Name: JP Helwege (aka Jessabelle Bottom)
City, State of Residence: Temple Hills, MD
Age: 22
Profession: Student
In a few words, how would you describe yourself?
Fun, strong, competitive, raw, and awesome…of course.
Your favorite hangout spots.
Phase One, Freddie’s Beach Bar, Boundary Road, and Lauriol Plaza.
Favorite guilty pleasure.
Teen Wolf, I cannot get enough of that show. I don’t know at what point pubescent supernatural teenagers fighting evil supernatural figures became so important to me, but it did. That is the only show I watch live.
Favorite quote.
“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” —Marilyn Monroe
Who is your biggest influence? And why?
P!nk because she is bad ass and doesn’t take sh*t from anyone. However, I wouldn’t consider her a “bad girl” because she has kids and loves her kids very much. I think she is the perfect balance of strong and vulnerable. Her music and her as a person have both been very influential for me.
Favorite event.
My favorite event is the women’s party that happens during Capital Pride because everyone comes out. When you go out, you normally might get to see a few of your friends, but being a lesbian as we all know people get into relationships and tend to nest and stay at home. But when pride rolls around, whether you have a significant other or not, everyone comes out. It’s really nice to see everyone, and party of course.
Do you have any regrets in life?
Everyone has regrets. It’s part of growing up, it’s how you grow, learn, and move on from these regrets that define you as a person. You can let your regrets consume you and bring you down or you can pick yourself up and learn from the experience.
Favorite lesbian celebrity.
Andrea Gibson. Her poetry is very inspirational and makes the listener and reader think about things in a different way. She covers everything, from break-ups to gender issues to a love letter to her dog. She is quirky and fun.
Any fun facts or anything else you want our readers to know?
I play rugby; I am the only person who drinks peppermint schnapps at Phase One, and I usually have to tell the bartender where it is; I am a part of the DC Gurly Show; I am also a Drag King; and I’m Miss Phase One 2014.
