Hi Barb!

I’m a drag queen, and I somehow didn’t figure that out until I was a few weeks shy of turning 38. Whatever — you only live once, and now I get to live as Brett and perform as Barb. What started as a political act (I’m from a state that wants to make drag a felony, so now my conservative family knows a potential felon!) quickly became a celebration of a femininity that I didn’t know I was suppressing and an outlet for literally every artistic endeavor I’ve spent my entire life exploring. Drag is art, performance, style, improv, writing, directing, editing, graphic design, and more all in one — and I get to do all that while lookin’ pretty, sugah.

The name Barb Hardly is a riff on Bob Hartley, the character played by Bob Newhart in his ‘70s sitcom. It fits because Barb is a sassy sitcom lady, the leading woman’s pal, the nosy neighbor, the man-crazy secretary — but now she’s ready for her spin-off.