The term drag artist or drag performer usually refers to people who wear clothing that is opposite their gender (dressing in drag) for the purpose of performing, whether singing or lip-synching, dancing, participating in events such as gay pride parades, drag pageants, or at venues such as cabarets and discotheques. There are many kinds of drag artists or drag performers and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in movies to people who just try it once.
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature of a woman often for the purpose of entertaining. The performance is typically exaggerated, campy, theatrical, and flamboyant. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and can vary even within the same city. Although many drag queens are gay men, there are drag artists of all genders and sexualities who do drag for various reasons. Women who dress like men for the same purpose are known as drag kings.
Generally, drag queens dress in a female gender role, often exaggerating certain characteristics (such as make-up and eyelashes) for comic, dramatic or satirical effect. Other drag performers include drag kings, who are women who perform in male roles, faux queens, who are women who dress in an exaggerated style to emulate drag queens and faux kings, who are men who dress to impersonate drag kings.
Famous drag performers and female impersonators include RuPaul, Boy George, Harvey Fierstein, and Divine.
LINKS:
Ranker: List of Famous Drag Queens
Video:
Kinky Boots Song "These Boots Are Made for Walking"
Doing Drag: Case Study of Gender Performance and Gay
Masculinities
Video: Elton John and RuPaul Sing "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"
Drag
Queen Names
Video: Queen of Drag Queens
Time Mag: How Drag Queens Took Over Bingo
Video: Drag Show Opening Number
DRAG TERMINOLOGY
Origin of the Word Drag
The etymology of the term "drag" is disputed. It was used in reference to transvestites at least as early as the 18th century, owing to the tendency of their skirts to drag on the ground. A folk etymology whose acronym basis reveals the late 20th-century bias, would make "drag" an abbreviation of "dressed resembling a girl" in description of male transvestism. It is sometimes thought that the notion of "drag" goes back to Shakespeare's time when only men performed live theatre, including the female roles.
Another term for a drag queen, female impersonator, is still used—though it is often regarded as inaccurate, because many contemporary drag performers are not attempting to pass as women.
American drag queen RuPaul once said "I do not impersonate females! How many women do you know who wear seven-inch heels, four-foot wigs, and skintight dresses?" He also said, "I don't dress like a woman; I dress like a drag queen!"
Celebrity drag couple "The Darling Bears" go so far as to sport full beards for their performances. Going in drag while retaining clearly masculine features is referred to as skag drag. Some performers draw the distinction that a female impersonator seeks to emulate a specific female celebrity, while a drag queen only seeks to create a distinctive feminine persona of his or her own.
There are also performers who prefer to be called "gender illusionists" who do blur the line between transgender and drag queen. Generally transgender performers do not consider themselves to be drag queens and drag queens don't consider themselves to be illusionists, but, as with everything, there are exceptions. Often these distinctions are more generational as laws and acceptance of individuality change and grow.
TRANSVESTISM
Cross Dressing and Drag
