Over meet drag kings6/24/2023 ![]() ![]() In Melbourne, well-known drag performer Lexi Leigh bills Lady Drag as "drag disco” that celebrates a diversifying drag community.Ĭombining drag queens and kings, Leigh has been a vocal advocate for evolving drag performance art. Sydney Heaps Gay organiser Kat Dopper feels there was a demand from younger queer women for a specific platform to try out drag. New events have started in Sydney and Melbourne. New kingsīut there’s recently been a resurgence in drag king culture. It may also simply be that those who attended drag king performances a decade ago are now of an age where going out mid-week to late night events has lost its appeal. Drag also sits uneasily with the emerging presence of trans and gender-diverse people, which may conflict with the performance of gender for comedy. For example, the word “queer” is increasingly replacing the word “lesbian, as it is seen as more inclusive to other forms of female desire. There are also important questions about language and identity. Gentrification, and the economic instability of commercial ventures for women, has seen a number of formerly iconic lesbian clubs and bars close worldwide or be co-opted into mainstream party scenes. It’s difficult to pinpoint a single explanation or common source behind the scene’s demise, though it is clear that a number of factors are at work. Many attribute the origins of a distinctive drag king scene in Australia to performer D-Vinyl’s earlier ground-breaking shows from 1999 and the drag king competition, DKSY, held between 19 where experimental drag artists, The Kingpins, performed.īut the drag king has faded from the thriving scenes he supported in Australia in the first decade of the 2000s. Globally, drag king culture took root almost simultaneously from the 1990s onwards in lesbian nights, bars and clubs in major cities. Drag kings haven’t yet made it into the mainstream, and remain somewhat of a subcultural phenomenon. Though, in practice these distinctions are more difficult to make.ĭrag queens have achieved a ubiquitous presence at pride festivals and as a form of entertainment in theatre, music and movie industries for both gay and straight audiences - consider the ongoing appeal of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. ![]() Likewise, king performers see themselves as distinct from other male impersonators, such as British music hall star, Vesta Tilley, lesbians who dress or act in “butch” manner, and other reasons women might try to pass as men. Just as drag queens are associated with gay culture, drag kings are associated with lesbians, but not all performers are gay or lesbian. Some drag kings provide for more politically-motivated critique in their performance, while others just want to get up on stage and have a good time. Some drag kings are known for their sexy, smooth dancing style, some for their realistic impressions of masculine walk, posture and gesture, and yet others for their comic renditions. But recently, there’s been a resurgence of more inclusive forms of drag culture in Australia, and new kings are taking the stage. The reasons behind this are many, including the fact that the debate around gender is evolving, and drag is seen by some as increasingly problematic. In recent years drag king performances globally have declined in popularity and were in danger of fading from our cultural view. This meant that drag king events were often associated with “safe spaces” and formed the basis of thriving social scenes. Events featuring drag king performances were an important part of queer culture: the performances often were seen as ways to explore gender and sexuality, and they commonly took place in gay- and lesbian-friendly venues. ![]() Likewise a “drag king” can be loosely described as an individual (usually a woman, but also people who identify as other genders) who consciously performs masculinity.ĭrag kings became a significant part of lesbian and queer women’s lives globally from the late 1980s. Fancy PieceĪ “drag queen” refers to a man, usually gay, dressed as a woman for the purposes of entertainment. ![]()
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