Why You Should Try Drag
The act of performing in drag has been around for a long time. The actual practice itself likely dates back as far as ancient Greco-Roman Amphitheatres and Egyptian Pharaohs. Though the origins are uncertain, the term “drag” is said to originate from the Shakespearean theatre. Women were seldom trusted with the ‘responsibility of artistic expression’. Thus, it is said that when a female character was played by a male actor, the word drag was used to describe the dress worn by the actor because it ‘dragged’ across the stage. There aren’t many sources on the history of drag, so our knowledge is limited to mainly anecdotal evidence. From the 20th century onward, drag has become a practice associated with sex and sexual expression in North America, an association some performers reject. Cabarets and vaudeville culture boomed as performing in drag took centre stage of light-hearted entertainment. According to fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the term D.R.A.G is an abbreviation for “Dressed Resembling A Girl/Guy”. This is a good (somewhat reduced) foundation to build our knowledge on.
What is Drag?
Drag is the performance art of reaching beyond one’s gender expression, aesthetic, and everyday persona. Singers, actors, comedians, and other entertainers get into a character or an onstage persona while entertaining. This persona is usually an enhanced and sometimes absurdist version of who they are. Lady Gaga and stand-up comedian James Acaster are both known for crafting oddball images in their respective mediums. Drag Queens/Kings are similar, and take the creation of their persona steps further by challenging gender expression while showing off their skills in song, dance, make-up, dressmaking and acting. Everything from the drag name (sort of like a stage name) to the attitude is a commitment for the showcase. Think of a drag persona like an alter ego; an adjustment to the first few superficial levels of you.
Correcting misconceptions
In this next bit, I will discuss some common misconceptions people may have about drag.
Doing drag is NOT the same thing as being transgender. Those who are unfamiliar with drag as an art form have often associated the performance as being equal to being transgender. This confusion might stem from some peoples’ refusal to research something they do not understand, and many of these beliefs can be rooted back to run-of-the-mill bigotry. Notably, it could be that drag, now a representative part of LGBT+ culture is still dominated by cisgender men. In fact, trans people (including non-binary individuals) often face discrimination because of their gender and have to work extremely hard to be recognized in their field of work as drag performers. The inclusion and acceptance of trans people in the art of drag is still very much a work in progress. Although drag challenges gender roles in performance art and allows for exploring another version of ourselves, it is independent of identity.
Drag kings exist. I am constantly reminded by people that not everyone who has heard of drag queens has heard of drag kings. It’s pretty straight forward. Where a drag queen channels the feminine with make-up, stuffing, body contour, wigs and the right outfit, a drag king channels the masculine using the same mediums in a different fashion. Drag kings are predominantly trans men, non-binary individuals and cisgender women (like me!).
Your gender has little to do with it. While performing in drag is a recognized way of stepping out of gendered boundaries, there isn’t a wrong way of doing so. The point isn’t to “go against” your gender, but rather to forget that gender has anything to do with being an entertainer. In other words, I, a cisgender woman, can choose to perform as a queen or a king. Neither would be wrong. During the last show I performed in, a friend made a point discussing the role and importance of female drag queens: “If anyone gets to play with their femininity it’s a woman.”
Those are words to live by and extend to all identities. It’s time drag killed gender gate-keeping.
Photo by Alejandro Cartagena 🇲🇽🏳🌈 on Unsplash
My experience
From the moment you take a step toward transforming into your drag persona, whether that be choosing a drag name, tucking/binding, stuffing, doing your makeup, or posing in front of a mirror, you start displaying a different side of yourself.
A few weeks ago, when I was getting ready to perform in my second show ever as a drag king, every element in my preparation added an extra layer of masculinity to my visage and my behaviour. When I bound my chest, I felt more in control of my shoulder movements. When I contoured my face, I felt relieved at the fact that I looked handsome. I put my package (a rolled-up pair of tube socks) down my pants and before I knew it my walk had changed. I spoke at a lower pitch, I smirked more, I became the embodiment of my masculine side.
The performance itself was extremely empowering. I choreographed a lip-sync and dance using props and every move felt energized and organic. The socially-distanced audience was cheering and screaming. I felt that I was giving them the show they came for. More importantly, I felt like me.
Your turn
The purpose of this piece isn’t to bully anyone into doing something they do not feel comfortable doing. We are all entitled to the exploration of who we are and what we like to do at our own pace. That being said, on this subject, there is value in (slight or initial) discomfort. We are conditioned by many factors to have rigid definitions of gender expression. Hopefully, something in this article has sparked your curiosity beyond those definitions. Again, this is a flexible art form. You do not need a sold-out show or a professional make-up kit to give it a try. There are many videos on Youtube available to you as a resource. Sometimes an evening at home is what you need to experiment with the craft. All you really need is the will, and you’ll find a way.
Finally, while we should remember to respect drag as an art form and a professional field, try not to take yourself too seriously. To amateur drag performers, this is all just a bit of fun. So, make sure you have plenty of it. And if anyone gives you crap, feel free to direct them to this article.