I broke mine down into three solid subjects to discuss with them when we meet up again on Monday.
The first, Drag Queens.
Fabulous, Strong, and Carefully Curated: Drag Queens
The ways in which one might describe a Drag Queen as an Alter Ego, Avatar, or Accomplice, are numerous.
Needless to say the stereotypical definition of a drag queen is: A man who dresses up and performs as a woman. (This is very vague; there are many interpretations of what drag was, and is, that I won’t spend time going into here. For my purposes, this will do.)
The massively popular RuPaul’s Drag Race is a good reference point here, one I’m quite familiar with for my part, and guilty of binge watching often. Think Project Runway, only Heidi Klum is now RuPaul. And instead of purely fashion, the contestants are required to show proficiency in: Advanced Make-up Art, Clothing Construction, Comedy chops, Stage Presence, Quick-witted comebacks, Memorization, Impersonation, Personality, and more. And of course, the perfunctory Lip Sync.
Seriously, this is a level of multi-talent rarely seen.
I cannot stress enough the skill level the Queens must possess in numerous arenas.
I have nothing but massive admiration for the practice. It entails more than most realize.
As the show begins, each Queen enters the room and proclaims their attendance in their own unique way. They introduce themselves only as their Drag Queen personas; their “real” names are not revealed. Throughout the entirety of the show, they are only referred to as their Drag Personas.
These personas are often quite strong. With memorable names like “Laganja Estranja”, “Alaska Thunderfuck”, “Mimi Imfurst”, and “Jiggly Caliente,” to name a few.
They each have a very defined look. Exaggerated. BIG. Huge lashes. Overdrawn lips. Padded hips. Massive Wigs.
Along with their defined look, their personas are equally exaggerated. They are able to give what we might call an elevator pitch and quickly define exactly who these people are.
In that way, these are much more than costumes. They are like entirely different, additional people to their creators. The men behind the mask are often unrecognizable once out of drag. These characters they have created have a life all their own.
Some choose to look as feminine as possible. Others go for a more obvious joke (See: Bob the Drag Queen.)
Regardless of the direction, one fact remains: these Alter Egos serve a huge purpose in their lives.
As the show progresses, you get the behind-the-scenes stories of each contestant. Unsurprisingly, even in today’s “progressive” world, they have all faced massive challenges. This is because they are seen by so much of society as outsiders, not fitting cleanly enough within heteronormative culture.
Although I can never pretend to know exactly what their experiences are, I can very much see that the ability to transform into these powerful characters is a great theraputic relief to many of them.