About Drag
Drag performances have never been as mainstream as they are now, with the success of RuPaul’s Drag Race. They have also never been as vilified. Anti-drag legislation has passed in the state of Tennessee, based on misinformed and frequently unhinged arguments about drag performances as pornographic and dangerous to children.
There are many kinds of drag performances (and more broadly, many kinds of gender nonconformity that circulate in popular media–from Some Like It Hot to Mrs. Doubtfire). Drag story hours, for example, are joyful storytelling sessions that are not pornographic or dangerous to children; those who claim otherwise are not only misinformed but circulating false and noxious bigotry.
Drag performances are an art form with a long history in the LGBTQ+ community, first performed by trans women, gay men, lesbians, and other members of the queer community in small bars and at extravagant balls across the country since at least the early 20th century. They created early versions of queer community and embraced the full diversity of the LGBTQ+ community. Knowing about this history is essential to understanding why drag performances continue to be part of Pride celebrations. Start with Esther Newton’s Mother Camp and watch the documentary Paris is Burning to get a sense of the history of drag performances and their beauty.
Some drag performances are purposefully transgressive, pushing the envelope in order to critique the arbitrary norms of mainstream society. These kinds of drag performances are generally performed in bars, for those over 21 years of age. Drag kings and queens seek to expose the ridiculousness of restrictive gender roles and sexual repression through their performances. Open sexuality is one part of this transgressive act. So is humor: banter with the audience, risqué jokes, and purposefully “tasteless” performances. Drag performances are meant to make the audience uncomfortable, even as they create new forms of community and resistance and new ways of seeing and experiencing the world. It is a carnivalesque space, in which ordinary notions are turned upside down. It makes us cringe and laugh. When attending drag performances, buckle up for a wild ride. Drag performances are a distinctive opportunity for queer joy.
Our annual Pride drag show, a fundraiser, is part of this transgressive, political tradition of drag performances. We want to make sure all audience members know what they are getting into before they arrive. For the uninitiated, such performances may come across as shocking, over-the-top, dripping with innuendo, and sometimes downright crass. That is by design. If this sounds like too much, you may want to skip this event. But consider letting drag take you out of your comfort zone for an evening. We don't always have to push the envelope, but sometimes it's a little fun.
More reading on the history and power of drag: