A-Z of drag
A
Androgynous Being an androgyne is different than being a cross-dresser or a transvestite, but many androgynes may combine clothes of both sexes to express their androgyny, while a few androgynes may also be crossdressers, transvestites, drag kings or drag queens.
The notion that gender is not necessarily dichotomous and maybe not even a continuum between certain endpoints has not yet had any noticeable
community as a whole. The determining mechanisms of gender perception and identity
are unknown and seemingly not of much interest... though one could speculate that if intersexed genitalia exist (e.g. in relation to gene dose of SRY) then the existence of an “intersexed brain� might be an equally reasonable assumption.
Boobs Tits, titties, tig ol’ bitties, boobs, jugs, melons, cans, hooters, dirty pillows, gazongas, yabbos, tig bitties, knockers, mammaries, fun bags, honkers, headlights, baps, meat puppets, ta-tas, naturals, boobies, guns, bahama mammas, balloons, bawagos, big brown eyes, blinkers, bobambas, sweater puffs, sweet rolls, tahitis, tamales, tartugas, tatas, tattlers, teats, tetons, thangs, thingumajigs, peepers Call them whatever you like, but as the ultimate symbol of feminity these are often a female illusionist’s best friend. Different ways of improving your bust: A push up bra Make up A breast plate ‘Chicken Cutlets’ Silicone implacts Silicone injections, ala Detox Of course, if you are chunkier queen you can always use what you were already given and put those man-boobs into a corset or bra.
Contour “After your eyebrows have been concealed, and your base foundation set, it’s time to contour. To achieve a great drag makeup look, this is a must. You must blend the foundation or risk having your makeup looking like lines on your face. To highlight your cheeks and blend in the two foundation colors together take a small brush with a deep brown color and apply in a light diagonal direction towards your nose, just under the cheek with the lighter colored foundation. Keep working the brown color down your cheek fading it towards the jaw line. Apply this to your upper temples and on each side of your nose (the landing strip) as well, blending upwards towards the hair line.”
Divine Born in Maryland to a conservative, middleclass family, he embraced the counterculture of the 1960s and became involved with John Waters’s acting troupe, the Dreamlanders, (1969), Multiple Maniacs (1970), Pink Flamingos (1972) and Female Trouble (1974). Hits became cult classics. In the 1970s, Divine moved to theater, appearing with The Cockettes before performing in Women Behind Bars and The Neon Woman. Continuing cinematic work, he starred in Polyester (1981), Lust in the Dust (1985) and Hairspray (1988). In 1981, Divine embarked in the disco industry, producing Hi-NRG tracks that were mostly written by Bobby Orlando. He achieved global chart success with hits like “You Think You’re a Man”, “I’m So Beautiful” and “Walk Like a Man”. Although Divine died in Los Angeles, California from cardiomegaly in 1988, particularly within the LGBT community, characters, artworks and songs. Various life have also been produced, including Divine Trash (1998) and I Am Divine (2013).
Eyelashes “Applying false eyelashes is another makeup trick that stumps me, and it seems I’m not the only one. I’ve noticed quite a few women with asymmetrical tarantula-like lashes hanging from their eyelids, which is obviously not a good look — you need to use lashes that are at least somewhat realistic. “The length they sell at Walmart and you get at the $1.99 beauty supply ...” she trails off disdainfully. Apparently, that’s when you start heading into tarantula territory.” How To Apply False Lashes: 1. Bend the lashes into an arc several times
2. Put a thin line of lash glue on the back of your hand and then dip the band of the eyelashes lightly into the glue. Let it dry for a few seconds until it’s tacky to the touch. “I use hair glue,” notes Mystique (which is not necessarily recommended for day-to-day). 3. Start applying the lashes at the inner corner of your eye and work your way out. 4. Finish blending your natural and false eyelashes together by curling them and adding a few coats of mascara.
Fur Fur & Feathers, a sign of extravaganza and opulence. These of course are Drag Queen’s essentials to her armour. Drag Queens have been draping themselves in fur for decades. Obviously as the years went on they decided that faux fur was the way forward because a Drag Queen knows what it’s like to be poached.
Glitter “If something doesn’t look right, just throw some glitter on it”
Heels “One of the biggest things I’ve noticed when I have seen these beauties are the perfect make up, the glamorous clothing but most of all these shoes. I had always wondered where the heck
you can loosen up enough to enjoy yourself the battle is half over but the search these
to mention that they are wearing high heels covered in glitter or maybe just a simply black pump. I didn’t know they that I would spend most of my adult life selling shoes to
This doesn’t even go to the fact that women shoes are made in a B width where men are used to the usual width for mens shoes is a D. so men need not only larger sizes but also need a wider width.”
most beautiful women I’ve ever known. I think drag is like a state of mind and when
high heel shoes in a size 13, size 14, size 15 or even the size 16 in womens shoes is
Impersonations They do say that imitation is the sincerest
impersonating a female celebrity All around the world there are drag queens who do nothing but impersonate queens in drag is to impersonate someone, some of these even use plastic surgery to become more like their doppelganger. Most notably is Chad Michaels, Cher impersonator extraordinaire.
Did you know that Chad Michaels originally went by the drag name “Brigitte Love.” Michaels chose to perform under his own name after working at “An Evening at La Cage” in Las Vegas, which required the drag queens to use male stage names. Other drag celebrity impersonators include: Venus D-Lite (Madonna) Morgan McMichaels (Tabatha Coffey) Delta Work (Dolly Parton) Derrick Barry (Britney Spears)
Jewellery Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. A Queen’s jewellery can tell a bit about the queen. The thing about drag jewellery is proportion; the bigger the stones or hoops, the smaller this makes the queen look. This gives the illusion of a smaller feminine frame. So the moral of the story is ‘Bigger is better, Darling’
King With a repertoire that includes a Hairy Bikers chef, a boxing champion and Lemmy from Motörhead, Lucy Evans is a woman of many faces. The former trainee nurse spearheading a thriving scene of colourful male impersonators in Manchester, fast emerging as the UK’s drag king capital. female standup to the next level. “I certainly think it’s a way for women to breach the gender imbalance,” says the 42-year-old founder of burlesque group Lesburlesque. “A lot of female standups have relied on cakes, tampons, body image and the sexual inadequacies of men to express wearisome.” Female drag artists are playing a major role in this year’s Manchester Pride, an annual festival for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, with a Drag King and Drag Queen competition taking place in the city’s Sackville Gardens on Monday. “The lesbian community is often mischaracterised as man-haters, when many of us actually feel a high regard for “The essence of drag-kinging is the diminution of femininity but it works so much better if a trace of womanhood is left behind. Just enough to see behind the disguise.”
Lip Sync Lip syncing has always been, in the minds of common folk, one of those faux pas we only see when a member of the Real Housewives collective tries their hand at so-called “singing.” (Believe it or not, those microphones in hand are as dead as a clueless possum trying to cross the 405
(think “girls who like boys who like boys”), lip syncing is a treasured pastime. Every week all across metropolitan America, and check-in to clubs and bars for Drag Night. From New York City to San Francisco, from Chicago to Austin, Drag Nights have become inclusive events where lip syncing talent showcase their best renditions and gays of all circles and cliques come to D.M.L. (drink, mingle, and laugh) Even more artistic is the upcoming generation of drag queens featuring “graduates” of RuPaul’s Drag Race, applying exacting performance practice to their onstage renditions of classic hits of the Gaydies. Whether your fancy or not, you gotta give it up to these serious heavyhitters of the lip syncing world. To them, lip service sans soundbyte is a way of life
Marsha P. Johnson Marsha P. Johnson was a Black American, born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, named Malcolm Michaels, Jr. at birth and was a transgender rights activist and popular from the 1960s to the 1990s. One of the city’s best known drag queens of the times, Johnson was a leader in clashes with the police amid the Stonewall Riots. She was a co-founder, along with Sylvia Rivera, of Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R.) in the early 1970s. ShOnce, appearing in a court the
judge asked Marsha, “What does the ‘P’ stand for?”, Johnson gave her customary response “Pay it No Mind.” This phrase became her trademark. In July 1992, Johnson’s the Hudson River off the West Village Piers shortly after the 1992 Pride March. Police ruled the death a suicide.
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be given one by a friend or “drag mother” as a one-time occasion only to discover they like performing and go on to use a less-than ideal name for years. Drag queens do change names as well even using two or more concurrently for various reasons.
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satirical names that play on words, such as Miss Understood and Pandora Boxx. The second type are names that trend toward glamour and extravagance, such as Dame Edna Everage, Chi Chi LaRue, and The Lady Chablis. This is the type used by the character Albin in the movie and musical La Cage Aux Folles for his drag persona, “Miss ZaZa Napoli”. Often a drag queen will pick a name or
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There are various types of drag names.
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Names
Outfits her character to come alive. Whether it’s catsuit, used to cling to all her curves and swirves, or it’s a dress that’s been cut so short it shows off her trademark legs, unfortunately it also get’s her done for selling crack. Some Queens are gifted with sewing skills, so they can whip something up in the small hours of the night, others can ask friends to make something extravegant. Of course there is nothing stopping a Queen from buying someone made for her biological sister and showing them how it’s done.
Pageant Drag pageantry is a highly developed form of pageantry for female impersonators and trans women, styled after traditional beauty pageants or beauty contests. In more recent years, it has also evolved into a highly developed form of pageantry for male impersonators and transmen, modeled in the same style and spirit as female-centered pageantry. National drag pageants became enmeshed within the gay community during the 1970s, and have become increasingly prevalent individual gay bars, and discothèques during the post Stonewall era. Drag pageants evolved independently, in the decade coronations. Mirroring the format of the Miss America Gay America was held in 1972. Norma Kristie, state representative of Arkansas, was crowned as the winner of the 1973 Miss Gay America Pageant, and in 1975 Norman “Norma Kristieâ€? Jones took ownership of the pageant from Jerry Peek, who founded the Miss Gay America Pageant. Norman Jones would form Norma Kristie, Inc. and operate the pageant and its network of preliminaries for the next 30 years.
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Queen of the Desert “..No, I’ll join this conversation on the proviso that we stop bitching about people, talking about wigs, dresses, bust sizes, penises, drugs, night clubs, and bloody Abba!” “Doesn’t give us much to talk about then, does it?” The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a 1994 Australian comedy-drama The plot follows the journey of two drag queens and a transsexual woman, played by Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce, and Terence Stamp, across the Australian Outback from Sydney to Alice Springs in a tour bus that they have named “Priscilla”, along the way encountering various groups and individuals. title is a pun on the fact that in English speaking cultures, “queen” is a slang term for a male homosexual. Australian cinema to world attention and for its positive portrayal of LGBT individuals, helping to introduce LGBT themes to a been criticized for perceived racist and sexist stereotyping.
CONDRAGULATIONS
SUPERMODEL CHARISMA OF THE WORLD
If you don't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?
UNIQUENESS NERVE & TALENT YOU’RE BORN NAKED, THE REST IS DRAG
YOU BETTA’ WERK
BRING BACK MY GIRLS can i get an amen?
SHANTAY, YOU STAY
PUT THE BASS IN YOUR WALK
COVER GIRL GLAMAZON
LOOKIN’ GOOD & FEELIN’ GORGEOUS
RuPaul RuPaul was born in San Diego, California. His name was given to him by his mother, a Louisiana native. The “Ru” came from roux, an ingredient used in gumbo. RuPaul during the 1980s. He participated in underground cinema, helping create
in 1989 with an extra role dancing in the video for “Love Shack” by The B-52’s.
In the early 1990s, RuPaul worked the Georgia club scene and was known by his full birth name. Initially participating in genderfuck-style performances, RuPaul performed solo and in collaboration with other bands at several New York nightclubs, most notably the Pyramid Club.
Sequins In the words of Lady Gaga “... I’m just trying to change the world, one sequin at a time.”
Tape Of course Queens come in all shapes and sizes. Big Queens, Small Queens, Queens who climb on rocks. But there are few similarities between these queens and that’s what is underneath. You could say that they’re sitting on a secret.. I am talking about the Art of Tucking. Tucking refers to the practice of hiding the male genitalia so that they are not visible through tight clothing. The most effective way of tucking involves pushing of the testicles up into the Inguinal canal; most men can do this without any pain. Once this is done the penis is pulled back between the person’s legs and a tight pair of panties or a gaff is then worn over the top to hold everything in place. Some queens that are certainly creative with their tucking include: Willam Carmen Carrera Courtney Act Detox
Undergarments The cheapest form of hip and buttock padding is homemade. Information on making padding is available on web sites and in at least one book. Using the person’s own measurements and a table of comparative measurements, it is possible to determine how thick the padding needs to be at various places, such as the widest point on the hips and the fullest point on the buttocks. Homemade padding is usually made by cutting a block of high-density polyurethane foam rubber to shape. This is the same type of foam as used for upholstery. The most
common tool used for shaping the foam for this application is an electric knife. The is wrapped around the hips and buttocks, rather than being carved as a curved piece. The foam is carved only on the inside, so that the outside surface remains smooth. The padding is usually worn inside a compression garment such as one intended to be worn by females to lift and shape the buttocks.
Viva Glam The original VIVA GLAM girl is back! The in 1994, returns with her outspoken burgundy red Lipstick - now also available as a Lipglass. Every cent of the selling price of VIVA GLAM - The Original goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Following his blast to fame after “Supermodel (Of The World)” dropped in 1993, RuPaul received the distinct honor of becoming the face of MAC Cosmetic’s VIVA Glam initiative -- the company’s campaign the sale of lip cosmetic products. Now, the queen is reclaiming his place as the face of Viva Glam, showcasing his signature burgundy red lipstick from the ‘90s campaign, plus a new matching lipgloss. Some of the ladies that adorned their faces for Viva Glam include Debbie Harry, Linda Evangelista, Fergie, Mary J. Blige, Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper
Wigs Lace front wigs have been used in TV, theatre
across the front where each hair is handknotted into a natural and realistic hairline. The lace is glued to temples and virtually becomes invisible so the hair looks like it is sprouting from your scalp! No more nasty hard wig lines.
A lace wig or a lace front wig is a special type of hairpiece or wig designed with a sheer lace base. Lace front wigs are made with real human hair or synthetic hair is which tied, by hand, to a sheer lace base. Full lace wigs may have a base made entirely of lace while the more common tactic is a lace front wig which has the sheer lace only at the front where the hairline is visible.
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Xtravaganza
Xtravaganza, Allure, Andrews, Aviance, Balenciaga, Christian, Ebony, Elite, Existence, Khanh, LaBeija, LaPerla, Milan, Mizrahi, Ninja, Paciotti, Prada, Prestige, Prodigy, Pend’avis, Revlon, Ronee, St. Laurent, Vuitton The “houses” listed are among others which Paris Is Burning. Ball culture, the house system, the ballroom community and similar terms describe the
underground LGBT subculture in the United States in which people “walk” (i.e. compete) for trophies and prizes at events known as balls. Those who walk often also dance and vogue while others compete in various genres of and social class. Most people involved with ball culture belong to “houses” led by a single leader.
Y Youtube An androgynous male model has showcased his amazing make-up skills by transforming himself into countless iconic stars using clever contouring and colours. From Miley Cyrus to Elizabeth Taylor, Joseph Harwood, 22, from London creates the dramatic looks using the make up he has designed and made himself. Youtube has been a stepping stone for some younger drag queens who weren’t fortunate enough to be giften with a Drag Mother. An oracle to new skills and advice.
It has allowed some queens to gain worldwide adoration for their craft. Some including, but not limited to Joseph Harwood and Josh (aka Petrilude/Misty Maven) It has also given some well known queens to show off their tips and tricks as what makes them such a show stopper. RuPaul’s Drag Race Alumni Willam Belli has taken to YouTube to promote himself through the social media.
ZZzz Or to be exact. the city that never sleeps: New York. A glorious queendom rules once more in a photographic time capsule of New York City’s momentous drag scene from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s. All of the photos were shot by longtime drag personality Linda Simpson, back when hobnob with a camera. The era covered by The Drag Explosion was a time of remarkable growth and surge in popularity for New York’s wiggy subculture. Over the course of several years, drag would transform from an underground art form to a mainstream phenomenon. During this time, Linda took hundreds of just-for-fun snapshots—vivid and intimate portraits of the most colorful characters of their day as they joyfully pushed the boundaries of gender expression. The Drag Explosion has been created as a multi-media project. Linda’s live presentations feature her narrating a series of short slideshows, each with its own theme, to create an overall story meant to both enlighten and entertain. Other formats, including gallery exhibits and a book, are in progress.
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