Drag queen | performance art (2024)

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Mar. 24, 2023, 10:10 PM ET (AP)

Darcelle, world's oldest working drag queen, dies at 92

Walter Cole, known as the iconic drag queen who performed for decades as Darcelle XV, has died at 92

drag queen, a man who dresses in women’s clothes and performs before an audience. Drag shows (typically staged in nightclubs and Gay Pride festivals) are largely a subcultural phenomenon. Though drag has never enjoyed mainstream appeal, drag queen is a common enough term in popular culture, partly because of recording artist RuPaul, who hit the charts with her hit song “Supermodel (You Better Work)” in 1992. Such hit films as The Birdcage (1996) and the popularity of movie-musicals such as Rent and Hairspray have also made the image of the drag queen a familiar cultural icon.

By definition, a drag queen is distinct from a cross-dresser (sometimes called a transvestite) because the motivation of dragging is typically not sexual. Although the two are often conflated in popular cultural representation, cross-dressing commonly involves a high degree of secrecy and is associated with sexual or gender-related fetishes. Both drag queens and cross-dressers have experienced a history of persecution, as has the drag queen’s antonym (the drag king), which refers to a woman in man’s clothing, or a male impersonator. Unlike the secrecy of cross-dressing, in which the attempt is often to pass as a woman, dragging involves performance whereby the intent is an undoing of gender norms through doing (or dressing) the part of the opposite sex.

There is a rich literary tradition of men taking stage in women’s clothing. In this sense, drag is as old as Shakespeare’s romantic comedy As You Like It, in which Rosalind disguises herself as Ganymede to woo Orlando, and by doing so she gets to know him “man” to man. One can draw a direct line from Shakespeare’s gender-swapping to the 1959 hit comedy Some Like It Hot, in which Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis disguise themselves as “Daphne” and “Josephine” and join a traveling all-girl jazz band to escape the mob. The film also features, as the band’s singer, Marilyn Monroe, an icon of femininity whom many drag queens emulate alongside Cher, Madonna, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Bette Midler, and other show-biz stars. That Lemmon and Curtis did drag on-screen hardly makes them drag queens, though the effect is the same: gender norms are radically undone when drag takes place. As with the movie Tootsie (1982), one Hollywood theme that allowed for the popularization of drag queens is the idea that men only dress like ladies to get the girl. In contrast, a film like Alfred Hitchco*ck’s Dial M for Murder (1954) reminds us that drag remains, in many circles, no laughing matter. The chief inspector in that film sends his underling out of Grace Kelly’s apartment with a piece of evidence (her handbag), only after warning that the underling will be arrested if he walks out in the open looking like that.

There are typically three basic components of doing drag. First, a drag queen assumes a stage name. A 1996 guide, The Drag Queens of New York: An Illustrated Field Guide, likens the cult-followings of Manhattan drag queens to bird-watching and lists such mainstays as Hedda Lettuce, Miss Understood, Mighty Afrodite, Mona Foot (a.k.a. Glamazon), and Perfidia ("The Sultan of Switch"). This reinvention of one’s identity through naming (or renaming) relates to the second part of doing drag: taking stage. The drag queen again owes something to As You Like It in terms of Jaques’s famous declaration, "All the world’s a stage." Not known for understatement, most drag queens strive for overkill through the use of heavy makeup, "falsies," and a gender-bending technique known as "tucking." The authenticity of femininity is always undermined by a drag queen’s roughness, which often includes a vulgar stage presence and desire to shock. The third aspect of drag is premised on the belief in gender fluidity. Dragging is intended to make this fluidity visible through performance.

Historically, gay men in the United States expressed prejudice against drag queens for appearing "too gay" or for giving gays a “bad name.” Yet, it is widely accepted that gay and lesbian social movements in the United States can be traced to the night of June 28, 1969, when the Stonewall riots in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan began as a group of drag queens actively resisted arrest. Arrests of drag queens were common pre-Stonewall. Tired of routine harassment and police surveillance, the drag queens at Stonewall in 1969 are credited with being on the front lines fighting for gay and lesbian liberation.

Colin Edward Carman

Drag queen | performance art (2024)

FAQs

Drag queen | performance art? ›

Drag is an art form with a rich history of challenging dominant norms and systems of oppression; building queer community; and cultivating experiences of queer joy in a hostile world; but drag has also been deployed in service of violent ideologies and can sometimes participate in harmful normative logics.

Is drag a queer art? ›

Drag is an art form with a rich history of challenging dominant norms and systems of oppression; building queer community; and cultivating experiences of queer joy in a hostile world; but drag has also been deployed in service of violent ideologies and can sometimes participate in harmful normative logics.

What kind of art is drag? ›

Drag has long been an art form that blends performance art, theater, music, fashion, costume, and, of course, makeup and wigs with one's own body as the canvas. Still, queens have become an incarnation of Warholian pop art, even achieving mass media recognition.

What is the meaning of drag art? ›

Drag is a gender-bending art form in which a person dresses in clothing and makeup meant to exaggerate a specific gender identity, usually of the opposite sex. While drag's main purpose has been for drag performance and entertainment, it is also used as self-expression and a celebration of LGBTQ+ pride.

How much do drag artists make? ›

New drag queens can earn around $50 per event they go and receive additional money through tips. Once you are able to establish your name in the industry, you can earn up to $800 or more per night, especially if you are performing in top theaters and clubs.

Can a woman be a drag queen? ›

A female queen, diva queen, or hyper queen is a drag queen who identifies as a woman. These performers are generally indistinguishable from the more common male drag queens in artistic style and techniques.

What is the difference between a drag queen and a transvestite? ›

This describes a person who wears the clothes usually associated with the "opposite "sex. This is seen as a form of gender expression. The word "transvestite" is not used much these days. And the expression "drag queen" is different, meaning a man who dresses "as a woman" for purposes of entertainment.

Why is drag called drag? ›

The word 'drag' is believed to have theatrical origins too. The dresses men wore to play female characters would drag along the floor. Actors playing female parts because there were no actresses around isn't exactly in the spirit of what we call drag today - but it was a start.

Why are drag artists called drag? ›

The term originated as British theater slang in the 19th century and was used to describe women's clothing worn by men. Today, many prominent drag artists are still people who identify as men and present themselves in exaggeratedly feminine ways as part of their performance, and are known as drag queens.

How do you explain drag to a child? ›

A drag thing is a person whose drag is not focused on performing any gender, but instead encompasses the fluidity of gender. But overall, Drag is an opportunity to play with gender, and is often a social commentary on gender and gender norms.

When did the art of drag start? ›

Gender impersonation and the history of drag is said to have entwined with the gay culture around the 1930s. Drag queens became a vital part of the LGBTQ+ community, as an art form and political statement. It was pioneered by gay men and transgender women – forming its own subculture.

What does drag a girl mean? ›

The term "drag" refers to the performance of exaggerated femininity, masculinity, or other forms of gender expression, usually for entertainment purposes. Drag usually involves cross-dressing.

What is the tradition of drag? ›

Drag is the art of dressing and acting exaggeratedly as another gender, usually for entertainment such as comedy, singing, dancing, lip-syncing or all of the above. Drag may trace its roots to the age of William Shakespeare, when female roles were performed by men.

Who is the most paid drag queen? ›

RuPaul has been able to amass an estimated $60 million according to celebrity net worth websites, the fashion icon, tv personality, and the most famous drag queen in the world has a big fortune.

Who is the most successful drag queen? ›

Bianca Del Rio

Fans often consider her the best winner in the show's history due to her snarky humour, determination, and talents, which helped her win three maxi challenges on Drag Race. After the show, Bianca began touring in shows and as a solo act, often performing with the famed Lady Bunny.

What is a male drag queen called? ›

Drag queens' counterparts are drag kings: performers, usually women, who dress in exaggeratedly masculine clothing. Examples of drag kings include Landon Cider. Trans men who dress like drag kings are sometimes termed trans kings.

Can you be straight and still be a drag queen? ›

While I am straight, I don't consider myself a straight drag queen. I'm just a drag queen who happens to be straight,” she said. “My sexuality doesn't define the drag that I do, it doesn't impact that. It's just a facet of who I am outside of drag.”

What gender is a drag king? ›

Drag kings are mostly female performance artists who dress in masculine drag and personify male gender stereotypes as part of an individual or group routine. A typical drag show may incorporate dancing, acting, stand-up comedy and singing, either live or lip-synching to pre-recorded tracks.

What is tucking drag queens? ›

Basically you push your balls up and out of the way so that they're not dangling around being all in your face. Most of the guides talk about pushing them up into cavities in your body. It sounds weird, a bit medical and quite confusing.

What is the point of drag queens? ›

Many use it to explore sexual orientation and gender identity. Others do it because they enjoy the fame and glory of winning. Drag is a powerful symbol in the LGBTQ+ community.

Why do drag queens look like that? ›

Drag, as a performance art, uses makeup in much same way as it is used in live theater. It's meant to convey an idea of feminine expression more than to simply create or emphasize natural features. To do this, a drag artist will often overdo her makeup in an almost caricature fashion.

What is it called when a woman dresses like a man? ›

A girl who dresses or acts in a stereotypically boyish way is often called a tomboy. Some famous literary tomboys include Scout from "To Kill a Mockingbird" and Jo from "Little Women."

What do drag queens wear? ›

Choose tops with wider shoulders, longer sleeves, and lowered waistlines for longer torsos. Wear high heels. Nothing makes your legs sexier than a pair of high heels, but they're hard to find in big sizes at generic stores. Cross dressing websites come in really handy here (and can for clothes as well).

What is drag in slang? ›

A tedious experience, a bore, as in After several thousand times, signing your autograph can be a drag. This seemingly modern term was army slang during the Civil War. The allusion probably is to drag as something that impedes progress. [ Colloquial; mid-1800s]

What does it mean to dress in drag? ›

Wearing clothes normally worn by the opposite sex, as in All of the actors in the revue were in drag. This expression originally alluded to male actors wearing women's apparel on stage, especially for comic purposes, but also refers to cross-dressing by hom*osexuals. [

What happens at a drag show? ›

A drag show is a form of entertainment performed by drag artists impersonating men or women, typically in a bar or nightclub. Shows can range from burlesque-style, adult themed nightclub acts to all-ages events with sing-alongs and story times.

What is a drag smoking? ›

Why do we say take a "Drag of a cigarette" instead of a puff? Drag, as a verb, is the act of pulling forcefully. When you take a drag off of a cigarette, you're pulling the smoke deep into your lungs. A puff is a quick draw, which may or may not enter the lungs and/or is exhaled with a burst into a smoke cloud.

What is a mom in drag? ›

drag mother / dragmother. an established drag queen who mentors a new queen, her "daughter" how to get started; many queens use the same last name as their drag mother, creating "family" lineages, sometimes called "houses"

What books do drag queens read? ›

HERE'S A PEEK AT WHAT WE'RE READING.
  • ​ ​ Red: A Crayon's Story.
  • Michael Hall. ​ Seamus's Short Story.
  • Heather Hartt-Sussman. ​ The Princess and the Pony.
  • Kate Beaton. ​ The Return of Thelma the Unicorn.
  • Aaron Blabey. ​ Thelma the Unicorn.
  • Aaron Blabey. ​ Not Quite Narwhal.
  • Jessie Sima. ​ We Don't Eat Our Classmates.
  • Ryan Higgins. ​

What is drag examples in real life? ›

Examples of drag include the component of the net aerodynamic or hydrodynamic force acting opposite to the direction of movement of a solid object such as cars (automobile drag coefficient), aircraft and boat hulls; or acting in the same geographical direction of motion as the solid, as for sails attached to a down ...

Who was the first known Queen of Drag? ›

Born into slavery, Swann was the first known person to identify as a “Queen of Drag” and the first known American activist to lead a queer resistance group.

Who was the first girl on drag race? ›

She chose the stage name Victoria Scone because she wanted "something very British." "I wanted something edible, being a curvaceous woman as I am.

Who is the oldest drag? ›

(CNN) -- Darcelle XV, the Guinness World Record holder for oldest drag queen performer, died Thursday at 92, her Portland, Oregon, cabaret announced on social media.

What does boots mean in drag? ›

You'll say girl this outfit is fierce boots. So in real life you would say this outfit is very fierce, but in drag you would say this outfit is fierce boots. Well, sometimes so someone will say like, girl that show was amazing, you could just say boots.

What is a drag class 8? ›

Drag is the force that opposes the motion of such a fluid-filled body. Drag force constantly works throughout the opposing directions of flowing fluid. Drag forces are produced when there is any movement in the air, fluid, or indeed any medium.

What does slay the house down boots mean? ›

"the house down" is basically when a performance/speech/outfit bring the house down, the audience claps and cheers boots! because that performance/speech is very impressing. so combining those two means that you emphasise what a great job someone did lol. 17.

Do they drink alcohol on drag race? ›

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15 queens Robin Fierce, Aura Mayari, and Marcia Marcia Marcia can attest to production bringing back alcohol during Untucked. The spinoff series previously swapped out booze for Bubly carbonated drinks, but it wouldn't last for too long.

Is drag considered cosplay? ›

Cosplay is becoming a character, while drag is the expression through gender.

Who is the youngest drag queen to win? ›

RuPaul's Drag Race UK season 3 champ Krystal Versace dropped jaws with her stunning fashions and (sometimes controversial) attitude, but her real legacy lies in the fact that she made herstory as the first queen under the age of 12 to win a Drag Race title.

Who is the most famous guest on Drag Race? ›

Christina Aguilera, Season 10

It was only fitting that Aguilera, whose nickname is Xtina, made her memorable runway debut on season X of the drag reality show.

Who is the youngest drag queen to win Drag Race? ›

Crowned at the age of 19, Krystal is the youngest ever Drag Race winner.

What is the drag capital of the world? ›

Doris was by no means the first person to call Sydney, as he described it to me, the drag capital of the world. Yet for a long time the city's rich tradition of cross-dressing flourished in the midst of a deep-rooted hom*ophobia.

Who is the famous black drag queen? ›

RuPaul. Of course, we all know RuPaul as the queen of all queens! Not only is she the host and producer of RuPaul's Drag Race, but she hands down brought drag back to queer culture and made it popular again.

Has a big girl ever won Drag Race? ›

In 14 seasons, a plus-size contestant has never been crowned America's Next Drag Superstar. In Season 15, one queen has emerged as the potential frontrunner to make history.

Which Drag Race girl has the most followers? ›

As of June 2022, Trixie Mattel was the most followed Ru Paul's Drag Race contestant on Instagram, with a total of 2.9 million followers. Trixie Mattel was a contestant on Ru Paul's Drag Race season 7 and was the winner of All Stars season three in 2018.

How much do drag queens make on All Stars? ›

For both regular seasons and All Stars, the grand prize of RuPaul's Drag Race had been $100,000 since season four. However, that grand prize was increased to $150,000 in season 14 and then to $200,000 in season 15.

What ethnicity is Trixie Mattel? ›

Brian Michael Firkus was born on August 23, 1989, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and raised in Silver Cliff, Wisconsin. He is Ojibwe and comes from a Native American family in Crivitz, Wisconsin. He had an abusive stepfather who would call him a "Trixie" when he acted feminine, which later inspired his drag name.

What are the different types of queer art? ›

Summary of Queer Art

Adhering to no particular style, for over more than a century, Queer Art has used photography, portraiture, abstract painting, sculpture, and collage to explore the varieties and depths of queer identity.

Who is the straight guy on drag? ›

Maddy Morphosis' partner Jennifer Standridge is also a drag performer, known as Miss Liza. Maddy Morphosis identifies as heterosexual and cisgender, and uses the pronouns she/her when in drag. Maddy Morphosis has said, "I identify as a cisgender straight man, but I'm gender non-conforming in my presentation."

What is RuPaul in drag pronouns? ›

RuPaul has expressed indifference to pronouns, writing in his autobiography: “You can call me he. You can call me she. You can call me Regis and Kathie Lee; I don't care! Just as long as you call me.”

What are the 8 colors LGBT? ›

Each of the original eight colors had their own unique symbolism. Hot pink: sex; Red: life; Orange: healing; Yellow: sunlight; Green: nature; Turquoise: magic and art; Indigo: serenity; and Violet: spirit.

Why is queer art significant? ›

It brings to light the existence of the other, and by doing so, circumvents systems of erasure that seek to exclude queer-being-in-the-world and by extension, queer histories. Queer art performs an incursion into mainstream art and cultural spaces.

What are the 8 queer identities? ›

The acronym stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, and other orientations that do not fit within these categories.

Can a man be a drag king? ›

All is a drag king; that is, usually a cisgender woman, transgender man or non-binary person performing in male or masculine drag on stage. This can include singing, lip-syncing and dancing.

Who is the famous drag race girl? ›

RuPaul's Drag Race
  • Season 1 winner. BeBe Zahara Benet.
  • Season 3 winner. Raja.
  • Season 5 winner. Jinkx Monsoon.
  • Season 6 winner. Bianca Del Rio.
  • Season 7 winner. Violet Chachki.
  • Season 8 winner. Bob the Drag Queen.
  • Season 9 winner. Sasha Velour.
  • Season 10 winner. Aquaria.

Are there any straight drag queens? ›

Well, it looks like the drag illusion just got a little bit of a tweak, with the addition of a cisgender straight male queen to Season 14. Maddy Morphosis is the first straight queen to compete on show, and she's already high-kicked fans into a frenzy.

Do you call a drag queen he or she? ›

Some drag queens may prefer to be referred to as "she" while in drag and desire to stay completely in character. Other drag performers are indifferent to which pronoun is used to refer to them. RuPaul has said, "You can call me he. You can call me she.

Who is RuPaul's drag daughter? ›

Aquaria (drag queen) - Wikipedia.

Why is she called Trixie Mattel? ›

He is Ojibwe and comes from a Native American family in Crivitz, Wisconsin. He had an abusive stepfather who would call him a "Trixie" when he acted feminine, which later inspired his drag name. Her last name was inspired by her affinity for Mattel Barbie dolls and children's toys.

Why do they call it drag? ›

The term originated as British theater slang in the 19th century and was used to describe women's clothing worn by men. Today, many prominent drag artists are still people who identify as men and present themselves in exaggeratedly feminine ways as part of their performance, and are known as drag queens.

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