Linda Simpson

Linda Simpson is a New York City based drag queen, nightlife promoter and host, photographer and writer who spearheaded and documented the iconic East Village drag scene primarily between the 1980's-1990s.

Linda Simpson
Color photograph of two drag performers on a stage
Linda Simpson in 2007, on the right.
Born
Leslie Simpson

Gaylord, Michigan
OccupationsDrag personality, performer, photographer, writer, TV host
Websitehttps://lindasimpson.org/

https://www.thedragexplosion.com/

http://www.lindalovesbingo.com/

Simpson's archive consists of over 5,000 photographs, many of which were taken during her time hosting at the Pyramid Club, which is known as "ground zero for the exploding New York drag scene". Simpson's photographs feature early careers of some other notable drag stars such as RuPaul and Tabboo!. Around the 2010s, Simpson began showing a collection of these photographs and later published a book, both titled THE DRAG EXPLOSION. Prior to this seminal project, she created the underground queer magazine My Comrade/Sister! in 1987, utilizing satire, campy humor to highlight the joy and chaos of the NYC queer community flourishing despite tremendous loss of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Linda Simpson also co-hosted the Manhattan Public Access TV show Party Talk, Out magazine applauded Party Talk for being one of few shows where Drag Queens were taken seriously. She was "not there for you to laugh at, she's there for you to laugh with".

Biography

Color photograph of a closed store front with a sign above it labeled "Pyramid Club"
Outside of Pyramid Club, 2009

Leslie Simpson was born in Gaylord, Minnesota to a minister father and a stay-at home mother. Prior to the creation of his drag persona, Simpson attended school in New York to study advertising and communications. He found himself immersed within the East Village drag scene, inspiring him to begin working on My Comrade which became a joyous reflection of this community. It was at My Comrade zine release parties where Simpson began experimenting with drag himself. Linda Simpson (who prefers she/her pronouns when referring to her drag persona) born out of thrifted clothing and discount wigs, aimed to echo the image of strong women, in particular journalists such as Barbra Walters and Gloria Steinem.

After frequenting the Pyramid Club during a time when it's popularity was dying down, Simpson began hosting her own parties in 1990, giving the club new life. She also photographed and performed at iconic annual drag festival Wigstock, which began spontaneously at Tompkins Square Park in 1984. An important piece of New York City drag history, Wigstock was the focus of 2019 critically acclaimed documentary Wig.

Solo exhibitions

Group exhibitions

Slideshow Presentations

Publications

My Comrade

  • 1987-1994 : 11 issues
  • 2004 : 2 issues
  • 2022 : 1 issue published along with My Comrade 35th anniversary exhibit at Howl! Happening

Photo Books

  • THE DRAG EXPLOSION : GREATEST HITS, 2024 - Self-published
  • MIGHTY WARRIORS, 2024 - Self-published
  • THE DRAG EXPLOSION, 2020 - Domain Books
  • PAGES, 2013 - Peradam

References

  1. 1 2 3 Musto, Michael (2015-08-05). "The Accidental Historian of Drag Queens". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-10-30.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Linda Simpson, the Historian of Queer New York - PAPER Magazine". www.papermag.com. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  3. ↑ "A Nearly Complete Oral History of NYC's Pyramid Club - PAPER Magazine". www.papermag.com. Retrieved 2026-11-05.
  4. ↑ AnotherMan (2019-11-20). "New York's 1990s 'Drag Explosion', Captured by a Drag Queen". AnotherMan. Retrieved 2026-11-04.
  5. ↑ "Linda Simpson". Metal Magazine. 2021-03-01. Retrieved 2026-11-04.
  6. ↑ Van Parys, Bill (November 6, 1990). "Fag Rags Come of Age". The Advocate. pp. 70–72. Retrieved October 29, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ↑ Closs, Larry (September 1, 1994). "I Want My Gay TV". Out. Equalpride. pp. 60–64, 66, 120, 122–123. Retrieved November 4, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. 1 2 "This 1980s Drag Zine Helped Launch the Careers of Queens Like RuPaul. Now It's Celebrating Its 35th Anniversary With an Exhibition—and a New Issue". Artnet News. 2022-06-07. Retrieved 2026-11-04.
  9. ↑ "Photos of New York's drag explosion in the '80s". Huck. 2021-02-15. Retrieved 2026-11-04.
  10. ↑ Bernstein, Jacob (2018-08-15). "Wigstock Returns From the Dead". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-11-05.
  11. 1 2 "Linda Simpson The Drag Explosion". artgalleryofregina. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  12. ↑ "Linda SimpsonMy Comrade Magazine: Happy 35th Gay Anniversary". Howl! Arts. 2022-05-02. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  13. ↑ "NY / Linda Simpson: Where Love Lives | Explore the Exhibition". Tiger Strikes Asteroid. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  14. ↑ "Pages". CLAMP. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  15. ↑ "Video Killed the Radio Star". Mudam. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  16. ↑ "GROUP SHOW - GORGEOUSNESS Curated by Richard Renaldi". Benrubi Gallery. 2024-06-20. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  17. ↑ Center, Anton Art (2024-04-03). "I'll Be Your Mirror: Reflections of the Contemporary Queer | June 15 - August 10, 2024". anton-art-center. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  18. ↑ "Copy Machine Manifestos: Artists Who Make Zines". Brooklyn Museum. Retrieved October 31, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ↑ "Drag Show | California State University Long Beach". www.csulb.edu. 2024-05-06. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  20. ↑ "Over the Rainbow". www.centrepompidou.fr. 2023-06-27. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  21. ↑ "Do It Yourself! | Harvard Library". library.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  22. ↑ "American Drag | Harvard Library". library.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  23. ↑ "The Formless Body by Special Guest Curator Jarrett Earnest :Olga Korper Gallery". Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  24. ↑ "It's Much Louder Than Before". ANAT EBGI GALLERY. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  25. ↑ "Gay Gotham | Museum of the City of New York". www.mcny.org. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  26. ↑ Wolff, Natasha (2017-03-02). "Behind the Exhibit: Perpetual Revolution". DuJour. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  27. ↑ "Book Event—Sex, Clubs, Dissent: Visualising Queer Nightlife with Amelia Abraham and Linda Simpson | International Center of Photography". www.icp.org. 2026-07-15. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  28. ↑ "The American LGBTQ+ Museum — Glitter & Concrete at Lincoln Center". americanlgbtqmuseum.org. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  29. ↑ "The Drag Explosion - An evening with Linda Simpson". www.nacnyc.org. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  30. ↑ "Pre-sale tickets are now available for the Tom of Finland Art & Culture Festival Los Angeles". Tom of Finland Foundation. September 28, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. ↑ "Linda Simpson's The Drag Explosion". www.walkerart.org. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  32. ↑ "Queer History: Drag and the Waterfront". South Street Seaport Museum. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  33. ↑ "'Revolutionary, Proud, and Ultra-Campy': 'My Comrade' Founder Gives Hofer Lecture | Harvard Library". library.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  34. ↑ "Linda Simpson". Mighty Real / Queer Detroit. 2024-06-14. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  35. ↑ "Exploding on Park Avenue and the Lower East Side!". The Drag Explosion. October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  36. ↑ Grieve. "'The Drag Explosion' brings the golden age of NYC drag history to the Wild Project". Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  37. ↑ anamari (2019-07-15). "Linda Simpson's Slideshow Extravaganza! The Drag Explosion - wild project". Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  38. ↑ "Readings from Lost & Found: A Preview of Danspace Project's Platform 2016". www.newmuseum.org. Retrieved 2026-10-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  39. ↑ "RuPaul's DragCon LA 2016". WOW Presents Plus. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  40. ↑ "Channel 69 Salute: Linda Simpson's Drag Experience". Howl! Arts. 2015-10-17. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  41. ↑ "Visual AIDS | Linda Simpson: Drag Explosion". Visual AIDS. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  42. ↑ "Presentation: Linda Simpson, The Drag Explosion | P!". p-exclamation.com. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  43. ↑ "Dirty Looks | Linda Simpson's The Drag Explosion". dirtylooksla.org. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  44. 1 2 Nichols, James (2014-07-30). "Come See The 'Drag Explosion' Of The '80s And '90s". HuffPost. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  45. ↑ "UDP at NY Art Book Fair, PS1". Ugly Duckling Presse. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  46. 1 2 3 "Linda SimpsonMy Comrade Magazine: Happy 35th Gay Anniversary". Howl! Arts. 2022-05-02. Retrieved 2026-11-04.
  47. 1 2 "The Drag Explosion - Books". The Drag Explosion. Retrieved 2026-10-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  48. ↑ "Linda Simpson - The Drag Explosion". Printed Matter. Retrieved 2026-10-31.
  49. ↑ "Archive — Peradam Press". peradam.info. Retrieved 2026-10-31.