Defending Drag
A fight to maintain queer spaces
By Cole O’Brien with art by Zoe Meyer
It seems to be a time of unprecedented success for drag queens. From Jinkx Monsoon’s Broadway debut as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton in “Chicago” to Trixie and Katya’s massive social media followings and mega-popular Youtube series “Unhhhh,” one thing is undeniable: “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alumni have undoubtedly shone a spotlight on the art of drag over the past 15 seasons. However, with drag’s admittance into mainstream media has come an aggressive rise in pushback against the art form.
Drag has a rich history, dating back as far as Shakespearean times when men would dress up to fill the roles of women, as women were not allowed to perform in plays at the time. It is in these performances that the use of the word ‘drag’ appears to originate. Drag as we know it today, however, fully began to take form in the early 20th century of the United States. At this time referred to as Vaudeville, female impersonators combined comedy, music, dance, and burlesque to create an offbeat type of live entertainment that quickly gained popularity in the gay community. The creation of underground speakeasies during the prohibition era of the 1920’s offered a place where the gay community could express themselves out of the watchful eye of the public. Drag continued to flourish beneath the dim lights underground, withstanding attacks from police forces who frequently raided these gay night clubs.
It was not until the 1980’s that drag truly entered the mainstream as gender-bent performances became much more common in the media. Nearly 40 years later and drag appears to have withstood the test of time; however, a recent surge in anti-drag sentiments has threatened the very existence of drag. A quick online search presents article after article boasting a very similar headline: ‘Drag show becomes target amid rising anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiments’. The most recent push by right-wing legislators has marked drag performers as “groomers” who intend to prey on minors who attend their shows. As of February 8th, 2023, at least nine state legislators are making pushes to restrict or criminalize drag shows. Facing opposition from both acts of physical violence, such as the shooting at Club Q (a well-known location for the LGBTQIA+ community and drag performances), as well as from those in positions of governmental power, it seems that drag and its performers need the support of the LGBTQIA+ community now more than ever.
The drag scene has historically offered a place of comfort for much of the queer community to escape the turmoils of their lives and exist in a space where they were able to openly express themselves. Therefore, the anti-drag legislations that have been proposed within the past year must be seen as not only an attack on drag, but also as an attack on the LGBTQIA+ community as a whole. Most of these proposed anti-drag bills attack freedom of expression, defining a drag performer as someone performing while using dress, makeup, and mannerisms associated with a gender other than the one assigned to them at birth. This proposed ban enforces a gender binary that many members of the LBTQIA+ community challenge the very existence of and ultimately threatens freedom of gender expression for all. These bans threaten trans and other gender non-conforming individuals and show an attempt by right-wing legislators to discredit the existence of these individuals. The passing of these bills would completely negate the decades of progress that drag queens have led in the acceptance and integration of LGBTQIA+ individuals into the mainstream.
Regardless of your direct relationship to the art of drag, it is undeniable that the drag community has been a champion of LGBTIA+ rights over the past decades. Drag performers encourage us to shatter the limits of the gender binary and often offer a safe space for many queer individuals to come into their own. Without the decades-long fight that the drag community has been a part of, it is unlikely that the queer community as a whole would have the privileges that they do today. An attack on drag is undeniably an attack on both the LGBTQIA+ community and freedom of expression. In their moment of need, it is crucial that we show up for these drag queens in the ways that they have shown up for the community over countless decades. Whether it be supporting local drag queens by attending drag shows (check out the Gay 90’s right here in Minneapolis) or calling legislators to voice dissent on the attack on drag one thing is certain: We cannot do nothing. It is time for the LGBTIA+ community to back the very drag community that championed change for us all these years.