Exclusive Interview with Scarlet Envy - FMA GUEST WRITER
The Faulkner Morgan Archive is now welcoming Guest Writers to submit content for our blog! Our blog highlights the wonderful stories of LGBTQ history from both in and out of our collections, and we want to share this platform with students, activists, artists, and other writers from across Kentucky with a passion for LGBTQ history. You can find guidelines and recommendations for submitting at www.faulknermorgan.org/guest-writer-program.
Exclusive Interview for Faulkner Morgan Archive
with Kentucky Native and RuPaul’s Drag Race Star Scarlet Envy
By Tori Kennedy (she/her), tlaynekennedy@gmail.com
Photo by Josh Astor (@joshastorphoto)
Author’s Note: Thank you all so much for taking the time to read about my interview with drag icon Scarlet Envy. The goal of this interview was to learn more about Scarlet’s experience growing up queer in Kentucky, and how that has played a part in her current success as a performer, singer, and reality television show star. With everything going on in our country right now, the need to amplify the voices of the queer community is larger and more important than ever, and I hope this interview will give insight and hope to queer Kentuckians- especially those younger who are just discovering their identity. I am so grateful to Scarlet and her amazing team for the wonderful opportunity to do this and their willingness to make it happen, and to Faulkner Morgan Archive for giving me a platform to highlight it on.
Tori: To get us started out- and I am sure you’re asked this question constantly and are probably tired of hearing it- but I feel like it wouldn’t be a proper interview with Scarlet Envy if I didn’t ask; are you, in fact, the drama?
Scarlett: Haha, yes of course! I am the drama.
Excellent! You know it’s just one of your most iconic moments where people who may not have seen you on your original seasons still know that clip of you because it was such a moment in internet culture.
Could you tell me a little bit about your experience growing up here in Louisville- you lived here until you were about 18, correct?
Yes, I grew up in Oldham County and moved to New York when I was 18. Things were a lot different then, the culture wasn’t as developed as it is now- like, NuLu is so fantastic. There was no such thing as Play when I lived here, but I like to hop by there when I can when I get home. I also work at Le Moo for Drag Brunch when I’m [in Louisville]. I mean, there’s a lot more opportunities now and it’s nice to see that. But I continue to support and love Kentucky, and I loved growing up here.
It’s awesome to hear that you have a fond relationship still to Kentucky. I feel like a lot of people who grow up here have a mentality of “I gotta get out of here” and don’t look back- and for a lot of reasons that’s understandable- but it’s nice that you still have family here that you enjoy coming back to your old stomping grounds with and celebrating events with.
Yeah, I feel very lucky in my experience. I understand it’s not everybody’s and that’s an important thing to mention as well.
I know you’ve talked a bit about this publicly already, but was it difficult for you to try to embrace or come to terms with your sexuality due to being from Kentucky and it being a more conservative minded state?
Yes, it was. I did not come out in Kentucky. I came out once I had moved to New York- and by that, I mean a few hours after I moved to New York. It didn’t take very long, but I did technically wait until I got to New York to do so because [Kentucky] did not feel as welcoming as it could have. I’ve always put a lot of pressure on how people see me, people look at me, and maybe that’s why I’ve had the success I’ve had. But at the same time, that’s why I have some of the issues that I have too. I think maybe where that is seated is, you know, the idea of wanting to please everyone around me- my friends, family, colleagues- and I wasn’t prepared at the time to do so [in Kentucky]. Like I said, coming back now and also just seeing the world, I think a lot of progress has been made in the last 10 years, specifically here in my hometown, where I hope that kids feel a bit more welcome to be themselves, maybe, then I did at the time. But I think everyone has their own journey and their own path. I don’t have any regrets necessarily; I was still being myself. I just, you know, didn’t make that final step until I moved to New York.
How did you first discover drag and when was it something that you personally decided to do?
I discovered drag in New York City. New York City had the best drag in the world- they still do. There’s some there that have been on Drag Race, and some people who have still not been on Drag Race. But I “found my tribe” as RuPaul says, and it went from there.
Was there anyone in particular who inspired you to try [drag] yourself, or were you of the mindset of “I’ve been a creative for so long already, this is something I might as well do because I would be good at it”?
Well, I certainly wasn’t good at it- let’s just go ahead and say that! Nobody’s good at [drag] when they start. I mean, I guess we live in an era now where people just get on YouTube and they don’t leave the house until they look how we would say in the industry… cunt. But I wasn’t part of that era, so I went through a lot of years looking really crunchy. But I found a group of friends and we went out, you know, basically for free drinks. I was probably 19 years old- I wasn’t even allowed in bars- so when I put a wig on, to be honest with you, they didn’t even ask for my ID! Haha, you can’t get away with that anymore. It was this kind of “drag boom” time, around season 3 or 4 of Drag Race. I have a drag auntie who used to go by the name Kiki, and I’d be doing my homework for my degrees in advertising while she put on makeup to go work her restaurant shift from noon to 6am, so I just kind of got involved with makeup that way.
Well even if your early drag was “crunchy” at least it was part of your experience and helped you learn and grow into the icon that you are today!
Well, I’ve never felt as beautiful as I did those days. I look better now, but I felt more beautiful then, to be honest with you. You know, delusion goes a long way!
So, you lived in New York for a long time and currently reside in Los Angeles, is that correct?
That’s correct.
Having lived in two large, very globally famous cities, how would you describe your relationship to Louisville -regarding the size that it is and the state it is located in- in comparison?
I mean, Kentucky is in the news yet again revolving around Kim Davis and this insane attempt to reverse what should have been codified already in terms of gay marriage. But that just makes it all the more important to continue my association with Kentucky. There’s an amazing queer scene here, an amazing community here. I have two moms who live here- they are what you would call Kentucky Power Lesbians- along with all of their friends, and they just are continuing to always inspire me, along with their friends. I just think right now that’s more important than ever. I mean, New York and LA are fine- they’re going to be fine with or without me, and I’m happy to be associated with them as well- but my hometown is always going to be my hometown, and I think it’s more important than ever to rep it, to be here as often as I can, to be part of the scene.
Thank you for having that mentality, it is easy when you become something or someone bigger to try and move on and plant other roots, but it is nice that you are willing to remember that and partake in the issues going on in this state currently.
Is there any advice you have for young Kentuckians trying to figure out their sexuality and/or gender identity for the first time?
Talk to your drama teacher- that helped me a lot! Shout out to Mrs. Rosemary Cundiff-Brown from North Walden High School. She was my speech and debate coach, and I continue to have a warm friendship with that woman who so inspires me even to this day. She was somebody when I didn’t have a lot of people to talk to, somebody who was looking out for me, who cared for me regardless of my sexuality. Just my enjoyment of being on stage, of acting, of the art forms that I enjoyed- that was just always there for me and continues to be so, for lack of better terms, find your drama teacher.
It’s always the drama teachers and some kind of teachers in the humanities… English, for example. They get it!
They do.
Do you have any advice for aspiring drag artists?
Not to sound like a broken record but finding your community is really where it’s at. Every time I get this question- and I do get it, quite often- I remind people not to do it for Drag Race. A lot of the people- a lot of the kids- who come to me say, “I want to be famous, I want to be on Drag Race.” It’s not wanting to do drag, it’s wanting to be famous, and that’s not the right way to do it. That’s not the right reason, because it’s fleeting. It’s not real, none of it is actually real, but the art form of drag is so real. There’s amazing icons like Sherry Vine, for instance. I would look up Sherry Vine, Jackie Beat, Lypsinka, all these queens who created this art form long before RuPaul ever got her TV show. And I’m forever grateful to my mother Ru, for creating the amazing opportunities that she has for me and everyone else who has been on Drag Race. But it’s not about Drag Race. It’s about drag. So do your homework, look into it. Research your history, what happened before Drag Race, and why you really want to do drag. Also, my one makeup tip is that the Elmer’s Glue Stick is how you put your eyebrows down- get some purple disappearing Elmer’s Glue Stick girl- and have a good attitude. Just a little chapstick goes a long way too.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Faulkner Morgan Archive.