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Drag resources

Drag is a performance art about expression. Drag takes many forms and has existed throughout history in cultures all over the world.

American drag queen RuPaul famously said, “We’re all born naked, and the rest is drag.” In other words, all forms of human expression and behavior are performative, including gender. Drag as an art form highlights and plays with that idea.

History

Many folk rituals involve elements of drag and crossdressing. The Bible mentioned cultures which had different customs than the Hebrews, some of which included cross-dressing. For this reason, Hebrews had rules prohibiting these customs.

Some of the earliest examples recorded in writing include jokes in ancient Greek and Latin plays.

English recorded history includes centuries of documented rituals that incorporate drag, including mummers’ plays, the first day of farming called Plough Monday, and the harvest season Horn Dance. The plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries were originally performed with men and boys playing all roles, including women’s roles, a long tradition in many parts of Europe.

Western opera includes traditions of drag, including “trouser roles” where women would perform as boys or young men.

Many militaries around the world developed rituals that involved drag. One of the most notable that developed in seafaring involved a ritual held the first time a sailor crossed the equator that sometimes included hazing and sailors dressing in drag.

In the 19th century, many elite all-male colleges developed drag traditions as part of comedy performances, including Hasty Pudding at Harvard, Triangle Club at Princeton, and Mask and Wig Club at Penn.

At the same time, clubs that featured drag performances were becoming popular forms of entertainment in western cities. This was what developed into the modern art form. Many of these clubs would feature drag queens and drag kings. Some billed themselves as “female impersonators,” a term which has fallen out of use.

Because transgender people have faced extreme discrimination, performing drag has traditionally been one of the few lucrative jobs available to some of us.

The idea that drag is completely separate from transgender is historically inaccurate. Some conservative trans people do not approve of drag, because they do not want to be associated with its aesthetics and comedy.

RuPaul’s Drag Race

Many people know one or more of the US contestants who have made a gender transition. Drag Race competitors who are transgender include:

  • Kylie Sonique Love (season 2)
  • Carmen Carrera (season 3)
  • Stacy Layne Matthews (season 3)
  • Lashauwn Beyond (season 4)
  • Jiggly Caliente (season 4)
  • Kenya Michaels (season 4)
  • Monica Beverly Hillz (season 5)
  • Adore Delano (season 6)
  • Laganja Estranja (season 6)
  • Gia Gunn (season 6)
  • Peppermint (season 9)
  • Aja (season 9)
  • Eureka O’Hara (season 9)
  • Gigi Goode (season 12)
  • Gottmik (season 13)
  • Kerri Colby (season 14)
  • Willow Pill (season 14)
  • Kornbread (season 14)
  • Jasmine Kennedie (season 14)
  • Bosco (season 14)
  • Sasha Colby (season 15)

Drag Story Time

Drag Story Time, also known as Drag Queen Story Hour and Drag Queen Storytime, is a program offered at some US public libraries where stories are read to children by someone dressed in drag. This is part of a long history in children’s entertainment of people in costumes reading books. The practice with drag performers was formalized in 2015 in San Francisco by arts organizer Michelle Tea.

As the programs became more popular around the world, some events drew protestors, and some had to be cancelled due to threats.

References

Roberts, Megan (June 1, 2017). Inclusive Storytimes: Create a space that welcomes all families. American Library Association. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2017/06/01/inclusive-storytimes/

American Library Association Rainbow Round Table (2022). Open to All: Serving the LGBTQIA+ Community in Your Library  https://www.ala.org/rt/sites/ala.org.rt/files/content/RRT/rrt-open-to-all-toolkit-2022.pdf

Jones, Zinnia (April 26, 2014). The worst assimilation of all: How modern-day drag hurts trans women and achieves little or nothing of value. The Orbit https://the-orbit.net/zinniajones/2014/04/the-worst-assimilation-of-all-how-modern-day-drag-hurts-trans-women-and-achieves-little-or-nothing-of-value/

Riedel, Samantha (March 10, 2018). A Brief History of How Drag Queens Turned Against the Trans Community. them https://www.them.us/story/how-drag-queens-turned-against-the-trans-community

Kachinski, Todd (2014). The Largest Drag Queen Guide in History. ISBN 2940150611375

Resources

United States Library of Congress (loc.gov)

National Center for Transgender Equality (transequality.org)