Peppermint

‘I thought drag was just putting on high heels and sashaying’

If there were a lifetime award for Miss Congeniality amongst drag queens, it would have to go to Peppermint. Besides being beautiful and talented, she has a reputation around town for being one of the nicest people and friendliest queens.

Aside from being one of New York City’s most popular celebrities on the nightlife scene, Peppermint is also a musician, having had several albums and singles released. Often she works with Cazwell and Sherry Vine, also stable figures in the New York City spotlight.

Speaking with Peppermint, I couldn’t help but notice her naturally funny humor and her witty answers during our conversation.

What motivated you to begin doing drag?
I went into drag, really, because of a Halloween accident. I did it for Halloween. After a while you can’t fit into a kid’s costume anymore, and doing drag was the easiest thing and ended up being really fun. I got so good at doing it [that] I won my first contest in school at something called The Homely Court, that everyone did after homecoming. I became the homely queen.

Where was that school? I would love to go to that school.
So I won that and got my self-confidence.

Do you have a drag mother?
You know what, I’m kind of a drag orphan. I never had a real drag mother. Many people helped me out and showed me the ropes and things, but I never had one person take me under her wing. I think that was kind of indicative of New York of the late ‘90s. It was more about the club scene. It was really about getting whatever you can and throwing it on. That was acceptable to everyone. There wasn’t anybody to say, “Oh, your lipstick’s on wrong,” like a drag mother would do. In the ‘90s club scene, you know, the club kids all dressed in drag. It was kind of everybody fend for yourself. That’s kind of the way I learned it. I never really took on any drag children either. I took a lot of gay kids and became their gay mother, but never any drag children. I have a lot of drag sisters and a drag aunt who I learned a lot about fabulosity and cuntiness from.

What’s your favorite thing about doing drag?
My favorite thing about doing drag, besides just the look of it—I mean, I obviously love wearing women’s clothing. But my favorite thing personally, my passion for it, is so much more than I thought it was. When I first started doing drag I thought it was just putting on high heels and sashaying. After years went by, it turned from a little hobby to a career. It ended up becoming my ticket to Europe and other countries, and meeting celebrities, doing film and television, and obviously paying my bills. It was a great avenue for a lot of pay off. I think drag is one of the few professions that I can think of where you don’t have to be—but it’s better if you are—a renaissance woman, meaning you’re not only the performer but you’re also your own manager, hairstylist, you put together your own outfits. A lot of people have help with it, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but you kind of have to have an eye for what looks good on you. And if you don’t have the money, you’ve got to be your own DJ or make your own music or whatever you’re going to do to put together your show. So there are so many different hats you have to wear as a drag queen. That’s kind of the thing people don’t know about drag. It’s also good, because I get offered a lot of television. Someone will just say, “I want you to do this show.” Or they might call you to go somewhere. Someone called me to go to Atlanta, Georgia, next week.

Thus far, what do you think the highlight of your career is
Well, I don’t want to jinx anything. There have been a lot of highlights of my career, and I’m looking forward to more, but like I said before, the opportunity to travel. I got the opportunity to go to Australia. I thought I was just going to go and have a good time, but it turned out to be really spiritual. I had a chance to spend a lot of time with the indigenous community, so that was really just a fulfilling experience for me.

So what have you done as far as television work?
I’m certainly not on “Orange Is the New Black,” but I’ve had a feature role on the “Real World” when they were back in New York, in Brooklyn, six years ago. I also did “Ugly Betty.” I just did things like that.

Do you have a favorite queen who you have worked with
Yeah. Sherry [Vine] has been a real inspiration. She graduated a little bit ahead of me. She keeps herself fresh and relevant. Some of the new kids out there I’ve really fallen in love with. I love Merrie Cherry and Brianna Andrews. There are lots of girls I really like who are promising and have a lot of potential.

What do you think of Cazwell? I know you work with him on Thursday nights at the Ritz.
Cazwell is awesome. I think he is super talented. I am really close with him. He does a really good job again of keeping fresh and relevant. It must be tough to be an out gay rapper trying to balance the line between cute and gay. I mean, the music, it’s fun and cute and gay, but he is also a serious musician. I think that he is such a hard worker, and he has a lot of great music coming up. He is also very inspirational, and he has become my gay husband.

So do you have a real gay husband or a boyfriend?
I am seeing someone right now.

Does he support drag?
Absolutely. He supports me 100%. He works 9 to 5, and it’s really tough for him to get out to the shows. Sometimes he will go with me on a gig or something like that. He is super supportive. A lot of people look at drag as a barrier. I think it’s a turn off to a lot of people, but I think that’s changing. The guy that I am seeing is super open, and he’s a great guy.

Good, because I like to hear that. I know that you have a Thursday night show at the Ritz. Do you have anything else going on?
The Ritz on Thursday is me and Cazwell. Sherry and I are at Therapy on Tuesday nights. It’s called BiPolar. Also, I’ve been spending a lot of time working on a new album, which has been a couple of years in the making. 

You sing with your own voice, correct?
Yes, both of us sing live. Sherry and I are live singing drag queens. So I’m working on a new album now, and the new single is called “Shady Phone,” and it’s all about that friend who you’re with—maybe it’s your boyfriend or your best friend—and they’re always on the phone, always texting, and then the minute you try to reach them, they can’t even pick up the phone. They never text you back.

Don’t you just hate that?
It’s true! “Shady Phone” is all about that. I don’t have a release date, but it’ll be out in the New Year.

So you are going to be performing at the Miss Get Out! Magazine Drag Pageant.
Yes, I’m really looking forward to that! I’m excited to see the judges that will be there, like Phi Phi O’Hara. She’s a really hard worker and very talented and super nice. I think she got a little bit of a bad rap after the show. People weren’t giving her a fair shake. She ended up being one of the sweetest people out there.

I have to agree with you. I just love her. Is there anything else that you’d like to say?
Just that I have a remix album coming out before the end of the year, some time in December. It’s called “Hardcore Glamour Remix.” It will be out on iTunes.