Gothamist.com – Rachel Kramer Bussel
Linda Simpson knows how to have fun, and has parlayed her penchant for flamboyance into a career as a hostess and Mistress of Ceremonies. Whether presiding over naked glittering dancers, drag queen contests, or inebriated bingo players, she always livens up any room she’s in. Inspired by The Rocky Horror Picture Show and clubs like Pyramid, she began doing drag in the late 1980s and hasn’t let up since. Having performed all over town at events such as Wigstock and countless other queer soirees, she rightfully received the Legendary Award at New York’s annual drag queen awards, The Glammys, in 2003.
Simpson also works as a Contributing Writer at Time Out New York, has written plays such as The Tranny Chase and The Final Episode, contributed to Out and HX, and co-hosted the cable TV show Party Talk. Now, she’s revived her “revolutionary gay magazine” My Comrade, which published its first issue in 1997 and is having a prolonged relaunch. Simpson’s bringing new meaning to the words “Easter egg hunt” with this Sunday’s Easter party to end all Easter parties at Ukranian National Home called “Tonight We Dye,” a fundraiser for the magazine. Here, she reminisces about the gay old days, the mid-90’s drag explosion, the joy of bingo, and being a “gal on the scene.”