Drag Queens and Drag Kings

Leila J. Rupp

Leila J. Rupp

University of California, Santa Barbara, USA

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Verta Taylor

Verta Taylor

University of California, Santa Barbara, USA

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Abstract

Drag queens and drag kings are men, women, and transgender or nonbinary people who perform femininity, masculinity, or something in between. Different styles of drag across the USA and around the world call attention to the performativity of gender and play a part in community-building for gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, and transgender people. Drag queens have a long history, while drag kings are a more recent phenomenon. In black and Latino communities, what is known as “ballroom” features competitions in a variety of categories where individuals aim for “realness.” Much of the scholarship on drag has focused on the question of how such performances reify or challenge gender and sexual binaries.

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