While discussing transgender I could not help but think about drag-queens and drag shows. I could not decide if this was a form of expressing transgender for all members who participate or is it a fun thing/hobby for some people to try or watch? I can see this going both directions, which is why I am so confused.
First of all, drag shows are incredible display of elaborate costumes, singing of famous songs, and even showing a little (or a lot) of skin to a loud and excited audience (if you have not been to one, you should certainly go). However, the amount of time that the actors take to get ready for this show is incredible. As you can see by the two part picture above, the amount of just make-up and hair or wig styling is intensive. Most actors love doing getting all "dolled up" and showing everything they want to. People of all forms of sexuality and gender can go to this shows and enjoy the enthusiasm, energy, and love that the performs exhibit during the act.
The question still lingers in my mind, is this a form of transgender though? I would say yes and no.
I love drag shows and have been to a few myself and have even participated in two. The reason for my love of watching and participating in drag shows is because I appreciate people just being themselves and doing what makes them feel comfortable and right. As you can see from the picture of the person dancing (which is me), I am thoroughly enjoying participating in our schools drag show last spring. This love of viewing and participation does not mean that I am transgender, it just means that I accept people for who they are and how they want to live there life. So for this instance I would say that drag shows are not a form of transgender.
However......
I would say yes because this is a way for a male who identifies as female or female who identifies as male, to express that desire whether they are pre-op or post-op. Drag shows are a dramatic and elaborate way for them to show who they want to be. The costumes are the visual content that we have been discussing in class that people notice the most. Also the drag show environment is also a safe place where the performers can express themselves. Drag shows are usually packed with people who appreciate this form of art, so little to no criticism is passed making the environment fun and accepting.
Transgender is a term that can mean many different things to many different people. The label of transgender, like we have discussed in class, is a way that our society has put another category onto human beings and they way that they live their lives. Although I think that drag shows are a way of breaking down this barrier by showing the art and passion behind the lifestyle that this people have chosen. Drag shows seem to be becoming more prevalent in most large cities and, like at Allegheny, have been showing up on college campuses as a way to show support for transgendered people. This also sends out awareness that drag shows can be a fun and non-discriminant way of dressing in drag and performing on a stage in front of your peers.
My question that I presented earlier in my blog still is consuming my mind. Let me know what you think. Are drag shows a way for someone to express their transgender or can it be support for the group as well?
To answer your question Briana, I think drag shows can do both. I believe that there are individuals who prticipate in drage to express who they are, meaning that they self-identify as being transgender. But I also believe that some people may not self identify as being transgender but through their participation in drag, their still supporting it.Hence, I think people participate in drag in regards to their self-identity and because drag is a space where individuals can cross gender binaries, even though their still percieved in ways which are sometimes negative or stereotypical; drag creates that space where people can explore within and outside their claimed identities.
ReplyDeleteBeing still somewhat fuzzy on the varied definitions of transgendered, I myself, would say that I would choose to call drag shows transgendered. I guess, if I'm going along with my personal definition of transgender, that even if the people in the drag show are only doing it to support transgendered people, that that is in a way being transgender. I think that if anyone is supporting a drag show, that means that they don't fully support or believe in the current gender binary, which to me seems to represent what it means to be a transgendered person. I hope that makes at least a little bit of sense, as I'm still working through my own definitions and beliefs, myself.
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