Queer Comedian Kristin Key Wants Everyone Around her Campfire

When Kristin Key was 16, she decided to come out. It didn't go well. That she was a daughter of a Christian minister's daughter being raised in a conservative West Texas town led her to say, "Just kidding," and retreat back in the closet.

Three years later, while attending college, where she was training to be a paramedic, she took to the stage at an open-mike comedy event and found her voice. She hasn't looked back since, and has developed her stage persona as the "Preacher's Kid," finding success in comedy clubs with her quick-witted observations and clever songs.

After reaching a national audience as a finalist on NBC's "Last Comic Standing," Kristin moved to L.A. and came out a second time in 2015 while appearing at an anti-bullying fundraiser, opening up about living in the closet and meeting her wife. Today, some ten years later, Kristin is a nationally headlining comedian and a viral sensation. She's also sober and happily married. As her website says, "[w]ith hilarious material about everything from queer culture and relationship dynamics to cats and crocheting, Kristin is proud to use her platform to live her truth and inspire others to do the same. With every show or viral video, she's building a powerful and inclusive community of comedy fans from all walks of life."

To date, Kristin has recorded six full-length stand-up comedy albums and one studio music comedy album. Her social media videos have over 92.2 million views, and Kristin has over 800,000 followers. She currently hosts Kristin Knows Blank, a popular comedy podcast available on all major streaming platforms. Kristin's additional credits include "Comics Unleashed," VH-1's "100 Greatest" Series, The Bob and Tom show, and SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

Camp Kristen, her latest show, is currently touring the United States and Canada. For a complete list of dates, follow this link. As she puts it, "All are welcome around this campfire."

EDGE: Kristin, when did you know you wanted to do comedy as a vocation?

Kristin Key: I've been funny since I was a kid, and I loved watching standup comedy, but was told by people at my church that I couldn't be a standup comedian because I'd have to work in bars. And because I grew up in a religious family, I didn't want to work in a bar. While I was in college to be a paramedic, I decided to give comedy a try, because I had nothing else to lose, and I absolutely fell in love with it.

EDGE: Tell us about this tour that you call Camp Kristin.

Kristin Key: Camp Kristin is the continuation of last year's Lesbian Army Tour. It's just as gay as last year, but this year it has a genuinely inclusive vibe. Everybody is welcome around this campfire. I have a lot of jokes about the community, but I will also delve into my life as a Christian preacher's kid and attending summer camp, so it has the camp vibe from a few different angles. This is one summer camp where everyone is welcome to sit around the campfire.

EDGE: You've got such a unique blend of musical comedy and storytelling – how did that style develop for you?

Kristin Key: I didn't start that way. I started as a standup comedian who was in the closet. I had always observed the way musical comedians were treated at my home comedy club in Amarillo, Texas. They were constantly being called "hacks" behind their backs. People would say they have to play an instrument to be funny. They can't just be funny. I played behind closed doors and was always trying to make silly songs. Finally, somebody asked me if I would write a funny song for a show they were doing, and when I did, it felt so good that I started doing it for myself.

Once I started playing, singing, and telling jokes, it blended perfectly and became fun. Now I have to balance it. How much is too much? It's always trying to find that sweet spot of whether there's enough music, but not too much singing, while ensuring it still feels like stand-up, and hopefully it's as much fun for the audience as it is for me.

EDGE: What comes first for you – a joke, a melody, or a story?

Kristin Key: The joke comes first. Sometimes I'll see a joke, and if it seems like it'll be funny, but one or two lines won't do it justice, I'll give it a song so we can explore its different layers. Sometimes, when a set list has gone on long and I haven't played the guitar in a while, that's when I'll add a song. I can't go too long without a song.

EDGE: Do you have a favorite musical bit that always lands, no matter the crowd?

Kristin Key: There are a few of them that I won't let go of. I love them so much, but my favorite is the "Kayak Fight of 2015." It's about my wife and me and the argument we had on a lake while kayaking. The story begins with a dramatic minor chord on the guitar, and then this whole bit of where we're chasing each other around this lake, fighting. Even thinking about it now, I love the visual of it. I love that it starts and ends with music. The whole time, there's this little campy noodling on the guitar that goes underneath it. It's not so much a song, but it's definitely a musical bit that I never get tired of playing, and audiences seem to enjoy it every time. At some point in time, anyone in a relationship has been in some situation where you're in an argument in a place where you just should not be.

EDGE: If you could duet with any musician, who would it be?

Kristin Key: Last year, I sang with Brandi Carlisle, and that was a dream come true. If I could sing with any other musician, I would have to say the Indigo Girls. I would want to play and sing "Closer to Fine" with them, because what lesbian worth their salt, given the opportunity, would not say yes. If that happens, I think I would finally reach my gold star of lesbianism, and I would be the ultimate lesbian.

EDGE: What is humor to you?

Kristin Key: Humor is therapy. Humor is what keeps me positive. It's what keeps me focused on joy instead of hate. It's what keeps me in front of my community. It's a constant, especially with these tours, which are more queer-focused. I get to see that I'm not alone. Every single time, I walk onto stage to do my job, I get to stand in front of the most supportive audience in the world. I'm healing all kinds of old past traumas, and with this tour, I am healing old religious traumas. I get to tell my little stories of church camp to a group of people who nod along and say, "Oh, I've been there. I've seen that. I went through the same thing, and I get it." That's therapy for me.

EDGE: What does PRIDE mean to you?

Kristin Key: For me, I almost want to say Pride means security, and this year, more than ever. In the past, Pride has always been a way to show up and say, "I've made it, here I am." However, this year, it is our chance to support one another. Today, it's an act of service, not just, "Oh, this is fun." So, be your true, authentic self.

What's important is that I get to be myself and be here for you. I get to look like me so that you can see I'm still standing, and I'm still smiling, and I've got you, and you've got me. For this month, and until next June, we are not alone. We are okay, and we're going to help each other through it, and we're going to continue to march [and] sing, and we're going to be who we are.

For more about Kristin Key and to see upcoming tour dates, follow this link.