What is a drag queen ?

A drag queen is usually a man who dresses as a woman to perform. Drag queens perform in exaggerated female clothing, assume female characters and portrayal. Although most drag queens are gay men and gay men, some are transgender and cisgender women.

What is a drag queen ?

What is a Drag King ?

While drag queens dress in exaggerated female clothing, drag kings dress in exaggerated male clothing to presume male characters and presentation. Most drag kings are women.

What does the term slip mean ?

Drag is a genre-evolving art form where a person dresses up in the more exaggerated clothing and makeup of the opposite sex. Although drag is primarily used for show and entertainment purposes, it is also used for gender expression and to celebrate LGBTQ+ pride.

History of Drag Queen and Kings

Drag is nothing new, especially in Western culture. Since women were not allowed to perform in theaters in ancient times, men had to take over and take on the female roles. Drag was common in ancient Greece and also in Shakespearean times. In the 19th century, drag queens began to use platforming as representative art, especially in vaudeville shows. Later, in the early 1880s, William Dorsey Swann, the first drag queen, hosted drag balls at his home.

At the start of the 20th century, drag was part of the LGBTQ+ community – a discriminated community in the United States – and was longer part of recognized entertainment in the United States. This led to drag performances becoming a nightlife thing, especially in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City.

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After the famous 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City until the early 1990s, gay pride and gay culture gained recognition, as did drag culture. Films such as Paris Is Burning and The Birdcage have helped make drag recognizable in American culture.

Misconception about Drag Queen

The biggest misconception about drag is that only men can perform it. This is far from the truth. Anyone who feels marginalized or misunderstood by their family and society can become a drag queen or king. Drag is for innovative people who want to be seen and known by people near and far.

Since we live in a world of technology, anything is possible. Most drag performers take to social media to show off their talent and abilities. From costume making to makeup talent to performing skills, the abilities of drag performers are endless, men and women are not limited when it comes to performing. The only thing that separates them from stardom is talent and memorization.

Does a drag queen want to be a woman ?

Some drag queens dress as women to express their gender identity, but some do so to show off their talent. In fact, some drag queens don’t want to be seen as women; they don’t even tend to trick anyone into thinking they are women. Drag queens can perform their number, show their talent and be themselves again. As RuPaul once said, “I don’t pretend to be women! How many women do you know who wear seven-inch heels, four-foot wigs, and tight dresses? – I don’t dress like a woman; I dress like a drag queen”. However, as noted above, some drag queens would like to be considered female. For example, Courtney Act, an Australian superstar drag queen.

Is Drag Queen or King the same as being transgender ?

Although drag queens and kings are part of the LGBTQ+ community, they are not necessarily transgender . Trans women are not transvestites or drag queens. As said before, drag queens are mostly gay men, dressing like women while performing.

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On the other hand, drag kings are women who dress like men for the purpose of acting. Be sure to differentiate between trans people, transvestites, and drag queens and kings before using a certain term on an individual. Remember that being trans doesn’t necessarily mean dressing in different genders.

Trans is a more permanent identity that can stick with someone’s entire life. Although some trans people like to dress in exaggerated outfits for entertainment purposes, some prefer to dress “normal,” which means you can’t tell if someone is trans based on their outfits.

Also, being a drag queen or a king or being a transvestite doesn’t mean you don’t identify with the sex assigned at birth. Some transvestites, drag queens and kings are straight or cisgender, meaning they identify with their sex at birth. Some are just performers and can dress up in any outfit to entertain their audience. The meaning of cross-dressing is different for different people.

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Examples of Drag Queens

RuPaul Charles

RuPaul is not only known as the queen of drag, but also as the most successful in Hollywood. He had an interesting rise in his career and achieved a lot.

Trixie Mattel

Mattel is an American songwriter, singer, comedian, television personality, entrepreneur, and drag queen. Mattel is popular among top drag queens, especially after winning season 3 of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Bianca Del Rio

Del Rio is one of the most famous drag queens who have accomplished a lot in their career. In addition to being an American drag queen, Del Rio is an actor, costume designer, and comedian. She participated in the sixth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race and won.