood that feels just as safe as the gay community is. It should be a place where you can walk around being 110% yourself and not only walk around without fear but be embraced by the people around you. It offers a space for open expression, social gatherings, and access to essential resources. It's that sense of community that is so important right now, especially with the amount of vitriol pointed at the queer community today.”

Aaliyah Jae (Ft. Lauderdale): “The idea of a vibrant inclusive Gayborhood environment means to me stopping all stigmas and just living in the moment. I’m a man in women’s clothing if you can get past that and not judge me for it ; but praise me, then why judge anyone for anything else. When we come together we feel stronger in our small spaces and one thing about it and twos things for sure Grindr is gonna bring us together.”

Scarlett Strauss (P-Town): “Honey, a vibrant, inclusive Gayborhood to me is like a glitter bomb that never stops going off—in the best way possible. It’s a space where we all show up as our fiercest, weirdest, most fabulous selves, and instead of judgment, you get applause. It’s trans girls holding hands with leather daddies, drag queens voguing with baby gays, and everyone stopping to compliment each other’s eyeliner. That’s the Gayborhood. And as for me? My performance is like a walking Pride parade with better lashes. Whether I’m belting a ballad or rhinestoning history into a one-woman comedy show, I’m creating spaces where people laugh, cry, and remember they’re part of something beautiful. I’m not just serving looks—I’m serving community, darling.”

Svetlana Stoli (NYC): “A Gayborhood is a place where LGBTQ+ folks can live not only safely, but in a thriving and creative community where everyone can be themselves. It’s so vital to me because I am an immigrant who left a homophobic country because I could not safely be myself. Now a U.S. citizen and a New Yorker, I love for my performances to support my community Gayborhood - by not only showcasing my talent, but by providing a stage for other talented LGBTQ+ people. I love to collaborate and perform with special guests, and my weekly show contains a talent contest for dancers, singers, comedians, and more. It has become a lively family that welcomes everyone. The Gayborhood is FULL of talent, and I love to spread that joy!”

Looking ahead to your stop on the Grindr Rides Again Tour, what are you personally most looking forward to about connecting with fans and the community through this platform, and can you give us a little teaser of what attendees can expect from you at your stop?

Crystal Edge (D.C.): “I'm looking forward to connecting with as many people as I can! It's chances like this where we can celebrate being ourselves, celebrate being our most authentic self, talk about sexual health, and be together as a community. Attendees can look forward to a photo booth complete with a gorgeous drag queen (me), a claw machine, prizes, giveaways are more!”

Aaliyah Jae (Ft. Lauderdale): “What I’m looking forward to when connecting with the fans is hearing all their Grindr stories not just the funny negative ones but the positive ones , the ones why Grindr was made for. What the attendees can expect from me is real and raw advice when it comes to the community. Jokes. Comfortability. A bit of excited yells and of course LOVE & ACCEPTANCE.”

Scarlett Strauss (P-Town): “Oh, baby—I’m frothing at the mouth to meet my fellow freaks and fabulous ones on this tour! There’s something so electric about walking into a space where everyone knows the assignment: be loud, be proud, and be a little unhinged in the name of queer joy. I’m looking forward to the eye contact, the dance-offs, the flirtations with people way out of my league—and most importantly, the real connections that remind us why Pride exists. As for what to expect? Think: if Golden Girls had a baby with Lady Gaga, and that baby was raised on drag brunches, queer history, and unlicensed hormone therapy. I’ll be bringing live vocals, rhinestone revelations, and probably a wardrobe malfunction or two—because if something doesn’t fall off, am I really doing drag? Come ready to scream, laugh, and maybe question your gender a little. See you there, babes!”

Svetlana Stoli (NYC): “New York City is the center of the world! For Pride Day, LGBTQ+ people will be coming to NYC to celebrate together and honor the birthplace of Gay Rights! It’s not only a day to celebrate, but to honor the actions at Stonewall that brought about Pride. For this reason, I can’t wait to meet both locals and visiting tourists who have come to experience Pride in the place where it happened! I hope to meet many folks not only from other parts of the U.S., but from around the world! I can’t wait to give away some prizes, dance the day away, and help everybody get a hot new Grindr profile pic! I’ve got a new look planned and I can’t wait to show it off and take pictures with everyone! It’s gonna be a party on the bus! Let’s have some laughs!”

See You Streetside

Whether you’re there for the free merch, the photo-op, or the next great friendship, the bussy is gassed up and ready. Follow @Grindr for city-by-city details, then swing by, say hi, and let these queens remind you why the Global Gayborhood always feels like home.

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