As we celebrate Pride Month, we want to introduce you to an icon in Chicago’s LGBTQ+ community and nightlife: Miss Foozie.
“I’m all about love and family, friends, bringing out some energy. That’s Miss Foozie,” she said. “You can be who you are just by creating a character that brings people joy and love.”
Miss Foozie is a character created by a great guy named John. Nearly 30 years ago, some friends convinced him to put on a costume and a wig, and take the stage at a North Side bar.
“The owner came up and said, would you be interested in doing a show here? It was a joke, just for fun, and it just started,” she recalled. “And here I am, 28 years later. Wow. Crazy.”
Miss Foozie is in all sorts of places, representing the LBGTQ+ community at her pet Pride events, making the crowd laugh at Miss Foozie’s Bingo Night and welcoming guests at a drag queen brunch. But she wants to make something clear.
“John is me, Miss Foozie is me; I’m the same person. He and she are the same, but when I put this on, I’m her,” she said.
And Miss Foozie reminded us she’s a character, not a drag queen, even though she has the utmost respect for them.
“To me a drag queen is someone who likes to change their look at a lot. Their hair is incredible. They look almost like a real woman,” she said. “I’ ma character. Character artist. Always stay the same with different outfits; that is a character.”
And those outfits sure are something else.
“I have an incredible wardrobe, maybe 50 outfits,” Miss Foozie said. “For the holiday, you know, a little holiday Miss Foozie. Then we have Valentine’s. Everything has the letter F for ‘Foozie.’ There’s a lot of fun stuff here.”
She also has a wall of fame featuring people she met at different events and fundraisers, including drag queens and politicians. Two of her favorites are the late comedienne Joan Rivers and actor Mark Ruffalo.
“Joan Rivers, I spent an evening with Joan Rivers. It was incredible, so excited to meet her,” she said. “I was with [Mark Ruffalo] at a charity event in Wisconsin. We raised a lot of money for that fundraiser. It was great to spend time with him.”
She also shared some of her prized possessions, including several awards for commitment to the LGBTQ+ cause.
“I was included into the Chicago LGBTQ+ Hall of Fame,” she said. “My award’s there, and I look at it every day and I’m so excited to be a part of the community. You represent the community, you represent being out there, letting people know you can be yourself.”
And live fully from your heart.
“Life is here and gone, you want to spend as much time as you can enjoying every minute,” said Miss Foozie. “We need fun, we need energy in this world. We need love, that’s why Miss Foozie’s here. Love everybody. That is Miss Foozie.”
Miss Foozie said she really loves it when people recognize her at parades and events; it means so much because she knows she’s shared some love.
You can see Miss Foozie at Drew’s on Halsted the first Sunday of every month, and Cesar’s Home of the Killer Margarita on the first Thursday of every month.
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