Lady Bunny: “Drag is not a magic wand”

In the world of drag, there are few names as iconic and influential as Lady Bunny.

With a career spanning decades and a personality larger than life, Lady Bunny has carved out a unique place in the entertainment industry.

The comedy legend sat down with the Star Observer to discuss her journey from a small town in Tennessee to international stardom, her long-standing friendship with RuPaul, her thoughts on drag culture, and her upcoming shows in Australia.

Early Beginnings and Influences

Lady Bunny’s journey into the world of drag began in her hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. From a young age, she had a penchant for performing, putting on shows in her backyard with makeshift curtains inviting the neighbourhood kids to participate.

“I always put on silly shows in my backyard… I roped every brat in the neighbourhood to come and do the shows.”

“Let me tell you how happy I am that they did not have video cameras back then” she laughs. 

Despite early dreams of pursuing acting, Lady Bunny found herself drawn to the creative freedom that drag offered.

“With acting, even though it can be richly rewarding, you’re basically doing what is written, wearing what you’re told to, and doing it how the director says so.”

“I enjoyed creating my own character and saying my own lines and wearing what I wanted to wear,” she explains. “I preferred to create my own thing without as many limitations.”

Navigating High School and Coming into Her Own

High school presented its own set of challenges for Lady Bunny, who was unapologetically herself but held her ground at school.

“I was bold and I was popular and I was on student council. But you know what saved me, is back then they considered me to be a Sissy, which is not necessarily someone that is gay, or they’re often gay, but it’s someone who doesn’t like sports and isn’t an alpha male.”

However she was still bullied during her time in school for not fitting in with the other boys and she knew that her time in Chattanooga was drawing to a close.

“By the time I was 18 or 19, I knew I had to leave Chattanooga or they were going to kill me,” she admits.

She was definitely not one for fitting in, “I walked around all kinds of crazy outfits, you know, even before I did drag!” But attitudes had shifted towards her as she grew older, prompting her move to Atlanta.

“As I got older, it was less. Oh, who’s that kooky kid? And more, Let’s beat up that guy, you know?”

“Which is why I did escape. Knowing how I was and knowing how Chattanooga was, it was my decision was to leave.”

Meeting RuPaul and the New York Scene

Moving to Atlanta proved a pivotal part of her journey as she immersed herself in the gay scene.

“I lived right in the middle of the gay ghetto, but I didn’t necessarily want to become a drag queen” she remembers.

“I knew that the acting thing was over, I was attending Georgia State University. But I realised, honey, the lessons that I need are in nightclubs!”

“I mean, Atlanta is a drag Mecca for the entire South of the United States. So what I got to see there made me want to be a drag queen in addition to the Queens that I’d snuck into clubs to see in Chattanooga.”

It was here that Lady Bunny’s path intersected with RuPaul, laying the foundation for a lifelong friendship and creative partnership.

When asked if she can remember the first time she met him she laughs.

“Well, actually someone just sent me a screenshot of part of his book when he recalls it. So I guess I was more memorable than he was, cause I don’t remember!”

“I remember him thinking that he was absolutely gorgeous,” she adds. “We became fast friends. I mean, I hadn’t met anyone like him before.”

The duo eventually made their way to New York City, where Lady Bunny established herself as a fixture in the downtown nightlife scene.

She recalls one of her first big gigs, advertised on a flyer “Lady Bunny, the darling of downtown socialites, welcomes, you!”

“Of course I wasn’t the darling of downtown social. I danced on the bar for $50 at the Pyramid Club in stuff that I bought in thrift stores!”

Although her performance work has evolved to include comedy, travelling her one woman show around the world, it’s not something she ever thought she would be doing all those years ago.

“Well, this makes people laugh now, but back then. I didn’t feel I needed to do that much comedy because I thought I was pretty!”

“As the looks faded, the jokes got better. Let me tell you, they had to!”

“I would always do stuff that was campy, you know, or vintage or like, an offbeat song. But I never thought of myself as a comedian  until you know much, much later, like the 90s.”

The importance of Wigstock

Lady Bunny has undeniably left her mark on the New York drag scene in many ways, but in her long list of achievements, the creation of Wigstock is one of the most iconic.

“I started organising the drag festival Wigstock in 1983″ she recalls. 

What started as an impromptu drag celebration in Tompkins Square park went on to become an annual celebration and platform for social activism.

“This this was the height of the 80s and the AIDS epidemic, and this is when we had a President, Ronald Reagan, who would not even say the word aids and, you know, gays were very much activists back then.”

“They were doing ‘die ins’ in the streets. They were outside Saint Patrick’s Cathedral because one of the prominent bishops had said that condoms don’t stop the spread of AIDS.”

However, I saw Wigstock as the opposite of activism. I wanted to say no matter how many of our friends are are dying, or how many of us have aids, we can still get together and have fun.”

“So a lot of people saw it as a a way for me to be in your face as a drag queen during the daylight.”

“But that’s as political as I got and what I really wanted to do is celebrate the Pyramid Club, which I got my start at dancing on the bar because it only held a few 100 people and I thought that the the drag there was so wonderful.”

“I wanted to showcase it in the park to a bigger audience and the audience grew and grew until some estimates were like 30,000.”

The festival grew so large it attracted some of the biggest names in entertainment over the years including Crystal Waters, Debbie Harry, Boy George, Neil Patrick Harris and as Lady Bunny recalls, some incredible support from Hedwig creator John Cameron Mithcell.

“I will never be able to repay this because he had two shows, a matinee and an evening show and they were right across the street.

“He wasn’t sure that he could perform at Wigstock, but he really, really wanted to.”

“But that mother fucker came though!”

 “He came between his two shows to this huge outdoor event and I can never, ever thank the participants of Wigstock enough.”

Performers from across the city came to perform, regardless of their public profile, together to celebrate all aspects of the drag and trans community.

The Evolution of Drag and International Recognition for Lady Bunny

As drag gained mainstream popularity, Lady Bunny found her career blossoming as she began touring the globe and captivating audiences with her larger-than-life persona.

From her early days dancing for $50 in New York clubs to headlining major theatres, Lady Bunny’s career trajectory has been nothing short of remarkable.

But she remains grounded despite the fame “Well, I still do my laundry at the Laundromat, so that’ll cut you down real quick” she quips. 

As her own career has grown, so too has RuPaul’s, with Lady Bunny gaining exposure through her involvement in the RuPaul empire.

“As drag has gotten bigger I have definitely been a beneficiary of that” she states.

Lady Bunny appeared as a judge on the short lived ‘RuPaul’s Drag U‘ and after being later referenced on RuPaul’s Drag Race later went on to make an appearance on the show in person.

“I said, I will compete on that show show over my dead body!”

“So world of wonder and the producers arranged this thing where I was roasted in a coffin. And I was like, Ru figured out a way to kill me off” she laughs. 

“That’s how good friends we are. She likes to depict me in a coffin!”

“Drag is not a magic wand”

In recent years, drag culture has undergone significant changes, with shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race catapulting queens to global fame.

However, Lady Bunny remains critical of certain aspects of the mainstream drag scene.

“This thing that’s going on that I’m not particularly fond of is this idea that drag, is this magic wand.”

“I love drag, most of my friends are drag or trans who do drag, but it’s not a magic wand.”

“I love it. It’s entertaining, you know, but It’s not changing peoples lives.”

“I’m getting a little bit sick of this ‘drag as therapy’ because we’re seeing this on an on another show called ‘We’re here’ on HBO, where some of the former drag racers are running around acting like they’re solving people’s problems.”

“I don’t think that doing runway is some magic trick, whether you do it well or not, you know, I just don’t believe any of that.”

“Michelle Visage had a quote recently that says that says something like ‘Drag race is so important to people because we’re welcoming to everyone‘ What does that mean? I mean you, you’re welcome to anybody that turns on the TV and pays for the streaming service that you’re on. What does that mean? Welcome to everyone? That doesn’t even make any sense. Every TV show is is welcome to everyone you know?”

“So while I love drag, it’s not a magic wand.”

“Don’t Bring Your Kids”

Lady Bunny’s upcoming tour in Australia promises to be her trademark blend of comedy, music, and irreverence, she’s set to take audiences on a wild ride.

From her infamous parodies to her uncensored commentary on contemporary culture, Lady Bunny pulls no punches.

“This show is called Don’t Bring the Kids for a reason,” she declares.

“It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you’re ready to laugh and let loose, then I’ll see you there.”

“I always like to say that my shows are nasty, so that no one is tricked” she affirms. 

Fans can expect a diverse range of comedy and a great night of entertainment, including some of her latest parody numbers, songs about Trixie Mattel, Rupaul and other celebrities.

Lady Bunny is touring Australia this May, including appearing at the Sydney Comedy Festival on Saturday May 4.

She is also headlining Big Gay Day in Brisbane on Sunday May 5