Suzanne Westenhoefer loves the Minneapolis International Airport! As a comedian that has been touring since the mid 90’s Suzanne couldn’t stop raving about the airport when I asked her if she had spent much time in Minnesota. “You know I haven’t, but I am in love with your airport!”
You have been touring since the mid 90’s, you were the first openly gay woman with an HBO special and you have been a part of Olivia Travel for years. How has the scene changed since you began comedy?
Being a gay comic isn’t really a thing anymore. It’s everywhere. It can’t be your only thing. In the 90’s audiences minds would be blown, just that there was an out lesbian on stage. When men would laugh, it was almost like they were mad about it. Like we laughed, we enjoyed a lesbian. Damn it. And the fact that I looked like the girl they took to Prom just took it to a whole other level. I also used to have a lot of audience members that would come up to me after a show and say, “My teacher is gay, or I have a gay sister or a gay family member.” They were trying to connect with me by telling me they had someone gay in their life. Now, it is just so much more accepted people don’t come up to me anymore to tell me they know another gay person.
You have been a gay activist for many years. Why did you get involved with social justice?
When I first started it was just from a place of stop killing us, stop beating us, stop firing us. In college I started a little group on campus, and it was the only time I was gay bashed. It really wasn’t a gay bashing; it was such a weak gay bashing. Two Christian boys followed me after one of our meetings to my dorm and they threw their bibles down to shove me. That’s my favorite part. Like it is almost like you never read it dude. I’m a full-on atheist and I got to tell you; I don’t think you’re getting it. I think you’ve missed the plot. Do you know what I mean?
What do you like to do outside of comedy?
One of my favorite things in the world is DNA and genealogy. It is so wonderful and bizarre to be able to look back and see the amazing people I came from. Recently my sister traced our name back nine generations to the Mayflower. Up until that point, all I knew was that our family was from Lancaster County Pennsylvania. I have also been addicted to true crime for easily 40 years and I love when DNA solves a cold case and some terrible old man thinks he has got away with it, but no, you’re going to rot in jail now, thank you DNA.
What has been a memorable time in comedy?
Recently, I was asked to do an interview for Olivia Travel because I have worked for them for years and they are turning 50! Last week they came here to do an interview with me, and they were also trying to interview Lily Tomlin, but she was not sure where she wanted to meet. I suggested Lily come to my house to interview because she knows me and had been to my house before and within about 6 minutes they called back and said Lily is fine with that, she will do the interview at your house. While they were filming, Lily was talking about never really coming out and how different it was in the 80’s. And she turned to me and said, “Oh but Suzanne what you’ve done, it’s just so amazing. You’ve always been out. I’ve been hearing about you for 20-30 years.” In my mind I’m like “Oh my God, I can’t believe this is happening and this is happening in front of all these people, and someone is filming it.” So, to have one of your heroes say something like that was incredible.
How did you and Jen link up?
We met on an Olivia cruise. We both have the same sense of humor, and I don’t have a ton of friends who are comics, nor do other comics, I don’t know why but we don’t. So, I think we were just excited about that connection and the idea for a show came up and we thought, let’s see what happens.
Suzanne was such a lovely person to chat with. She made you feel like you were already friends. As a lesbian comedian, it was an honor to interview someone who I have admired for so long. I see why her fans love her. And you will too! Make sure you get your tickets now to what is sure to be a sellout show! Go online to The Parkway and join me on June 6th for this amazing night of comedy.
