Lady Bunny

Lady Bunny, previously known as Bunny Hickory Dickory Dock (born Jon Ingle, August 13, 1962), is an American drag queen, nightclub DJ, actor, comedian, and event organizer. She is the founder of the annual Wigstock event, as well as an occasional television and radio personality. She has released disco singles such as "Shame, Shame, Shame!" and "The Pussycat Song", and has hosted two one-woman comedy shows, 'That Ain't No Lady!' and 'Clowns Syndrome'.

Personal life

Early life and education Lady Bunny was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, but grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and describes her childhood as having been "wonderful and [she] lucked out in the parents department". Her mother was a retired registered nurse and her father is a history professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Her parents were Quakers and peace activists.

Growing up, she would try on costumes and outfits, and put on plays with the other kids in the neighborhood. Her family lived next to a florist and she would collect the thrown out ribbons in the garbage and turn them into costumes for the plays. a Quaker boarding school in York, England. Based on her experiences, Bunny regards the English education system to be better than the American one. Upon graduating, she enrolled at the University of Tennessee, where her father teaches, but later relocated to Atlanta, where she attended Georgia State University. In a 2022 interview, Lady Bunny said "I guess if I had to label myself, I would say I'm probably nonbinary, but I don't feel the need to stipulate."

Lady Bunny currently lives in New York City.

Political views Ingle said that she voted for Jill Stein in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election.

Ingle also appeared with RuPaul in several low-budget films, including the Starbooty series. Years later, RuPaul recalled that he had been the first person to put Ingle in drag, technically making him Lady Bunny's drag mother.

In 1983, after several years in Atlanta, Ingle relocated to New York City with RuPaul. The two shared an apartment for a time and worked at the Pyramid Club, a venue that became a centre of the city's drag, performance art, and queer nightlife.

One of Ingle's first performances in New York was a lip sync to Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive", during which Ingle fell onstage, losing both a wig and a shoe. and in 1985, she organized the first Wigstock, an annual drag queen festival that lasted until 2005, and was later revived in 2018. The idea to revive Wigstock came from David Burtka. Wigstock became the subject of Chris Moukarbel's 2019 documentary Wig, which included Debbie Harry, Kevin Aviance, Willam, and Neil Patrick Harris.

From 2010 to 2012, Ingle served as Dean of Drag and a judge on RuPaul's Drag U, a reality television spin-off of RuPaul's Drag Race. During the second season, the role was expanded with the recurring "Lady Lessons" segment. In 2013, drag performer Alaska Thunderfuck 5000 impersonated Lady Bunny during the Snatch Game on the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race. Six years later, in 2019, the fifth episode of the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, "Roast in Peace", featured a mock funeral in which contestants roasted Lady Bunny.

Beginning in 1995, Ingle appeared in films including Party Girl, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, and Wigstock: The Movie. Later film appearances included Peoria Babylon (1997), Another Gay Movie (2006), and Starrbooty (2007). In 2019, Ingle appeared in the documentary Wig, directed by Chris Moukarbel, which chronicles the history and revival of Wigstock.

Music and DJ work Since the mid-1990s, Jon Ingle has balanced recording original music with an international career as a nightclub DJ. Ingle began releasing original music in 1996, including the singles "Shame, Shame, Shame!" and "The Pussycat Song".

As a DJ, Ingle has toured internationally with cabaret productions and performed at clubs, fashion events and LGBTQ community events around the world. Ingle was the DJ for French jewellery company Van Cleef & Arpels' 40th anniversary celebration in Paris and for the Standard Hotel's Black Out Party, which marked the 25th anniversary of British supermodel Naomi Campbell's fashion career.

In interviews, Ingle has identified "Fade Away and Radiate" by the American rock band Blondie as a favourite song. Ingle has also regularly included Canadian singer-songwriter Kiesza's "Hideaway" in DJ sets, describing it as a popular but underrated pop song. and 'Clowns Syndrome', the latter receiving praise from The New York Times. Both comedy shows toured globally.

Bunny can put together a full drag look within 20 minutes and maintains that every drag look must include faux lashes and a good wig. Lady Bunny was featured on the European leg of the Werq the World Tour.

Lady Bunny is featured prominently in "The Tyranny of Consciousness", a 2017 five-channel video installation by video artist Charles Atlas, which premiered at "Viva Arte Viva", the 2017 Venice Biennale, curated by Christine Maciel. The video is now in the permanent collection of the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lady Bunny produced an online drag show called 'Cuntagious'. In January 2021, she launched a podcast, Ebony and Irony, co-hosted by Monét X Change.

Writing Lady Bunny worked as a commentator for Star Magazine's 'Worst of the Week' column. She has also written for Paper Magazine, Interview, Out, Time Out, Visionaire, and Huffington Post. According to her own website, she is currently working on a memoir. Lady Bunny faced backlash after making controversial remarks during her acceptance speech, including jokes targeting local drag performer and Pridelines supporter Tiffany Fantasia. The incident followed weeks of criticism over Lady Bunny's outspoken comments on social media, where she criticized Vice president Kamala Harris and her presidential campaign, accusing her of being an insufficiently progressive "vessel for corporate interests", causing tension among LGBTQ Democrats. In response to the backlash, Pridelines issued an apology, rescinded Lady Bunny's National Icon Award, and reaffirmed their support for Fantasia, emphasizing the gala's intended focus on unity and community.

Awards and nominations 2009 GayVN Awards winner of Best Non-Sex Performance in "Brothers' Reunion" (Lucas Entertainment). 2009 AmfAR's Honoring with Pride Honoree