Belching Hot Brown Crowns: A Conversation with the Legendary Lady Bunny

All photos by Steven Menendez

Interviewing someone after a weekend of three back-to-back days (and nights) of drag is something I’d usually avoid—but when the subject is an absolute icon, you take the gig. It’s Monday morning, and I’m bleary from a weekend of performing, lugging suitcases in and out of venues. I’m armed with an iced Caramelicious latte, and I click into a Zoom meeting with none other than Lady Bunny.

Bunny knows a thing or two about exhaustion. After all, she’s 400 years old and still touring. She’s the drag equivalent of Cher, she’ll still be working while strapped to a bed being revived by a team of nurses with a defibrillator. Her energy is infectious; she’s chatty, sharp, and as big-hearted as she is big-wigged. I can already tell that interviewing Bunny will be one of those memories I’ll never forget.

The screen flickers to life, and there she is—smiling, with her signature wig towering above her head. For someone in full drag at noon on a Monday, she’s remarkably cheery. Sigh… I knew I should have worn a wig. 

“You know, the number one Google search when you type in Lady Bunny is ‘what Lady Bunny looks like out of drag,” she says with a laugh, “If I could sell tickets without a wig, I might! But these motherfuckers are heavy. The only people who like me without lashes and a wig are my mommy, my daddy, and my sister.”

I feel this deeply, as many people don’t know who I am without the full fantasy. We talk shop, sharing tales of the unglamorous realities of drag—corsets, tucking, and enough layers of capezios to drive anyone mad. Bunny laughs about RuPaul’s trick of looking glam from the waist up as soon as the camera stops rolling, while the rest of us suffer through our full getups.

Bunny’s a pro at balancing beauty with comfort, explaining how, over time, she’s learned to negotiate the painful parts of drag. 

“In the 90s, I’d do it all—tight jumpsuits, a boned girdle, the nails, the extreme tuck,” she said. “Now? I’ll pick my battles. Lashes, wig—good enough!”

When I mention my recent switch to lighter lashes for comfort, she laughs, disagreeing with my self-deprecating claim of the 301s swallowing my “small eyes.” It feels like a compliment (read: she thinks I’m beautiful), which isn’t something you hear every day from a legend. And I’ll be putting THAT in my Instagram bio. 

We chat about how only girls who “don’t dance or carry on” can wear long nails comfortably. Bunny jokes that while I delicately collect tips, she’s delicately reaching for plates of fries or a Kentucky Hot Brown. She praises our tangy turkey delicacy. 

Switching gears, Bunny opens up about her new tour, timed right before a major election, and the importance of bringing laughter to a world weighed down by politics and turmoil. She talks about how tired she is of seeing election-time attention fizzle as soon as the polls close. “We only talk about change every four years,” she says. “Once the election is over, it’s not ‘sexy’ anymore to challenge the electoral college.”

Bunny champions election reform, particularly ranked choice voting, which she sees as a way to empower third-party candidates. And she’s right! There are three protein options for Crunchwraps at Taco Bell; I think we can accommodate more than two choices in an election, America. 

She shares her disappointment in the Democratic Party, recounting her shift after seeing how Bernie Sanders was treated in 2016. 

“I saw [the Democratic Party] cheat a progressive,” she said. “There’s no future in the party for progressives.” 

She believes the Democrats have become a status quo party, reactive rather than proactive, especially regarding LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights. Bunny feels left without a political home and instead votes third party, not viewing it as a wasted vote but a stand for her values.

As we talk, her stance on global issues surfaces, particularly her strong support for a Free Palestine. 

“My tax dollars will never, with my approval, go toward the mass slaughter of women and children,” she says, voicing frustration over the American support of the genocide in Gaza. “This is the first genocide in history that’s been live-streamed. And my tax dollars are paying for it!”

I believe our community should value our LGBTQ+ elders for their lived experiences. Hearing her insights is a reminder of the many paths our community has taken to arrive where we are. We may not agree on every topic, but her perspective is deeply informed, and her commitment to her values is clear.

Bunny’s latest show, “Don’t Bring the Kids,” promises a much-needed escape from heavy topics, full of her signature blend of dirty jokes and wild parodies. “Some drag queens do a great drag queen story hour. I’m not one of ‘em!”

Lady Bunny will be performing her newest show, “Don’t Bring the Kids!” at the Louisville Comedy Club Nov 17, 2024; 4:00PM; tickets are on sale at VossEvents.com

[post election note] I interviewed and wrote the bones of this prior to the election. While I voted for Harris, like Biden and Hillary before, I once again had to do so through gritted teeth and deep self loathing. We’re going to face many challenges under this second Trump administration. It is up to us to find, support and galvanize efforts to ensure true progressives become viable options in future elections. And not just the presidential, every level of government. It’s clear that moderate republicans do not exist and we must stop trying to use centrist ideals to get them. We need to have candidates that offer something ELSE. Although Obama didn’t deliver on universal healthcare, no more wars and is often thought to be more of the same- his campaign was the last time I felt HOPE. The democratic candidate and the Green Party candidate must unite, even in opposition, to run on issues Americans care about. I hope that people will get involved in organizations that seek to better the world- not just sharing political memes and fears on social media- but be boots on the ground fighting food insecurity, houselessness, and showing the world that the left isn’t what they’ve been fed by the far right. To everyone reading this, you’re not alone and while we may not agree with progressives who’ve chosen different paths to a better world, we should work together to ensure the pressure is heavy for future elections. Sending you all love.

 

-Sydni