The art of drag has existed in our world since ancient times. Yu Sheng Teo defines drag as, “To do drag is to dress up or present yourself differently than your everyday gender, usually for expression or performance. Dragging is not an indicator of a person’s gender identity. A drag queen or drag king is also distinct from a trans person”, without a doubt, this is my favorite definition. Think back to Shakespeare, during his time (the 1600s) women were not allowed to participate in the theater, so young men would dress up as women and play said roles. That was the art form of drag, and even today this is used in popular theater plays (i.e Hairspray). Nowadays, drag queens have entered the mainstream, which can mostly be attributed to the rise in popularity of the hit TV show titled RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Drag queens are now performing at brunch, nightclubs, and even sometimes, performing for children in schools or public libraries. This is where the outrage lies for most conservatives. When people think of drag queens, they think of overtly sexual imagery (nightclubs, alcohol, sexual dancing, etc.), but that is not what drag queens are. Drag queens are facing a lot of backlash for reading to children. Yes, reading to children. There is no lip-syncing, no bottles of alcohol, no sexual dancing, just a person in a wig and makeup reading to children. However, this black-and-white view has put the lives of thousands at risk.
In Tennessee, Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill into law that will restrict public drag show performances. Not only is this hypocritical as Lee himself was into drag at one point in his life, but this is treading a dangerous line. As queer safe spaces become restricted in Tennessee, there is a looming fear of more anti-LGBTQ+ bills becoming law all over the country. This news article created by Solcyre Burga on March 5th, 2023 highlights which states are planning on passing such laws into place and more details on what types of shows are restricted/banned.
The Republican party is going after drag queens because they are worried about children being “preyed upon” by them. If Republicans were actually worried about the children, lots of things in the USA would be run differently. Some examples: kid pageant shows would be banned, gun safety laws would be put in place, as firearms are the leading cause of child deaths in the USA, pro-choice laws would be protected, and the education system would be safer and more accessible. This obviously goes deeper than protection, this is bigotry disguised as concern.
The LBTQIA+ community has fought for so long to be able to live without fear, and now once again, we are faced with serious threats to our safe spaces. Drag queens are not just our entertainment, they are people too, and it is our job as allies and people of said community to raise awareness and help create a safe space.