Lady Bunny

Jon Ingle, known professionally as Lady Bunny, was born on August 13, 1962, in Wilmington, North Carolina, and grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her early life included a year in Ghana, where her father worked with a Fulbright Scholarship, and she briefly attended Bootham School in York, England. After enrolling at the University of Tennessee, she later moved to Atlanta and attended Georgia State University. In Atlanta, she began her drag career, forming a significant friendship with RuPaul and performing as a go-go dancer for the band The Now Explosion. RuPaul is credited with first putting Lady Bunny in drag.

In 1983, Lady Bunny relocated to New York City and became a prominent figure in the Club Kids scene. She and RuPaul shared an apartment and worked at the Pyramid Club. A pivotal moment in her career was in 1985 when she organized the first Wigstock, an annual outdoor drag festival. This event became a cultural landmark, running until 2005 and later revived in 2018 with the support of David Burtka and Neil Patrick Harris. Wigstock was chronicled in Chris Moukarbel’s 2019 documentary, “Wig.” Lady Bunny is recognized for her distinct performance style, which incorporates lip-syncing, dancing, and comedy, often featuring self-deprecating humor and short critiques.

Her career expanded beyond live performances to include music, acting, and writing. She released disco singles like “Shame, Shame, Shame!” and “The Pussycat Song.” Lady Bunny has written and toured two one-woman comedy shows, “That Ain’t No Lady!” and “Clowns Syndrome.” Her film appearances include “Party Girl,” “Wigstock: The Movie,” and “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.” On television, she has appeared in “Sex and the City” (2003), was a roaster on Comedy Central’s roast of Pamela Anderson (2005), and served as a judge and Dean of Drag on “RuPaul’s Drag U” from 2010 to 2012. Lady Bunny also maintains an active presence as a DJ, performing at various events globally, including for Van Cleef & Arpels’ 40th anniversary party and the Empire State Pride Agenda. She has contributed written work to publications such as Star Magazine, Paper Magazine, and Huffington Post, and co-hosts the podcast “Ebony and Irony” with Monét X Change.