Gabby Valdivieso’s “Pittsburgh Is Freezing,” a short, irreverent documentary about the Pittsburgh drag family, the House of Medical Malpractice, will be shown on Wednesday, June 24, at Club Café, with a Q&A and a drag show.
The doc, a tongue-in-cheek nod to the iconic queer documentary, “Paris is Burning,” follows JoeMyGosh, Snoozy Q, and a plethora of local drag talent from the infamous House as they prepare for a performance at the Blue Moon, mixing candid moments, comedy, and raw energy in one crazy night.
Valdivieso, who moved to Pittsburgh from Burlington, Vermont, with her partner in September, was looking to explore filmmaking here. The documentarian received a Film and Post-Production fellowship from the Warhol Academy, where she planned to focus on the local drag scene. When she learned that two local queens, JoeMyGosh and Snoozy Q, were about to compete in the National Comedy Queen event in Florida, Valdivieso thought they would be the perfect subjects for a documentary.
JoeMyGosh said, “We were on a 16-to-18-hour drive from Pittsburgh to Florida, where, somewhere in one of the Carolinas (North or South), we got a call from Gabby and learned that she wanted to do a documentary about us.”
Snoozy Q added, “I think we were in a Long John Silver’s.”
JoeMyGosh said, “We were focused on the competition and asked her if we could talk more about it when we returned. We called her when we got back, and the rest is history.”
Valdivieso, inspired by performance documentaries like “Paris Is Burning” and Trixie Mattel’s “Moving Parts,” decided to film a show at the Blue Moon in Lawrenceville.
JoeMyGosh said, “We got the whole house together for a show.” There are fourteen members of the House of Medical Malpractice in Pittsburgh (performers and nonperformers alike).
Valdivieso said, “They have the biggest drag family.”
JoeMyGosh provided an important caveat to the size of the House of Medical Malpractice. JoeMyGosh said, “We have fourteen members. That’s just our Pittsburgh contingent. I like to count Tori Michaels and Ophelia Bottom from Ohio, and Dilda Dandridge from West Virginia as honorary members of our house. They have the same sensibilities as us.”
Of the twelve performing members of Pittsburgh’s House of Medical Malpractice, six are current titleholders.
JoeMyGosh said, “Gabby came into the Blue Moon with this whole film crew and filmed everything. They were there before 8 pm, when we arrived, and stayed until 3 in the morning. They filmed us getting ready. They filmed our performances. They interviewed each of us after the show. Everyone was given a [lav] mic. They were all so sweet and so kind.”
Snoozy Q said, “It was such a relaxed process. We said, ‘Tell us what you need from us,’ and Gabby said, ‘Just be yourselves.’”
Valdivieso said, “I like Snoozy and Joe’s approach to drag. They call it ‘bad drag,’ but I think of it as messy and fun. They have a diverse House, and they are passionate about drag. I was honored to showcase their talents.”
JoeMyGosh said, “For me, it’s hard to give up control to someone else. Since Jaxa Froot and I started together, we have usually maintained control over everything we do and are very choosy about who we let in, but Gabby just got us. She captured each of our personalities so perfectly. Somehow, she knows us better than we know us.”
“Pittsburgh Is Freezing” debuted at a private screening at the Andy Warhol Museum for guests, along with the other participating filmmakers in the Warhol Academy program. Valdivieso is excited to screen the film for the doc’s public premiere. She said, “It’s a rare opportunity to see the full House of Medical Malpractice in one show.”
JoeMyGosh said, “Performing is supposed to be fun. Performing drag forms a community. We are curators of our community.”
Snoozy Q said, “It was such a cool experience. [Valdivieso] is cataloging part of Pittsburgh’s drag history.”
Andi Whorehol, another member of the House, said, “It was kinda crazy being filmed. When Joe and Snoozy first told me about the documentary, I thought, ‘People want to film y’all??’ But we have to keep bad drag alive somehow.” She added, “It was a really cool experience, and I’m so glad that people recognize the dedication our family has to having fun and creating opportunities for as many people as possible. I’m proud of The House of Medical Malpractice.”
“Pittsburgh is Freezing” stars JoeMyGosh, Jaxa Froot, Snoozy Q, Andi Whorehol, Em Gochnour, Jeri Mia Monroe, Eureka Siggs, Kara Sells, Theocracy, Aunt Honey, Donatella, and more. It’s a rare opportunity to see the entire House of Medical Malpractice in one evening. The film is being screened at Club Cafe on June 24, 2026, at 8:30 PM, with a Q&A featuring Valdivieso and the House of Medical Malpractice, followed by a drag show at 9:00 PM.