24 Louisville Drag Queens To Follow On Instagram

By LEO Weekly Staff on Thu, Jan 19, 2023 at 7:10 pm

The drag scene might have faced a lot of attacks in the last few years, but drag performers continue to survive and thrive. To celebrate the joys of this unique style of entertainment, we put together a slideshow of 24 performers you can catch around Louisville — or even just follow on Instagram.

As always, this list is both unranked and non-exhaustive — there's no way we could choose one queen to rule them all. (Our readers apparently can, though, since we have a "Best Drag Queen" category in our annual Readers' Choice issue. Go figure.)

Check out our list in the gallery above.

Gilda Wabbit

@gildawabbit
You may have seen her on “Camp Wannakiki,” but you’ve almost certainly seen her in the original “This is the future that liberals want” meme. She hosts events at Play Louisville regularly.
Photo via gildawabbit/Instagram

1 of 24

Jade Jolie

@missjadejolie
This former Playmate at Play Louisville (and Taylor Swift impersonator) dressed as Swift in the music video for “You Need to Calm Down,” which starred other LGBT celebs like Ellen DeGeneres, Billy Porter and RuPaul.
Photo via missjadejolie/Instagram

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Anya Androvna

@anya_androvna
Androvna, who describes herself as “Louisville's PREMIER androgynous drag queen,” was one of LEO’s “Artists Under 30” in 2017.
Photo via anya_androvna/Instagram

3 of 24

Scarlet Envy

@scarletenvy
You know her from the viral “Is it me? Am I the drama?” audio clip, but did you know she’s also from Louisville? The former “Drag Race” contestant hosted a show/meet-and-greet at Purrfect Day Cat Cafe in 2022 called “Purr, SLAY, Sip.”
Photo via scarletenvy/Instagram

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Zsa Zsa Gabortion

@zsazsagabortion
Zsa Zsa Gabortion designs and sews outfits for other queens, including Jade Jolie. Unrelatedly, Gabortion once dressed up as “sexy Colonel Sanders.” Very fitting for a Kentuckian drag artist!
Photo via zsazsagabortion/Instagram

5 of 24

Dusty Ray Bottoms

@dustyray
Dusty Ray Bottoms might live in New York City now, but she hails from Louisville originally. (In fact, Dustin Rayburn left Kentucky because of their experiences with conversion therapy, for which they starred in a recent documentary, “Conversion.”)
Photo via dustyray/Instagram

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Aubrey Jae

@theaubreyjae
Aubrey Jae won Best Drag Queen in LEO’s Readers’ Choice Awards last year. She hosts drag brunches and Board & You and The Hub.
Photo via theaubreyjae/Instagram

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May O’Nays

@themayonays
Very fittingly for a queen with a food name, May O’Nays loves to cook — and she even teaches cooking (and gardening) classes in Louisville!
Photo via themayonays/Instagram

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Lyra So Naughty

@lyra.so.naughty
This drag queen is also a scene queen: she loves emo/goth/pop-punk looks.
Photo via lyra.so.naughty /Instagram

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Stevie Dicks

@steviedicks666
She might be named after the ethereal Fleetwood Mac singer, but Stevie Dicks is no stranger to performing as terrifying characters: Voldemort, Swamp Thing, the Evil Queen from “Snow White,” Freddy Krueger and more.
Photo via steviedicks666/Instagram

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