LUCY STOOLE.

Pfft. Who needs an Emmy Award-winning reality competition to be a legend in the drag community? Lucy Stoole? Absolutely not. The self-described “loud, outspoken sex-positive” performer has been a staple in the Chicago drag scene for the past 12 years and is notable for turning drag “on its head” with their unique brand of gender-fuckery.

“I would be considered the motherly figure of Chicago drag right now,” they tell us. As a bearded queen, Lucy has received their fair share of stigma, but they tell us it helped them discover their non-binary and gender nonconforming identity: “It opened up the doors for me in so many ways to not only have myself see things from a different standpoint, but to also help other people look at gender differently.”

Here, Lucy discusses their drag journey, why they won’t appear on Drag Race anytime soon, and why it’s important in this current political climate to be an outspoken activist.

How would you describe Lucy Stoole?

When I first meet