Closely tied to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) social movement around the world, notably in the United States, drag shows with drag queens and drag kings represent a way in which fashion transcends boundaries and challenges prejudices.
Drag queens and drag kings are men, women, and transgender people who perform feminity, masculinity, or gender fluidity using heavy makeup, falsies (padding used in a bra to make the breasts look larger), or tucking (a gender-bending technique that makes men’s genital look less visible). Drag queens and kings often dress to reflect and exaggerate the typical appearance of people whose biological sex is opposite of theirs (men dress as women and women dress as men).
The tie between drag queens and LGBTQ+ social movements in the United States first started in 1969, when a group of drag queens resisted arrest by the police based on the illegal nature of gay bars at the time. The resistance pioneers a chain of events that is now known as the Stonewall riots, which historically transformed the fight for LGBTQ+ right in the country.
According to Dr. Colin Edward Carman, an important aspect of dragging is the belief in gender fluidity. “Dragging involves performance whereby the intent is an undoing of gender norms through doing (or dressing) the part of the opposite sex”, Carman wrote.
The image of drag queen has been presented in American popular culture through significant musicals such as “Rent” and “Hairspray”, and hit films like “The Birdcage”.
RuPaul Charles, an American drag queen with an extensive entertainment career in singing, acting, and modeling, said in an interview with Vogue that “this is probably the golden age of drag right now”. He said that people have been more open to love in all forms, as with the legalization of same-sex marriages in the United States and many other countries, although he is still apprehensive that “these freedoms that we’ve achieved could go away in an instant”.
