February 17 at 7pm | In-Person | The Green Room at Pier 17 | Free
Why are queer communities often found at geographic peripheries like the waterfront? What is the connection between drag and the seaport? Join the Seaport Museum for a conversation with drag legend, Linda Simpson, who will answer these questions while illuminating the “herstory” of drag and sharing her first-hand account of the rise and evolution of drag in the 1980s and 90s in New York City.
This lively presentation will include personal photos and memories––assembled just for this event––which highlight drag history on the waterfront, including the annual Wigstock and a drag-themed boat cruise that embarked from the South Street Seaport.
Linda’s lookback on nightlife, queer activism, and pop-culture moments, not to mention colorful characters such as Lady Bunny, Lypsinka, Mona Foot, RuPaul, and Leigh Bowery, will educate, entertain, and provide a deeper understanding of those who laid the foundation for today’s drag renaissance.
This event is free, and advanced registration is required. A complimentary toast will follow the presentation.
Please Note This is a Past Program, Event, or Activity
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The Green Room is located inside the Pier 17 complex, at 89 South Street, offering a panoramic view of the Lower Manhattan skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge. Look for elevators or escalators to take you to this event on the third floor. The use of this space has been kindly donated by The Howard Hughes Corporation.
About the Speaker
After more than 30 years as a drag queen, Linda Simpson continues to dazzle her fans with her witty demeanor, fine-tuned camp sensibility and unique blend of sass and class. Since emerging from the East Village drag scene in the late 1980s, the multi-faced queen has racked up a mile-long list of creative endeavors, including nightlife work galore as a hostess and party promoter; publishing the “revolutionary gay magazine” My Comrade; writing and starring in four different plays; and extensive work as a journalist, often in cahoots with her male alter ego, Les Simpson. Another of Linda’s roles is drag her-storian who has been featured in oodles of articles, videos and documentaries. The New York Times has called her “A worldly wit… A kind of mother superior of the New York drag scene,” while Paper considers her “The thinking woman’s drag queen.”
Header Photo Credit: Linda Nelson
Speaker Headshot Credit: Gregory Kramer
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