Drag legend Lady Bunny wouldn’t be caught wearing a real fur jacket on the New York City stage, but that doesn’t mean she’ll throw shade at a queen who does.
“While I’d like for people to wake up to the cruelty of fur, I don’t believe in banning something for everyone just because I don’t personally care for it,” the seasoned drag queen and LGBTQ advocate said by email Wednesday about the proposed NYC fur ban bill.
Bunny — who rose to fame in the ‘80s alongside “Drag Race” star RuPaul and gifted us with the East Village drag festival known as Wigstock — has long been a supporter of animal rights group PETA. In the early 2000s, she became the face of PETA’s anti-fur campaign “Fur Is A Drag” as well as the group’s call to boycott Kentucky Fried Chicken, which asked people to “kick the bucket” on animal cruelty.
Though, when it comes to the proposed NYC fur ban, backed by PETA, Bunny, 55, has other thoughts: “We don’t need laws for clothing.”
“I’m a transvestite who wears women’s clothes, so government-enforced dress codes make me nervous. My not ever wearing fur or feathers since I became involved with PETA is my choice," she said.
The bill, which looks to ax the sale of fur garments in the five boroughs, has gained the attention of famous animal rights advocates like Tim Gunn and was up for debate at City Hall Wednesday.
If approved, NYC would follow other cities with similar fur bans currently in effect, including West Hollywood, Berkeley and San Francisco. A recently passed law impacting Los Angeles will make it illegal to sell, manufacture and trade fur clothing within the city starting in 2021.
“And what’s next — banning meat? It’s equally cruel to produce,” she added.
