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Female Drag
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Contents
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CHAPTER 1
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Georgie Bee “For me, it’s about genderfuck and a creative mix of silliness and seriousness at the same time; it’s like a pick n’ mix bag of heaven and hell. It’s fucking brilliant”
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When Women ‘Act like Women.’
masculine traits, but the feminine end of the spectrum is treated with wholesale contempt. How society reacts when gender barriers are challenged, however, tells us a lot about where equal and open expression is limited. Those reactions, often, are visceral.
In acts of subversion, power can be found.
As anthropologist Loren Eiseley put it;
Any sort of in-your-face role reversal or defying of a set ’norm’ is more like one of the last real ‘punk’ movements because it makes society face its own artificial boundaries and norms. Of all acts, deviating far enough from any gender or related social norm without a shield or excusable ‘pass’ is one of the most terrifying ideas an individual can contemplate. Any man who attempts, if by experiment alone, to deviate wide enough from western social gender norms will probably find themselves wary in some form or another of ridicule, attack or reprisal from the crowd. Women, though the now have a wider range of gender expression in most social situations than men do, are also subject to the same criticisms if pushing against ‘modern’ expectations. While cross-gender displays are more socially accepted for women, the ‘shaming’ of a woman who expresses themselves in an ultra-feminine or with body-revealing clothing can reveal the boundaries they, too, are expected to conform to. It is almost if —in western society and in a great deal of the world’s — it is much more acceptable for either sex to express
“Like the herd animals we are, we sniff wearily at the strange one among us.” We humans are still herd animals, an evolved trait that once ensured our safety in a wild world through strength in numbers and relying on cohesion of the group to survive. But today, and especially in the future, some our primal advantages can actually work against us and greater society by stifling individuality and one of the most defining traits of humans beings— creativity.
“ladies in drag” A form of women in ‘drag’ already exists –as ‘drag kings.’
But while ‘drag kings’ have their own crowd appeal and some novelty to the mainstream, such a masculine gender expression or performance by women is much more accepted in wider society. So it doesn’t have the same ‘shock’ or socially disruptive powers of men-doing-drag. While many terms have existed for this form of ‘Lady Drag’ (also sometimes contentiously referred to as ‘faux drag’, ‘bio drag’, ‘femme drag’, etc), it seems the act of women expressing themselves as overdramatized or hyper-sexualized female stereotypes is seen as much more subversive than the act of the masculinity-embracing ‘drag king.’ Most of the comments on the ATTN video above are accepting and celebratory, but a handful telegraph just how deeply ingrained conventional beliefs about gender expression even in women can be. Some of the commenters — male and female — claim to be vehemently ‘offended’ by or even ‘disgusted’ by these women’s expressions of ‘drag.’
Whether they’re expressing aspects of themselves, or lampooning gender stereotypes, is not the point – it all is presented as an act of subversion. And that’s the point. It’s why others who strictly adhere to those conventions feel so offended. Conventional roles are also masks; expressions are also performances. Every one of us wears different masks and acts roles everyday. We may not realize it, or we might not admit to it, but who we identify as and how we behave typically changes for different situations. Few times in our lives are any of us our ‘true’ core self, if that even exists, with anyone else. ‘Drag’ is simply one act that challenges those acts. Or, as RuPaul exposes us;
They ‘disapprove.’ But why? These acts do not, in any way, affect those people — personally or socially. So why are they so viscerally unnerved? What are they disapproving of, exactly?
Disruption of the herd. Drag, or any form of ‘genderbending’ — can often be a mockery or threat to the foundation of the very real social conventions many live by. Out of those established conventions grow entire belief systems that affect all aspects of our society.
‘you’re born naked and the rest is drag.’ This, when you pare away the any of the other entertainment or intracultural importance — is really what drag is all about.
Many people don’t know why they live by these particular conventions, or how it can impact more than what’s readily apparent. They just seem to ‘know’ that it’s ‘wrong.’
The very concept of what is ‘acceptable’ — and who or what defines what is ‘acceptable’ or ‘expected’ or a ‘norm’ in culture or society or especially in any form of expression is exactly what’s being poked at here.
The women here are simply creating a space to explore freely, safely (personally and socially), deviating from the herd.
What are these ’rules’ that people are following, and why do they follow them?
Yes, they’re still finding the comfort of a group. But it’s a collective push against the walls to see why they’re there and where that lead — either personally or socially.
Why were those ‘rules’ put into place, and why does society reinforce them? Many leftovers of primal herd mentality carry through with us to this day. And often,
they are at the root of many more complex issues society faces. While not the same as drag, but closely related in its gender-role expressive sense, gender-bending as part of someone’s own self-identity —or ‘genderf*cking’, to challenge stereotypes— can be as much a sociopolitical statement when it’s taken to the streets. There, all of society must confront the stereotypes. It’s not a performance space. It’s reality. And that makes it even more courageous, to live amongst the herd. Just confronting such an expression so incongruous with many social expectations simply makes many people uncomfortable.
That’s the power that such disruption has. And it can bring change by forcing us to confront long-standing, rarely questioned cwonventions and dogma. It’s a real psychological discomfort for many people. But instead of reacting with immediate disgust or offense — it pays for us to take a moment to look at an ‘outsider’s’ expression objectively. We should take the opportunity to question what is so ‘offensive.’ Is fabric or expressive movement, or any other arbitrary feature of our appearance really a threat? To what? To whom? If we look with open minds, we’re able to see invisible walls confining us all, in many aspects of our lives from our own expression to our professional work. That’s why similar expression that (respectfully and legally, within reason) plays with existing, constructed gender/racial/sexual/ class/etc ‘norms’, that others attempt to reinforce is also related to drag. It pushes against those walls. Transgender identity is not drag. But drag, understood for what it is, can help tear down some of the social discrimination affecting transgender individuals.
Consider individuals who are — either by their own innate sense of self or their physical appearance — forced to exist outside of the ‘norms’ of our society. How can they conform to social expectations if it’s not a natural part of their being? Some can’t endure the constant barrage of negative reinforcement by the herd, and that can end tragically. Others, finding some rare, inner strength and vision, or bolstered by a supportive environment — can survive and flourish. They emerge, often, as some of the most inspiring and creative people in our culture. Yet, they are only butterflies because they managed to escape being squashed. When other people push these boundaries — that can help to make a safer space for others to exist in. It creates room for diversity. Diversity enriches us all. Too many of us assume we need ‘permission’ to do — or to challenge — so many things that (in reality and in basic rights) require no ‘permission.’ From anyone. As much as they can provide us guidance, we can also be a victim of the rules that we — (each of us) (decide to) — live by. Breaking those imaginary rules, whether it’s in gender expression or in any other space or outlet, is where we often find whole new spaces of creativity, knowledge, experience, empathy . So just in case anyone else here — many of us, at some point — ever forgot this, or were ever made to forget… We all have permission – or maybe even a mission— to go and create or to express what we should never need ‘permission’ for to begin with. Surprise us all. Surprise yourself.
The alternative can be tragically boring.
When Women ‘Act like Women.’ In acts of subversion, power can be found. Any sort of in-your-face role reversal or defying of a set ’norm’ is more like one of the last real ‘punk’ movements because it makes society face its own artificial boundaries and norms. Of all acts, deviating far enough from any gender or related social norm without a shield or excusable ‘pass’ is one of the most terrifying ideas an individual can contemplate. Any man who attempts, if by experiment alone, to deviate wide enough from western social gender norms will probably find themselves wary in some form or another of ridicule, attack or reprisal from the crowd. Women, though the now have a wider range of gender expression in most social situations than men do, are also subject to the same criticisms if pushing against ‘modern’ expectations. While cross-gender displays are more socially accepted for women, the ‘shaming’ of a woman who expresses themselves in an ultra-feminine or with body-revealing clothing can reveal the boundaries they, too, are expected to conform to. It is almost if —in western society and in a great deal of the world’s — it is much more acceptable for either sex to express masculine traits, but the feminine end of the spectrum is treated with wholesale contempt. How society reacts when gender barriers are challenged, however, tells us a lot about where equal and open expression is limited. Those reactions, often, are visceral. As anthropologist Loren Eiseley put it; “Like the herd animals we are, we sniff wearily at the strange one among us.”
bBut today, and especially in the future, some our primal advantages can actually work against us and greater society by stifling individuality and one of the most defining traits of humans beings— creativity.
“ladies in drag” A form of women in ‘drag’ already exists –as ‘drag kings.’ But while ‘drag kings’ have their own crowd appeal and some novelty to the mainstream, such a masculine gender expression or performance by women is much more accepted in wider society. So it doesn’t have the same ‘shock’ or socially disruptive powers of mendoing-drag. While many terms have existed for this form of ‘Lady Drag’ (also sometimes contentiously referred to as ‘faux drag’, ‘bio drag’, ‘femme drag’, etc), it seems the act of women expressing themselves as overdramatized or hyper-sexualized female stereotypes is seen as much more subversive than the act of the masculinity-embracing ‘drag king.’ Most of the comments on the ATTN video above are accepting and celebratory, but a handful telegraph just how deeply ingrained conventional beliefs about gender expression even in women can be. Some of the commenters — male and female — claim to be vehemently ‘offended’ by or even ‘disgusted’ by these women’s expressions of ‘drag.’ They ‘disapprove.’ But why? These acts do not, in any way, affect those people — personally or socially. So why are they so viscerally unnerved? What are they disapproving of, exactly?
Disruption of the herd. Drag, or any form of ‘genderbending’ — can often be a mockery or threat to the foundation of the very real social conventions many live by. Out of those established conventions grow entire belief systems that affect all aspects
Disruption of the herd. Drag, or any form of ‘genderbending’ — can often be a mockery or threat to the foundation of the very real social conventions many live by. Out of those established conventions grow entire belief systems that affect all aspects of our society. Many people don’t know why they live by these particular conventions, or how it can impact more than what’s readily apparent. They just seem to ‘know’ that it’s ‘wrong.’ The women here are simply creating a space to explore freely, safely (personally and socially), deviating from the herd. Yes, they’re still finding the comfort of a group. But it’s a collective push against the walls to see why they’re there and where that lead — either personally or socially. Whether they’re expressing aspects of themselves, or lampooning gender stereotypes, is not the point – it all is presented as an act of subversion. And that’s the point. It’s why others who strictly adhere to those conventions feel so offended. Conventional roles are also masks; expressions are also performances. Every one of us wears different masks and acts roles everyday. We may not realize it, or we might not admit to it, but who we identify as and how we behave typically changes for different situations. Few times in our lives are any of us our ‘true’ core self, if that even exists, with anyone else. ‘Drag’ is simply one act that challenges those acts. Or, as RuPaul exposes us; ‘you’re born naked and the rest is drag.’ This, when you pare away the any of the other entertainment or intracultural importance — is really what drag is all about. The very concept of what is ‘acceptable’ — and who or what defines what is ‘acceptable’ or ‘expected’ or a ‘norm’ in culture or society or especially in any form of expression is exactly what’s being poked at here.
What are these ’rules’ that people are following, and why do they follow them? Why were those ‘rules’ put into place, and why does society reinforce them? Many
When Women ‘Act like Women.’ In acts of subversion, power can be found. Any sort of in-your-face role reversal or defying of a set ’norm’ is more like one of the last real ‘punk’ movements because it makes society face its own artificial boundaries and norms. Of all acts, deviating far enough from any gender or related social norm without a shield or excusable ‘pass’ is one of the most terrifying ideas an individual can contemplate. Any man who attempts, if by experiment alone, to deviate wide enough from western social gender norms will probably find themselves wary in some form or another of ridicule, attack or reprisal from the crowd. Women, though the now have a wider range of gender expression in most social situations than men do, are also subject to the same criticisms if pushing against ‘modern’ expectations. While cross-gender displays are more socially accepted for women, the ‘shaming’ of a woman who expresses themselves in an ultra-feminine or with body-revealing clothing can reveal the boundaries they, too, are expected to conform to. It is almost if —in western society and in a great deal of the world’s — it is much more acceptable for either sex to express masculine traits, but the feminine end of the spectrum is treated with wholesale contempt. How society reacts when gender barriers are challenged, however, tells us a lot about where equal and open expression is limited. Those reactions, often, are visceral. As anthropologist Loren Eiseley put it; “Like the herd animals we are, we sniff wearily at the strange one among us.” We humans are still herd animals, an evolved trait that once ensured our safety in a wild world through strength in num-
bers and relying on cohesion of the group to survive. But today, and especially in the future, some our primal advantages can actually work against us and greater society by stifling individuality and one of the most defining traits of humans beings— creativity.
“ladies in drag” A form of women in ‘drag’ already exists –as ‘drag kings.’w But while ‘drag kings’ have their own crowd appeal and some novelty to the mainstream, such a masculine gender expression or performance by women is much more accepted in wider society. So it doesn’t have the same ‘shock’ or socially disruptive powers of men-doing-drag. While many terms have existed for this form of ‘Lady Drag’ (also sometimes contentiously referred to as ‘faux drag’, ‘bio drag’, ‘femme drag’, etc), it seems the act of women expressing themselves as overdramatized or hyper-sexualized female stereotypes is seen as much more subversive than the act of the masculinity-embracing ‘drag king.’ Most of the comments on the ATTN video above are accepting and celebratory, but a handful telegraph just how deeply ingrained conventional beliefs about gender expression even in women can be. Some of the commenters — male and female — claim to be vehemently ‘offended’ by or even ‘disgusted’ by these women’s expressions of ‘drag.’ They ‘disapprove.’ But why? These acts do not, in any way, affect those people — personally or socially. So why are they so viscerally unnerved? What are they disapproving of, exactly?
Disruption of the herd. Drag, or any form of ‘genderbending’ — can often be a mockery or threat to the foundation of the very real social conventions many live by. Out of those established conventions grow entire belief systems that affect all aspects of our society. Many people don’t know why they live by these particular conventions, or how it can impact more than what’s readily apparent. They just seem to ‘know’ that it’s ‘wrong.’ The women here are simply creating a space to explore freely, safely (personally and socially), deviating from the herd. Yes, they’re still finding the comfort of a group. But it’s a collective push against the walls to see why they’re there and where that lead — either personally or socially. Whether they’re expressing aspects of themselves, or lampooning gender stereotypes, is not the point – it all is presented as an act of subversion. And that’s the point. It’s why others who strictly adhere to those conventions feel so offended. Conventional roles are also masks; expressions are also performances. Every one of us wears different masks and acts roles everyday. We may not realize it, or we might not admit to it, but who we identify as and how we behave typically changes for different situations. Few times in our lives are any of us our ‘true’ core self, if that even exists, with anyone else. ‘Drag’ is simply one act that challenges those acts. Or, as RuPaul exposes us; ‘you’re born naked and the rest is drag.’ This, when you pare away the any of the other entertainment or intracultural importance — is really what drag is all about. The very concept of what is ‘acceptable’ — and who or what defines what is ‘acceptable’ or ‘expected’ or a ‘norm’ in culture or society or especially in any form of expression is exactly what’s being poked at here.
What are these ’rules’ that people are following, and why do they follow them? Why were those ‘rules’ put into place, and why does society reinforce them? Many leftovers of primal herd mentality carry through with us to this day. And often,
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