S.L.U.G. Life: Meet Eugene's 43rd S.L.U.G. Queen, Hilaria Gastrognome

Hilaria Gastrognome began her "rain" as S.L.U.G. Queen on Aug. 8. As the 43rd gastropod to hold the title, Gastrognome, also known as Jennifer McElroy to her non-slug friends, or Jen Jay to her comedy friends, has a lot of tradition to uphold. The Register-Guard sat down with her to see how she's ruling over her slugdom, a week after her coronation.

Questions and answers were edited for clarity and brevity.

Who is Hilaria Gastrognome?

Sammy: What do you do during the day?

Jen: I was a chef for years, but towards the end of the pandemic, I took a tech boot camp. ... So now I do IT support for OMRI, the Organic Materials Review Institute. I love it, it's really fun, it's a nonprofit so we're helping people work towards organic standards of agriculture. So, heck yeah. Well, I don't do any of that, but I make sure all of their computers work.

Q: How did you stumble into the SLUG Queen world?

A: I've lived in Eugene for over 20 years, and I've always known about the S.L.U.G.s. I've always been like, 'Oh, that's being the coolest weirdo in town. One day.' I've wanted to do it for a few years, and this was the year. So I put my name in the hat, just to see what happens.

Q: Tell me about your comedy career.

A: In 2019, I was managing Spectrum, and there was just a lot of performance in my life. On Tuesdays, I would wrap up my work and head over to Lucky's for the open mic. That's the first place I ever went up, and it just stuck. The Eugene comedy scene is like my extended family.

Winning the crown

Q: So this was your first year competing? What was it like?

A: Yes, it was so much fun. The Slug Queens have a rich culture of bribery, and it's cute. They're really just trying to find a way to connect, and it's a great way before the coronation to connect with the people who are deciding whether or not they want you in their society. Because once you become a queen, you're always a queen. You're a queen for life!

Q: Did you perform a bribe before the event?

A: I did! I went to a meet and greet opportunity with some of the queens and contestants. I brought a small bribe that day, just some Annies gummies with a little piece of paper taped to it that was "all about me". I also did a bigger bribe later, with help from Hilaria's sidekick, Ruby, my friend's daughter. I painted slugs on little mini canvases, and gave out tickets to my comedy show during my rain. I made a hawking box, and Ruby carried it around to all the Queens while I was backstage.

Supporters of Hilaria Gastrognome show their support during the 2025 S.L.U.G. Queen Competition & Coronation.

Q: Are you familiar with the world of pageantry?

A: Maybe a little bit from my comedy, but I've always been a gay person, and drag is a part of the life. I'm more familiar with pageantry from watching drag queens and supporting my friends who are involved with drag pageantry.

Q: Did you get any tips from your friends in drag before you performed?

A: Yeah! My friend said, 'When you're offered the stage, use the whole thing.' And 'Sell us! Be the fabulous over-the-top person you are!'

Q: What were your favorite parts of the coronation?

A: The coronation is in the middle of town, and it felt like a lot of people really care about it. Also, I'm the 43rd S.L.U.G. Queen, which is so cool. If there ever was a Eugene history book that happened to mention the 43rd S.L.U.G. Queen, that's me! It's also another way to put my money where my mouth is about the fact that I care about community. It's another avenue for community, which we really need right now. We need weirdos, we need fantastic things, we need silly little whimsical titles. We need that stuff, and I'm so excited I get to be a part of it.

Ready to 'rain'

Hilaria Gastrognome, center, answers a question from Holly GoSlugly, aka Debbie Williamson, right, during the 2025 S.L.U.G. Queen Competition & Coronation.

Q: Why do you think it is important to uphold these community traditions?

A: We're facing unprecedented times of getting our rights taken away. Not just arts defunded, but services. Doing and living art, and having it as an integral part of your community, is a great way to bring services together. And a way for us to start reminding ourselves that we need to rely on each other. We need to find joy so that we can stand up for ourselves when we need to.

Q: What do you plan on doing during your "rain"?

A: So I want to support as many social justice causes as I can. I don't know exactly how I can do that yet, but that's what I want. We need to mix our art and our services in order to shine a light on what else is needed, and I think a S.L.U.G. Queen is a great person to do that. I want to do that.

Q: If you could tell the people of Eugene one thing, what would you tell them?

A: I wrote a silly little Hilaria saying, which was "Ooze the change you want to see in the world, and take gnome mercy!" I would like to impart that more to the people of Eugene.

Samantha Pierotti is the food, drinks and "things to do" reporter for The Register-Guard. With tips on restaurants and local happenings, you can reach her via email at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: S.L.U.G. Life: Meet Eugene's 43rd S.L.U.G. Queen, Hilaria Gastrognome