Digital Transgender Archive

Bradley Picklesimer Oral History

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OUTWORDS interview with Bradley Picklesimer conducted by Kate Kunath on March 28, 2018 in Meally, KY. AT 20, Bradley opened his first downtown club in Lexington, KY with the help of his brother and sister. By the 1980’s, Bradley was Lexington’s leading drag queen. In 1991, Bradley moved to California. When he volunteered his design skills at an AIDS fundraiser, a local designer recognized Bradley’s talent and put him to work. Bradley quickly developed his own company, with clients ranging from Elton John to Barbra Streisand. In 2016, after 25 years in California, Bradley bought 40 acres in Meally, Kentucky, and moved back to be near his family. While mostly taking life a little easier now, Bradley continues to coordinate parties and events, and still dresses in drag on occasion.

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