The legendary Linda Simpson will hold court at the Bureau on Saturday, December 18, 2021, from 2 to 5 PM! She’ll be signing copies of her book, The Drag Explosion (Domain Books, 2020, hardcover, $50). We’ll have copies of The Drag Explosion and Drag Explosion t-shirts available for purchase.

New York’s momentous drag scene of the 1980s and ‘90s reigns again in this volume of photos by Linda Simpson, who spent the era in the middle of the action taking just-for-fun snapshots. The vivid images capture wild nightlife, queer activism, pop-culture moments, and colorful characters galore as they joyfully pushed the boundaries of gender expression, including Lady Bunny, RuPaul, Lypsinka and Leigh Bowery. Ultimately, her collection is a tribute to a golden age, when drag transformed from an underground art form into a mainstream sensation, and paved the path for today’s drag renaissance.

Safety protocol: The Center requires all visitors to wear masks at all times.

It’s a miracle! 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. And let’s not forget her stunning appearance!

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. Her acclaimed slideshow presentation, THE DRAG EXPLOSION, features her vivid photos of NYC’s drag subculture in the 1980s and ‘90s.

And can you say BINGO? Throngs of people have attended her weekly club gigs and special events featuring fabulous prizes!

Linda’s staying power has also helped make her a drag pundit of sorts, and she 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.”

Yesterday, today and tomorrow, Linda enthusiastically embraces the role she was born to play— a reigning queen!