My 40th birthday was certainly memorable (as landmark birthdays should be) – I spent it in a bar surrounded by drag queens. I’ve long since adored drag queens, and find them great fun (some people seem almost threatened by them, but I say, hey, what’s the problem!). Here are some of the reasons why I love drag queens.
I think one of the reasons why some people don’t like drag queens is that they feel that it’s an insult to women. I don’t agree at all. In fact, I think it’s a compliment to us. Sure, it’s a rather exaggerated version of femininity, but in a way no more excessive than they way some women dress! The showmanship of drag queens suggests that they want to have fun, not parody or insult ‘real women’.
While some drag queens choose their own style, others dress as a tribute to a singer or actress. Considering that acting is about pretending to be someone else, and singing is often very flamboyant, it seems logical that some drag queens base their act on a famous woman. I wonder how many Lady GaGa tributes there are?
I’m no great expert on transvesticism, but it seems to me that it is a far more complicated issue than dressing up for a performance. Drag queens simply want to have fun. And boy, do they ever! They’re also great fun for anyone open-minded enough to enjoy their outrageousness.
The entire ‘raison d’etre’ of drag queens is to be outrageous, extrovert and colourful. By their very nature, they are never understated! Wild wigs, colourful clothes and vibrant makeup makes them a delight to look at. It takes a lot of nerve to dress like that – maybe we could all do with a touch of their spirit?
Drag queens are also rather competitive – after all, what’s the point of dressing up if you don’t try to outdo everyone else? Their imagination is endless, something we could imitate. Of course, we can’t dress up all the time – itwould become strangely tame – and I love my basic black clothes. But isn’t it fun to be outrageous once in a while?
In a society where a lot of people are terribly conformist, wear the same clothes from the same shops, and fear standing out in any way, I just love the flamboyance of drag queens. They don’t care if they attract attention, in fact that’s exactly what they want to do. We need people who aren’t afraid to stand out from the crowd, who have the guts to be what they want to be.
Because I love them so much, I rather suspect that I am a drag queen trapped in a woman’s body. Maybe Lady GaGa is as well, and that explains her neverending array of extraordinary outfits! I kind of think that for me, drag queens express an opportunity I don’t have (except maybe at Halloween) to dress up in a totally outrageous outfit.
What do you think of drag queens – would you have to be dragged (hoho) to a show, or do you also love them?
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