Under the Pink Carpet

CLOVER HONEY

Clover Honey has emerged as one of New York's most versatile Drag personalities, well known in the worlds of politics, entertainment, and culture. She has appeared onstage at some of Manhattan's grandest venues, including Carnegie Hall, where she sang and acted as Maestro Conductor, and at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall, and has also performed at funky downtown clubs including CBGBs, Bowery Poets Club, The Slide and C Note.

Clover Welsh, born in Norhtern New Jersey, would end up spending his weekends partying and doing drag in nearby New York City. He soon became a part of Manhattan's well tread gay bar scene, and began cross-dressing for Halloween parties and Gay pride events. His female personae became his alter ego, and he named this incarnation "Clover Honey," which, loosely translated, means, "an abundance of sweetness."

Clover moved to New York City soon after graduating from college with a degree in Business Administration. Clover worked in the business world full time, while part time, Clover became absorbed not only in the City's arts and social scene but in Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Transgender (LGBT) political causes as well.

Clover found venues of creative expression through art and writing. Her original oil paintings were displayed at the prestigious Leslie Lowman Gay Art Foundation Gallery in Soho, while her poetry, news articles and other writings have appeared in journals such as Faeriegram, RFD, the Court Courier, and Our Pagan Times.

Politically, Clover worked on a campaign with NYAGRA (New York Association of Gender Rights Advocacy), the organization that successfully pushed legislation NYC Law Intro. 24, making it illegal to discriminate based on gender expression and identity in New York. She was subsequently honored by the New York City Council in June 2002 for her fierce political activism. She then worked on the state level, lobbying in Albany for gay rights and again successfully campaigning for protective legislation.

Clover had one high-heeled foot in politics, and kept the other planted firmly in the New York social whirl. She initially emerged as one of New York's premiere drag personalities by hosting dances and other fundraisers at the City's LGBT Community Center. But as her political and social reputation grew, invitations to Manhattan's most prestigious social events began to accrue. Clover Honey has appeared on stage at Carnegie Hall during the Gay Men's Chorus performances, and makes regular guest appearances at celebrity studded events such as the Human Rights Campaign Banquet and the GLAAD Media Awards.

It was her visibility at these events that brought her to the attention of "Under the Pink Carpet" producer and host, Tony Sawicki. "We just kept running into her," Sawicki now states. "She struck me as a girl who got around. But more than that, she had poise, intelligence, character, and a genuinely likeable personality." Sawicki offered Clover a guest role as Under the Pink Carpet's "Man on the Street" correspondent. "It turns out she was tailor made for the job," he now confirms. In the summer of 2002, the Lady Cloverf Honey joined the crew of "Under the Pink Carpet."

Since then, Clover has made History as the 1st Trans Reporter and the 2nd Drag Personality on national TV, in addition to being the first transgender conductor at Carnegie Hall. She is continuously pushing boundaries, and hopes to make alternative gender expression a more acceptable art form and way of life.