6 minute read
Is Drag Dangerous?
ISSUES &POLITICS
In the last decade, female impersonation or "drag" has experienced a renaissance thanks to television shows such as RuPaul's Drag Race, Dragula, etc. Looking at it from the outside in, many who have been exposed to the art of drag performance don't know or are simply unaware that individuals have been portraying and presenting as the opposite gender since antiquity. Joe E. Je reys, a drag historian and professor of theater studies at New York University, de nes drag as a theatrical form. Professor Je reys describes drag as someone putting on clothing that is considered inappropriate to them and then wearing it with some ironic distance. The term "drag" originated in Britain. The rst time the term drag appeared was in English theater slang in the 1870s to describe long skirts men wore on stage; men continued to wear exaggerated makeup and clothing for female roles until 1660, when women were nally allowed to perform. By Je reys' de nition, drag can be traced back to ancient Native American, indigenous South American, Egyptian ceremonies, and Japanese theater.
What once was considered taboo or underground was strictly relegated to LGBTQIA+ bars and nightclubs but has now firmly become part of the world zeitgeist with all ages of fans, young, old, and everyone in between. Despite the shift toward society becoming more accepting of the LGBTQIA+ community, it has not been without challenges. It has been met with vitriol, intolerance, and hate from detractors, including
right-wing political figures and all interactions with religious leaders who view homosexuality or the performance of the opposite sex as sinful and detrimental to everyone across the gender spectrum. Violence against drag performers and violent incidents at drag venues are increasing exponentially, with 126 documented incidents happening in 2022 alone. How will this false and harmful para-social/political narrative they have constructed, villainizing and subjugating the LGBTQIA+ community end?
Soon, Idaho Family Policy Center president and lobbyist Blaine Conzatti expects his bill to ban drag shows in public places citing public indecency violations, which would prohibit kids and young adults from attending, even accompanied by their parent or guardian present. Conzatti's push to restrict individuals' political and personal Constitutional freedoms didn't start with this latest performative stunt to ban drag performers. Additionally, Idaho's new abortion ban was spearheaded by Conzatti, a highly influential and well-connected lobbyist. Furthermore, the Idaho Family Policy Center supported a bill to ban gender-affirming medical treatment for transgender children, as well as another bill that would have held librarians responsible for distributing "harmful material" to minors. The Florida legislator also circulated proposed legislation earlier in June this year to ban youth from attending drag events. In referring to the bill banning drag performances where children may be present, Conzatti states, it has already been drafted, according to Conzatti, who declined to divulge which legislators worked on the proposed legislation.
"No child should ever be exposed to sexual exhibitions like drag shows in public places, whether that's at a public library or a public park," Conzatti stated, likening the performances to blackface practices. Conzatti and other Christian conservative Activists around Idaho have protested public events featuring drag queens, including drag queen story hour events at public libraries. A drag performance scheduled for children ages eleven to eighteen was postponed over safety concerns, which prompted Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon to ask corporate sponsors to withdraw their support.
The fact of the matter is this, the Constitutional soundness of trying to limit, restrict, or forbid someone's right to free speech, assembly, and self-expression is all in question when trying to promote or pass legislation like this. Whether those in power state they are doing so under the guise of protecting or defending children is ludicrous and offensive to the queer community and its allies.
Approximately 70 percent of Americans now agree that LGBTQIA+ Americans should and do have the right to marry. Consequently, the Christian Conservatives' message describing and categorizing everyone in the LGBTQIA+ community as "groomers" or "pedophiles" is being rejected by their constituents and the public. Only by villainizing and dehumanizing the queer community has the Christian conservative right been able to spread hateful dogma of misinformation and hate. One of the ways Conzatti and others are doing this is by claiming that the LGBTQIA+ community is more likely to be deviant or commit heinous sexual offenses toward children and young adults. There is a distinct and categorical difference between homosexuality and pedophilia, and association does not imply causation in this case. It is part of a familiar pattern of marginalizing outgroups, explains Gregory Herek (Professor of Psychology at UC Davis). Professor Herek says, "The empirical research does not show that gay or bisexual men are any more likely than heterosexual men to molest children. This is not to argue that homosexual and bisexual men never molest children. But there is no scienti c basis for asserting that they are more likely than heterosexual men to do so." He explains, "Members of disliked minority groups are often stereotyped as representing a danger to the majority's most vulnerable members." This dangerous and incendiary claim is false and has been a failed and desperate tactic used for decades to legislate the queer community out of existence. A clear message is being sent to the populace by the far-right. Through the forced imposition of Christianity as the only religion that should and must be practiced, the Christian Conservative faction of the Republican party wishes to control and dominate the masses. Human rights organizations, LGBTQIA+ advocacy organizations, and nonpro ts should continue to retain civil rights attorneys to represent them to combat legalized sanctioned bigotry against LGBTQIA+ communities and ultimately restore queer people's rights to live and love freely without fear of being permanently con ned to the closet.
DANIELLE OLIVANI is a proud mom, community organizer/activist, and CEO of Lake County Pride Org. Corp; an LGBTQIA+ nonprofit which seeks to improve the lives of Lake County youth through advocacy, education, and acts of service to the community. She is a longtime resident of Lake County and currently lives in Mount Dora, Fla. She graduated from the Rollins College Paralegal Studies program and obtained her certification in 2017.
