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50 Years After Stonewall

How drag queens have sashayed their way through history.

Sam Sanders

Josh Axelrod

Drag queens hold a feather boa in an attempt to break the Guinness World Records title for the longest feather boa during a celebration of Pride Month in New York City's Times Square on June 20. Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

Drag queens hold a feather boa in an attempt to break the Guinness World Records title for the longest feather boa during a celebration of Pride Month in New York City's Times Square on June 20.

A man struts through the Los Angeles Convention Center wearing a mermaid-style gown, decked out with pink ostrich feathers. No one bats a fake eyelash.

He is just one of more than 60,000 people who streamed into the convention center in May for RuPaul's DragCon , the country's biggest drag queen convention, according to its organizers. Fabulous outfits, high-heeled pumps and colorful wigs filled the hall.

Loud and proud, drag culture is having a moment.

"Drag has arrived at the big kids' table. People are finally acknowledging it as an art form to be reckoned with," says Randy Barbato, co-executive producer of RuPaul's Drag Race, the TV show that has helped push drag culture into the mainstream .

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Though its mainstreaming might be a recent thing, drag has a long and complex history.

"In ancient Greece, men were playing female roles," says Frank DeCaro, author of Drag: Combing Through the Big Wigs of Show Business. "In Shakespearean times, it was the same thing. In the kabuki tradition in Japan, it was going on. In minstrel shows they had a drag queen. In vaudeville, in burlesque, there's always been someone cross-dressing for work."

From RuPaul's Drag Race to Wigstock to DragCon, drag is clearly having a big moment. @samsanders dug deep into the makeup case of drag culture's history to find out just how we got here. https://t.co/epMUyWQ4PC — It's Been A Minute (@NPRItsBeenAMin) June 25, 2019

DeCaro traces the modern drag movement back to Julian Eltinge , an American vaudeville performer, singer and actor in the early 20th century. Eltinge sang as a female impersonator, or "femme mimic," but emphasized his masculinity offstage.

Back then, performers like Eltinge fought against "homosexual panic" by making clear that they were men in women's clothing, to not fool audience members. (Today, drag queens are closely linked to the queer community, though not all of them are gay.)

In the 1950s and '60s, troupes of drag performers toured the U.S. — even as they existed in a "legal in-between," since people could still be arrested for dressing as the opposite sex.

During the television era, immensely popular comedian Milton Berle followed in Eltinge's tradition, wearing dresses for comedic effect while making no effort to hide the much-speculated-about "python in his pants."

"Basically, a lot of drag in television, really up until RuPaul's Drag Race pretty much, was take the straightest, hairiest, ugliest guy, put him in a dress, and a straight guy will fall in love with him," DeCaro says. "That's the story always."

Milton Berle, in drag, performs a skit with Bob Hope during taping of the Bob Hope Buys NBC special at NBC Studios in Burbank, Calif., in 1985. Shin/AP hide caption

Milton Berle, in drag, performs a skit with Bob Hope during taping of the Bob Hope Buys NBC special at NBC Studios in Burbank, Calif., in 1985.

Next came Flip Wilson, another TV drag personality of note and the first African American to host a successful TV variety show. His character "Geraldine Jones" became a nationwide hit and famously popularized the phrase "What you see is what you get."

Then, the 1980s ushered in a more alternative vibe — embodied by the scene in New York — and marked a turning point for drag.

DeCaro says the edgy, vulgar, playful ethos of RuPaul and modern drag queens grew out of Wigstock, an outdoor drag festival in Manhattan's East Village.

Drag Queen Cloud performs at Wigstock in New York in 1994. Paul Hurschmann/Associated Press hide caption

Drag Queen Cloud performs at Wigstock in New York in 1994.

After Wigstock, RuPaul became a star in the drag community. And the rest is history. The modern drag movement, spurred by RuPaul, seeks to defy and deconstruct expectations of "normal."

"To be a drag queen is to fly your freak flag, to live your life out loud, to not let other people dictate normal or to not edit yourself so that you fit in with other people," says Fenton Bailey, another co-executive producer of RuPaul's Drag Race. "So it's very much ... a big, bold, brave statement of individuality."

Pop Culture

'flats are for quitters': rupaul talks drag, 'all stars' and identity politics.

D.J. Pierce, known professionally as Shangela, is a popular drag queen and former Drag Race contestant. He has used the medium to think about his sexuality.

"Becoming a drag entertainer and really embracing that helped me to embrace who I was as a gay person even more," Pierce says.

"It's kind of like another coming out, almost. To walk into a room ... you learn how to let go of those feelings of 'I need to please others,' " he says. "You just get this heightened sense of confidence."

Shangela performs during the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Los Angeles on March 28 in Beverly Hills, Calif. Rich Fury/Getty Images for GLAAD hide caption

Shangela performs during the 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Los Angeles on March 28 in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Shangela appeared in 2018's A Star is Born and thinks that the mainstreaming of drag is a positive. In the film's pivotal meet-cute scene, Lady Gaga is "discovered" while performing in a drag bar.

Yet women who dress as drag queens or kings aren't having the same cultural moment.

Maya Durham performs as a drag king in Los Angeles, under the name Malcolm Xtasy, and she wants to see the drag movement welcome more women. She thinks that the lack of a place for women is related to gender norms and misogyny and hopes the movement will come to incorporate drag kings.

View this post on Instagram Tonight!!Come to@mancandykings to satisfy your sweet tooth 🍭 9pm/Silverlake Lounge/$5 A post shared by Malcolm Xtasy (@malcolm.xtasy)on Mar 26,2019 at 2:30pm PDT

"I don't want to see queens knocked down from the level that they're at; I want to see kings rise up to the same level," Durham says.

As Pride Month comes to an end, drag kings and queens continue to sashay and stride across the big screen, festivals and pop culture, spotlighting drag's rich history.

"I think that's what happens when drag starts to go mainstream," Pierce says. "All of a sudden, you're watching The View and there are three drag queens on there and it's not a joke. Yes, we're here, we're queer and you better deal with it. 'Cause we ain't going nowhere."

Anjuli Sastry produced and Jordana Hochman and Alexander McCall edited this episode for broadcast.

Josh Axelrod is NPR's Digital Content intern.

• drag queens

What is drag? Here's everything you need to know.

• Drag culture has centuries of history behind it, from Ancient Greece to the Harlem Renaissance.
• LGBTQ historians and experts explained the origins of drag to Insider.
• Here's a guide to drag culture in the US and how what it means today.

An art form. A political statement. A source of entertainment. A communal activity.

Drag has many functions and a rich history that goes back centuries. But what is it, exactly, and what isn't it? Insider spoke to historians to find out everything you need to know.

Is drag the same as cross-dressing?

Drag is the act of highlighting and emphasizing various feminine and masculine features, and it provides an avenue through which people can both subvert and celebrate gender expressions. 

Drag often gets conflated with cross-dressing, but the two are not synonymous, said Melanie Walsh, a psychology professor at the University of New Haven. Drag emphasizes community and celebration, while cross-dressing is generally a more solitary activity.

"What separates the two is the performative element," Walsh said. Cross-dressing "is not part of that collective community."

The popular Robin Williams movie Mrs. Doubtfire , for example, in which the actor pretends to be a woman housekeeper to spend more time around his kids, does not constitute drag, said humanities professor Harris Kornstein with the University of Arizona. 

Drag is not simply a man putting on a dress, and that's a "simplistic definition of drag that's really focused on the cross-gendered elements," he said.

Oftentimes, there are elements of humor, camp, and over-the-top aesthetics incorporated into drag performances, Korstein said.

"It really pokes fun at what we think is normal and offers some sort of commentary on culture," he said.

Where does drag come from? 

Experts believe drag evolved from theater. In Ancient Greece and during Shakespearean times, for example, men used to play women's parts because women weren't allowed to, Walsh said. 

But the way we understand drag today is vastly different. 

In American society, drag is oftentimes understood as something transgressive, according to Christopher Mitchell, a gender studies professor at CUNY Hunter College. And since the 20th century, it's an activity that's become closely associated with gay culture.

The first person to use drag in this context was William Dorsey Swann, an LGBTQ activist who's widely known as the Queen of Drag, Mitchell said. 

Swann was born in the 1850s and started what's commonly described as the first drag house or drag family, in which he hosted drag balls with his friends. That goal, Mitchell said, seemed to be to create community.

Drag as we know it today really surfaced during the late 1800s in the lead-up to the Harlem Renaissance, Walsh told Insider. 

New York City at the turn of the century was a sociopolitical hub with a booming economy, and gender roles for Black people were particularly stringent, Walsh said. This led to the rise of a drag ball culture. 

The balls were underground because they were largely illegal, Walsh said. 

What is a drag queen? Can women be drag queens? 

The common misconception about drag is that only cis gay men do it, Walsh said. But anyone can do drag. 

When men do drag, they're called drag queens. And when women do it, they're drag kings. But in drag, cis men don't have to present as women, and cis women don't have to present as men. And trans people can certainly do drag as well. 

Related stories

Cis people who do drag are oftentimes exploring aspects of femininity, masculinity, or androgyny, Kornstein told Insider. 

"Drag is for anyone. Drag is for everyone," Walsh said. 

Within the drag community in the United States, however, there are disagreements about the function of drag. 

Walsh said some parts of the deep South, for example, do drag mainly for entertainment, while coastal areas like California and New York might use drag as a politicized action. There's sometimes gatekeeping within the drag community and questions about what is appropriately drag or not, Walsh said. 

But "there is no right or wrong way to do that art, to do that expression, to do drag," Walsh said.  

It's also no longer a western concept, thanks in part to the global popularization of drag through mainstream shows like RuPaul's Drag Race . 

"Drag is performed in pretty much every corner of the world," Kornstein said.

What is the connection between drag and politics?

Drag has also always been political, Walsh said. It's always been a legal issue that the state has tried to sanction, she said. 

Leading up to the middle of the 20th century, drag was "almost an acceptable form of entertainment," Mitchell told Insider. Photos from the 50s in New York City show straight couples attending and enjoying drag performances, he said. 

But as drag became more closely associated with LGBTQ culture, it was stigmatized, according to Mitchell. 

That stigmatization continues today and is reflected, in part, by the increasing number of bills attempting to suppress it.

Sarah Warbelow, legal director of the Human Rights Campaign, told Insider that there's been an "explosion" of legislation targeting drag performances all over the country in the last year. 

In the 1960s and 1970s, there were laws that targeted people who wore clothing that wasn't consistent with their sex assigned at birth. This new wave of legislation is "a modern take on that," Warbelow said. In addition to legislation, right-wing activists are also targeting drag performances. 

Last year, members of the Proud Boys and neo-Nazi groups , for example, protested and stormed drag story hours at local libraries and churches . 

There have been instances of powerful cis men mocking drag as well. 

Former New York City Rudy Giuliani dressed up as a woman in 2000 at an event with former President Donald Trump. The scene, which was intended to be a comedy skit, ended with Trump motorboating Giuliani after calling him beautiful.

"If we look at those instances of these cis white men who have done that, engaged in that, it's always to make a joke," Walsh said. Their intention, Walsh said, is to devalue the idea of femininity. 

But at the end of the day, Giuliani wasn't actually participating in drag, Walsh said. 

"One is a celebration of embracing gender differences, and the other is to put down one gender under the other," she said. 

What's the future of drag?

Despite the threats, drag continues to grow. There's been a lot of grassroots-level organization around drag recently, Walsh said, partly in response to the uptick in violence against drag culture. 

Drag has become mainstream and accessible through technological advances like the internet, Walsh pointed out. 

Warbelow said drag can keep proliferating through the support of politicians. Conservative legislators need to "stop demonizing a group of people simply because they don't understand or don't want to understand that community," she said. 

The way to fight these threats?

"The answer is more drag, baby," Harris said. 

• Main content

The Psychology of Drag

Understanding the science behind the art of pushing gender boundaries..

Posted January 30, 2018 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

Drag queens, otherwise known as “female impersonators," are most typically gay cisgender men (though there are many drag queens of varying sexual orientations and gender identities) who perform and entertain on stage in nightclubs and bars.

Dressed in stereotypical feminine clothing and with elaborate makeup and wigs, they usually adopt an eccentric persona or a character that might act as a means of self-expression of their own personalities or allow them to characterize various personality attributes in order to entertain.

It is important here to note that performing in drag is not necessarily rooted in questioning one's gender identity , though this is a common misconception. Drag queens put forth enormous effort and financial cost to establish an ensemble of makeup, outfits, wigs, and also must develop skills at using these means to transform themselves into their highly adorned characters. Their performances commonly involve lip-syncing and dancing to popular music or other talents such as stand-up comedy.

Drag kings, on the other hand, are just the opposite of drag queens — male impersonators. Although it’s unclear exactly why, drag kings are less common in gay communities, and are also less visible in popular culture and in research on drag. Even less common, are Bio queens — or cisgender women who dress in the style of drag queens. For the purposes of this blog post, I will focus only on drag queens.

A recent feature in New York Times Magazine chronicles the story of RuPaul Charles, arguably the most successful drag queen of all time, along with a brief history of how drag queens came to find their place in the mainstream American media. RuPaul’s influence through his multimedia career , along with his television competition show, RuPaul’s Drag Race , which has been on the air since 2009, has played a major role in bringing significant visibility to the art form of drag. As the feature points out, his ascent has coincided with an important shift in our culture in which Americans are broadening their lens on gender identity and expression.

As described through the article, drag queens have long existed within the margins of society, particularly at times when sexual minorities and subversive sexual and gender expression were highly policed and carried the risk of significant legal consequences. That started to change in the late 1960s and ’70s during the sexual revolution, when drag became more prominent within gay male communities, and eventually, thanks in part to RuPaul, a part of popular culture.

Another New York Times article titled, "Is This the Golden Age of Drag? Yes. And No" by Isaac Oliver explores the art of drag by taking a closer look at the lives of some of the more prominent current drag performers, who share the triumphs and agonies of performing full-time for a living. Most of the challenges of performing in drag are described in vivid detail — including financial costs, time investment, physical demands, and exposure to high rates of discrimination and violence. Despite all of this, these artists often devote their lives to performing — with little guarantee of relative success in the industry.

The Science of Drag

Beyond gaining visibility in popular culture, drag queens have also come into the lens of scientific research, as researchers in the social sciences have started exploring the psychology of drag performers. In one particular study published in 2017, researchers Moncrieff & Lienard use the framework of evolutionary psychology to pose the following question; given the relatively high personal costs and risks such as discrimination and violence, what might drive individuals to a life of performing drag?

Signaling Theory

In evolutionary psychology, signaling theory explains behaviors that do not seem to serve an evolutionary advantage, and in particular behaviors that are meant to attract the attention of a targeted audience. The theory argues that these behaviors typically occur in “protected social worlds” as a way to gain status within that world, despite the costs or drawbacks to the behavior. Moncrieff & Lienard relay that the gay communities in which drag was born serve as a backdrop due to their exclusive and protected nature that was once necessary for the survival of these communities.

In the study, Moncrieff & Lienard surveyed 133 gay men along with a control group of heterosexual men and women, about their perceptions of drag queens. They found that the “evolutionary costs” seem to be recognized as the core cost of performing in drag across all groups. One such cost found in their study is the perception that they are less attractive to potential mates. It is thought that this in part due to the donning of overtly feminine attire and stereotypical behaviors which are seen as less desirable traits among gay men.

As portrayed in Oliver's article, those who perform drag full-time are faced with many personal, physical, and financial sacrifices as well. They also risk being discriminated against not only in public, but also within the gay community. Signaling theory would explain that engaging in “costly” behaviors demonstrates to the intended targets that they are not “faking” those behaviors, which has the benefit of the individual being validated and appreciated more for their efforts. Furthermore, the authors explain that in signaling theory, it is key that the signaling behaviors are extravagant or loud enough to garner attention in an otherwise crowded environment and to help reach the attention of potential allies. In other words, it is critical to stand out.

The main takeaway from the study is the hypothesis that drag performers are motivated, despite the many costs, by how signaling, or performing within the gay community, promotes “upward mobility” and status within a small, protected community. Because of the costs of performing, Moncrieff & Lienard argue, drag queens are more likely to be perceived as authentic, and so those costs end up being an advantage, or a badge of honor. RuPaul and other successful drag queens are of course the exception here, as it seems their status has also been met with financial success and recognition from the mainstream culture.

What About the Art of Drag?

The research findings described here shed some light on potential motivating factors of those who perform drag, at least through the eyes of some in the gay community. However, it is important to note that the researchers did not interview drag queens themselves. Oliver's article highlights something more intangible, which is the spirit and personal significance of drag queen performers.

Additionally, drag entails dismantling traditional notions of gender, and so drag performers must be motivated by this aspect of performing as well. As it turns out, this is consistent with signaling theory in it constitutes behavior that stands apart from what is expected. Future research should continue to explore the various aspects of drag that motivate individuals to become performers, as well as the relationship between drag queens and the communities in which they develop.

Above all, drag is an art form, and drag queens are artists. Although there are indeed many costs associated with performing, how many artists in history have ever wanted to play it safe?

Moncrieff, M., & Lienard, P. (2017). A Natural History of the Drag Queen Phenomenon. Evolutionary Psychology, 15(2), 1474704917707591.

Jennifer O’Brien, Ph.D. , is a clinical psychologist at MIT Medical. She received her Ph.D. from American University.

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The History of Drag

• Author: Terris Schneider
• Posted: July 5, 2023
• Alaska Thunderfuck , Artistry , Bianca Del Rio , Brooke Lynn Hytes , Cultural Diversity , drag , drag queen , drag race , Dusted , Female Impersonators , Gender Boundaries , Katya Zamolodchikova , LGBTQ+ , LGBTQ+ Communities , Modern Drag , Monét X Change , Political , RuPaul , RuPaul Drag Race , Self-Exploration Method , Social , Trixie Mattel

Drag has emerged as a unique artistic expression and entertainment, transcending traditional gender boundaries. It has gained widespread popularity and cultural significance over the years, captivating audiences with its captivating performances, vibrant costumes, and bold personalities. In this blog post, we will delve into the history of drag, exploring its roots, evolution, and profound impact on society.

The Origins of Drag

Drag origins can be traced back to ancient civilizations, where cross-dressing and gender-bending were prevalent in various cultural and religious practices. In ancient Greek theater, men often played female characters, as women were prohibited from theatrical performances. This tradition continued throughout history, reaching Shakespearean plays and the British pantomime tradition.

In the modern era, drag has become a popular form of entertainment and art, with drag shows and drag queens becoming a staple of the LGBTQ+ culture. It is now seen as a form of self-expression that celebrates gender diversity and challenges traditional ideas of gender norms.

The Birth of Modern Drag

Modern drag as we know it today emerged during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the vaudeville and burlesque scenes. Female impersonators, known as drag queens, portray femininity, often for comedic effect. These performances allowed LGBTQ+ individuals to express their identities in a hostile and intolerant world.

Drag provided an outlet for self-expression and a sense of community for queer people, and it has since evolved into a beloved art form. It has continued to thrive in the face of societal criticism and has become an essential source of visibility and celebration for the LGBTQ+ community.

Drag and LGBTQ+ Communities

Drag has played a significant role in the LGBTQ+ community, serving as a form of self-expression and empowerment. During the 1960s and 1970s, drag became a prominent feature of the gay liberation movement. Notable figures such as Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, both drag performers and transgender activists, fought for LGBTQ+ rights and visibility.

Today, drag is a powerful tool for activism and self-expression. Drag artists, queens, and kings are visible in the media, and a wider audience celebrates and embraces the art form. It has become a significant part of LGBTQ+ culture and history. Through drag, many LGBTQ+ people have found a safe space to express themselves and be visible. It has allowed many queer artists to use their art to confront complex issues and challenge the mainstream narrative of what it means to be queer.

Mainstream Popularity

Drag has become popular recently due to reality television shows like “ RuPaul’s Drag Race .” The show has introduced drag to a global audience, showcasing drag performers’ incredible talent, creativity, and resilience. It has given rise to a new generation of drag queens, inspiring countless individuals to embrace their own identities and explore the art of drag.

The show’s success has also led to a greater sense of acceptance for drag, leading to more opportunities for drag performers to showcase their talents in various settings, from stage shows to fashion shows. As a result, drag has become more visible in popular culture, and has enabled drag performers to create a safe and supportive space for themselves and other members of the LGBTQ+ community.

The Artistry of Drag

Drag is not about donning extravagant costumes and performing lip-syncs; it is a multifaceted art form that encompasses a range of skills. Drag queens and kings spend countless hours perfecting their makeup, honing their dance moves, and creating stunning outfits.

Their performances often incorporate comedy, drama, and social commentary elements, showcasing their versatility as performers. In addition to performing, drag artists also use their platforms to advocate for social justice, raising awareness for causes such as LGBTQ+ rights and body positivity. They often use their performances to push boundaries and challenge gender norms, enabling them to make powerful statements about the world we live in.

The History of Drag: The Political and Social Impact

Beyond its entertainment value, drag has profound effects on society. Drag challenges societal norms and expectations surrounding gender and sexuality. It serves as a platform for performers to address social issues such as discrimination, inequality, and LGBTQ+ rights.

Drag performances often act as a catalyst for dialogue, fostering empathy, understanding, and acceptance. By pushing against the gender binary and conventions of mainstream society, drag offers a safe space for people to express themselves and explore their identities without fear of judgment or discrimination.

Drag performances also act as a form of protest against oppressive systems and can bring visibility to overlooked communities and issues.

Drag as a Self-Exploration Method

The art of drag offers self-exploration and self-acceptance. It allows them to embody different personas and experiment with gender identities in a safe and supportive environment. Drag has helped people discover their authentic selves and find a community where they feel accepted and celebrated.

This art form has been especially true for LGBTQ+ individuals who have found solace and affirmation in drag culture. Drag has allowed them to express their true identity without fear of judgment or persecution. It has also provided a platform for them to embrace their unique characteristics and celebrate their individuality.

The History of Drag: Cultural Diversity in Drag

Drag is not confined to one culture or region. It is a global phenomenon, with drag communities thriving in various countries worldwide. Each culture brings its own unique flavor to drag performances, incorporating local traditions, music, and fashion.

From the glamorous drag artists of the United States to the fierce drag performers of Thailand’s culture, drag celebrates human diversity. In other words, it speaks to the power of drag as a platform for self-expression.

It is a unifying force that brings people together across cultures, genders, and identities. It is a way for people to express themselves creatively and uniquely, and it is a powerful symbol of diversity and inclusion.

Drag is an art form that has undergone a remarkable journey throughout history, evolving from its ancient origins to become a vibrant and powerful force in contemporary culture. To learn more about drag and other LGBTQ+ topics, follow our blog at LGBTQ and ALL .

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• Dec 12, 2021

The Evolution of Drag: A History of Self-Expressionism.

Drag has a rich cultural history, spanning cross-dressing performances and deliberate parodies of heteronormative gender roles and sexuality. Since the Ancient Greek tragedies, men have always taken on female roles. Shakespeare's plays famously featured men dressing up as women. Additionally, Baroque operas included early examples of drag. Drag can also be dated to Ancient Egypt, where powerful queens such as Cleopatra used to dress themselves up as men to assert more dominance, strength, and power, to help claim the throne. This form of art has been around for centuries, and every single era of drag has been crucial to the success and acceptance of drag today. However, understanding drag requires learning about the queer and racial context associated with drag and its history.

The term "drag queen" was first used to describe men appearing in women’s clothing in Polari — a type of British slang that was popularized among gay men and the theater community in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The "drag" terminology is generally traced back to Shakespeare’s plays; in them, male actors would wear long costume dresses that used to "drag" on the stage floor. Famous Shakespeare characters like Lady Macbeth and Juliet were all believed to have been portrayed by men. During that time, women weren’t allowed on stage. They were seen as inferiors, unfit for acting and incapable of performing. The Christian church was mainly responsible for the ban of women on stage, and deemed it exclusively vacant for men. Even when religion's influence on drama decreased, seeing a woman acting would be extremely shocking and offensive. Drag was also present in Japan, in the early 17th century. "Kabuki", a classical dance-drama, became popular at that time. This performance art featured female impersonators showcasing intricate makeup, falsetto voices, and feminine movement.

In the roaring 20s, drag shifted from an ensemble performance to an individual form of entertainment, also known as "Vaudeville". The genre involved female impersonation, combining burlesque, comedy, music, and dancing. It was through Vaudeville that the first well-known drag queen came to prominence: Julian Eltinge. At the time, Julian became the highest paid actor in the world, surpassing Charlie Chaplin. Following these events, the United States entered the prohibition era, which abolished alcohol production and consumption from 1920 until 1933. This is when gay men started using underground clubs as an opportunity to express themselves. The underground prohibition scene offered gay men and women the opportunity to feel free. It was an underground utopia for American queers, no matter their race, gender, or identity. However, this didn’t last long. As drag became more popular, the drag-safe spaces started to be hunted down by the police. Female impersonation was completely banned in New York, ending Vaudeville for good.

World War II brought back the heteronormative culture and beliefs that don’t accept drag. Therefore, drag artists and queer individuals kept struggling and fighting stereotypes, unfair laws, incorrect judgments, and a huge lack of their own human rights. Drag continued suffering up until the 70s, when a new popularmentality started evolving. Drag was back in parts of New York in the 1970s, and some of the biggest drag balls were organized there. These competitions require participants to own the runway in the best drag possible in order to impress the judges and walk away with a slew of awards. This was also the birthplace of the drag mother notion. Talented and promising drag performers would be put in the hands of experienced queens, who would train them on how to act on stage as well as enhance their appearance. They frequently provided a safe haven for young people going through terrible times in their lives, not only for those aspiring to be drag queens. As a result, drag mothers came to be recognized as the leaders of their households, in charge of a complete drag family. Their drag protégés were permitted to acquire their mother's last name and even have their stage name selected for them by their mother.

Drag queens, most notably Marsha P. Johnson, protested police raids on homosexual clubs in New York City during the Stonewall Riot of 1969, which led to the formation of the Gay Liberation Front. During the 1970s and 1980s, the campaign for acceptance and equality gained traction, with Harvey Milk being the first openly homosexual man elected to public office in San Francisco in 1977.

Given drag’s strong position in popular culture, it has developed a solid foothold in the art world as well. Because of the prominence of RuPaul's Drag Race , the art form is now frequently featured on major TV channels, magazine covers, and the focus of multiple podcasts and videos. RuPaul was on the verge of worldwide recognition by the early 1990s, combining a drag character with a singing career that featured a duet with Elton John. RuPaul’s Drag Race aired for the first time in 2009, where it made its premiere debut. Its combination of tasks, costume design, skits, and parodies has made it essential television for an unexpectedly wide audience, and has even implemented a whole new set of vocabulary words popular in the queer community. Terms like "YAAAS QUEEN", "spill the tea", and "throw shade" are now used in mainstream communities and by the younger generations.

Drag is not limited to just gender performance. Drag incorporates societal roles, breaks taboos, and elevates performance art. Its long history and political power assert how relevant it is as a means of expression and creativity. Drag artists can be themselves or someone else. Drag is limitless. It unquestionably shaped the modern world of art, and it continues to do so to this day.   References Crookston, C. (Ed.). (2020).  The Cultural Impact of RuPauls Drag Race: Why Are We All Gagging? Intellect Books. McAllister N.B. (2017). Drag and Female Impersonation in Japan and the United States. (Undergraduate Honors Theses, University of Colorado, Boulder, U.S.A). Mehra, S. (2020).  KINGING AND QUEENING: GENDERED POWER IN DRAG  (Bachelor’s Thesis, St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, India).

Mehran, M. (2020). ‘Tens, Tens, Tens Across the Board’: Representation, Remuneration, and Repercussion–RuPaul’s Drag Race from Screens to Streets  (Master’s Thesis, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada).

Surkan, K. (2003). Drag kings in the new wave: Gender performance and participation.  Journal of homosexuality , 43(3-4), 161-186.

Svich, C. (2012). Sex, Drag, and Male Roles: Investigating Gender as Performance. Contemporary Theatre Review , 22(1), 170-171.

A very nicely written and carefully researched article! It is also a good introductory read to performative art. Thank you!

Gaelle Abou Nasr

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Watch a drag queen transform: ‘It’s my moment to just be happy’

Posted: June 7, 2024 | Last updated: June 7, 2024

Drag queens have fascinated audiences for centuries. “Drag War” on The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper offers a colorful examination of how their performances became a target for the political right through the lens of drag queens in Florida. It premieres Sunday, June 9 at 8pm ET/PT on CNN.

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Understanding Drag

Drag is a type of entertainment where people dress up and perform, often in highly stylized ways. The term originated as British theater slang in the 19th century and was used to describe women’s clothing worn by men.

Today, many prominent drag artists are still people who identify as men and present themselves in exaggeratedly feminine ways as part of their performance, and are known as drag queens . While some drag queens live their lives as men outside of their drag personae, people of any gender can be drag queens. Drag kings , who wear men’s clothing and perform stylized forms of masculinity, are less common, but do exist. Many drag kings are women, but people of any gender can be drag kings as well.

As part of their performance, many drag queens and kings have a separate drag persona in addition to the self they live as every day. This persona will of course look different, but may also have a different name and ask to be referred to by different gender pronouns.

This does not mean they are transgender. Just as actors do not keep being referred to by their characters’ names after stepping offstage, drag performers do not necessarily keep the names or pronouns they use while performing. Drag performers are artists and entertainers, so being in drag is not an integral part of their identity in the same way that gender is.

On the other hand, when a transgender person comes out and asks people to use a different name and different gender pronouns to refer to them, it is not part of a performance. It is an important part of their identity, and can be a critical part of affirming their gender identity.

Don’t assume that someone in drag is transgender, or vice versa. Just as the vast majority of the general population does not do drag, most transgender people also are not drag performers. It can be hurtful to refer to a transgender person’s presentation as drag, because it suggests that their deeply held identity is just a show they are putting on—which is untrue.

Being respectful of a drag performer’s gender is the same as being respectful of anyone else’s gender. If you’re not sure, for example, of which pronouns to use when referring to someone, just ask.

Like transgender people, drag performers can experience discrimination and harassment because of their gender expression. NCTE works to end violence against all people who face bias because of their gender presentation and/or identity.

To learn in more depth about what it means to be transgender, start at our one-page resource: Understanding Transgender People: The Basics .

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Drag by Day, Drag by Night: 7 Performers on the Art of Self-Presentation

By José Criales-Unzueta

Photography by Nicholas Needham

A growing wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation is threatening the safety and livelihoods of queer people across the United States; at the moment, the American Civil Liberties Union is tracking 491 such bills, many of which target trans people or aim to ban or censor drag performances. 

In queer communities and beyond, however, drag isn’t limited to drag shows. All self-presentation is a kind of performance of identity, and at its most fundamental, that’s what drag is too. The ways we adorn ourselves—whether we’re covered in tattoos or draped in quiet luxury —are all forms of costume, all projections of some persona. As RuPaul once famously said: “We are all born naked, and the rest is drag.”

In that spirit, we spoke to seven drag artists and performers about the costumes they wear by day—as real-estate agents, coders, footwear designers—as well as onstage by night. Read through to discover their stories. 

Alika —Footwear Designer and (Her Own) Personal Muse

“Dressing up is not an animal instinct. We’re making a choice every single day and every single moment about how we are presenting ourselves to the world, and drag is an extension of that.”

Wolfgang —The Queen With a (Realty) License to Serve

“People who don’t support us simply have never given themselves the chance to know us and know what drag is or can be.”

Anna Lytical —Drag Queen in STEM (and Coder at Google)

“Drag is about intention. It’s taking some kind of expectation and subverting, exaggerating, or highlighting it.”

Maxxx Pleasure —Digital Marketer by Day, Glam-Rock King by Night

Dev Doee —Part-Time Creative Director, Full-Time Diva

“Sometimes we complicate and pervert what drag is, but it’s really creating the most influential, creative, and authentic version of yourself in that moment, and we all strive for that.”

Babylon From the Haus of Gods…and That One NYC Hospital

“To an extent, I think everything really is drag because it’s less about putting on a wig and makeup and more about looking the part and fulfilling the assignment.”

Meet Your Photographer, Necklace—a.k.a. Nicholas Needham

“My work is about spreading joy and showing people, queer people, in the way they deserve to be seen: as beautiful, dignified, talented stars.”

Drag Queens in the Classroom Teach Inclusion and Fun, Offering a World of Imagination

By Marianne Dhenin

Queer communities in the United States are under attack. Across the country, legislators are passing bills banning certain gender affirming care for trans youth, prohibiting teachers from talking about LGBTQ+ identity in the classroom, mandating what sports teams trans kids can and can’t play on, and much more. One of the most recent flashpoints in an ongoing series of assaults on queer bodies, spaces, and fundamental rights has been kid-oriented pride events, specifically ones that feature drag queens.

Once at home only in dimly-lit gay bars after sundown, drag performers have recently stepped into the spotlight as mainstream media stars, thanks largely to Emmy Award-winning television series RuPaul’s Drag Race , which debuted in 2009. More recently still, they’ve moved into the fluorescent lights of educational spaces, like schools, libraries, and bookstores, through the work of organizations like Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) and Queens of the Castro . But as educational drag events for young people become more common, conservatives and extremists have targeted the events, threatening the performers themselves, and the creativity and inclusion they preach.

Online videos of “Drag Your Kids to Pride,” a drag brunch held on June 4 at Mr. Misster bar and lounge in Dallas, showing a drag performer interacting with young audience members sparked outrage among conservatives and prompted Texas legislator Brian Slaton to declare his intention to introduce legislation that would ban minors from drag performances. Other politicians, including Gov. Ron DeSantis (R–FL) and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Green (R-GA) , have since voiced their support for similar restrictions.

Other kid-oriented drag events, including a Drag Queen Story Hour in San Lorenzo, California , on June 11, have also come under attack from groups with links to far-right militias echoing conservative politicians’ talking points. Meanwhile, Pride Month book displays at local libraries are disappearing from shelves as conservative religious groups organize behind the slogan “Hide the Pride,” part of a more extensive ongoing campaign by anti-LGBTQ+ activists and politicians to ban LGBTQ+-inclusive books.

Drag queen, activist, and children’s book author, Lil Miss Hot Mess , tells Teen Vogue that the attacks are a “war on imagination.” “It’s really about preventing critical thinking and creative thinking,” Hot Mess says. “It’s part of this move towards authoritarianism that wants us to maintain the status quo rather than think for ourselves.”

Founded in 2015 by Michelle Tea and RADAR Productions , Drag Queen Story Hour started in San Francisco to give young people in the area queer role models, and show them they can be whoever they want to be. Its simple model — drag queens reading stories to children in libraries — was soon replicated elsewhere, and DQSH chapters have since sprung up in 27 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and more than a dozen cities abroad.

With DQSH, organizers recognized that the core principles of drag performance — imagination, play, self-expression, improvisation — were also at the heart of early childhood education.

“A lot of educational, entertainment, and playful opportunities for children center around these ideas of creative expression, helping them find their voices, helping them manage difficult emotions, and I think a lot of that is present in drag culture,” says Hot Mess, who also serves on the board at DQSH. “For me, in the work that I do with [Drag Queen] Story Hour and as a children’s book author, it’s really about finding those places of synergy or overlap.”

Queens of the Castro applies the same ideas to working with older students, partnering with on-campus clubs like chapters of the Genders & Sexualities Alliances Network to organize drag performances and other drag events at San Francisco-area schools.

While anti-LGBTQ+ activists and politicians frame drag as hypersexual in their attacks, drag artists and experts say that’s a mischaracterization and does a real disservice to drag performers, their skills, and the principles that underpin their work.

“While it is true that they are playing with sexual and gender norms, they are also showing us, in a very material, embodied sense, how deeply questions of sexuality and gender inform everything about the world as we know it,” says J. Logan Smilges, assistant professor at the University of British Columbia and author of the forthcoming book Queer Silence: On Disability and Rhetorical Absence .

That’s the magic of drag: It provides a vehicle for challenging the institutions and structures of power that dictate the material conditions of our lives and normalize or privilege certain identities in ways that extend far beyond sex and gender norms.

“I use drag to express whatever is happening in my community,” says Per Sia , a queer educator and drag performer for DQSH, whose recent conversations with young people in educational settings have covered topics like gentrification and disability justice.

Both Per Sia and Grace Towers , a drag artist and program director at Queens of the Castro, also address racial justice in their work and use drag performance to create safe spaces for communities of color. “One of the core tenets of drag is imagination and this ability to create a space … and believe in it so fully that it becomes a reality,” says Towers, who creates those spaces for the Latinx community through performances of baile folklorico and Spanish-language songs.

Through their work in education and performance, drag artists also encourage self-expression and build community. “Drag provides a beautiful portal for activism, for making statements about how we feel in community, [and] a beautiful process of creative exploration,” Towers says.

Some of these benefits are produced within the framework of inclusive curricula. Education experts say that LGBTQ+-inclusive education improves student engagement and connection and reduces feelings of alienation and isolation for LGBTQ+ students. Representation matters. But methods of queer or drag teaching go even further.

Hot Mess and Harper Keenan, an assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy at the University of British Columbia, use the term drag pedagogy to describe a “performative approach to queer pedagogy that is not simply about LGBT lives, but living queerly. ”

By Sara Delgado

By Kara Nesvig

By Angie Jaime

The pair write that drag pedagogy benefits teaching and learning in ways that “extend beyond traditional approaches to LGBT curricular inclusion.” These benefits include destigmatizing shame, encouraging children to advocate for themselves and teachers to engage dissent in productive ways, and fostering embodied kinship, a connection that goes further than simply tolerating and incorporating outsiders into the normative structures of society.

“When I think of inclusion, I think about almost a patronizing approach,” explains Hot Mess. “It’s sort of saying ‘Well, you’re different and we’re going to include you because we feel like we have to.’ It’s coming from a place of ‘You’re not in the norm.’” With queer or drag pedagogies, Hot Mess continues, “We’re going beyond that. It’s about disrupting the status quo.”

Keenan gives the example of a school that asks students to organize themselves in two lines, one for boys and one for girls, to walk down the hall. An inclusive model of education might allow students to choose a line. “But it doesn’t facilitate much questioning into why we organize people that way to begin with,” he explains. It doesn’t ask why systems and spaces are designed to be exclusive from the start. Whereas a queer model “invites kids into the process of imagining how we might organize ourselves differently in society.”

Rather than buying into rhetorics of inclusion, queer or drag pedagogies invite a more radical approach that queer theorists call queer worldmaking — a creative project rooted in the premise that the cisgender and heterosexual norms that order society are but one possible arrangement. When drag is welcomed into educational spaces, students are invited to question the borders of inclusion and exclusion and imagine how society might be ordered otherwise.

This work begins as soon as a drag artist steps into a classroom, where their mere presence pushes the boundaries of what a teacher can look like and what teaching and learning can be, thus showing students that other worlds are possible. “Just the way that drag performers model an [other kind of life] is itself a really valuable contribution to children learning about themselves and their modes of relation to others,” Smilges says.

That “otherwise” could be many things, Hot Mess says. “That could be imagining roles outside of gender norms. It could be about imagining non-violent solutions to conflict. It could be about imagining a more sustainable world. It’s about going against the grain.”

Through their commitment to imagining and creating an otherwise, drag and queer pedagogies also further myriad other liberation struggles — from the disability justice that informs Smilges’ work and the racial justice that Per Sia and Towers engage in their performance and teaching to the liberation of Palestine, which Canada’s Drag Race Season 3 cast member , Halal Bae , has just brought roaring into the drag mainstream.

It’s no surprise that drag artists take up these struggles in their work. Queer people are accustomed to disrupting social norms, questioning relations of power, challenging systems of exclusion, and practicing solidarity because they have always had to do so to survive. “As queer people, we are used to imagining other worlds because in so many ways we have had to live our lives against what we’re being told is the norm,” Hot Mess says. “So we make our own communities, chosen families, sets of cultural tropes, and ways of being in the world.”

Embracing this ethos benefits everyone, not only the queer youth who might feel represented by a drag artist in their classroom or other marginalized communities for whom drag performers create space. “When we start to push past liberal or neoliberal rhetorics of inclusion towards something a little bit more radical, we’re thus inviting not only marginalized communities but also people who have a more desirable relation to power to imagine a different life for themselves and for all of us, collectively,” Smilges says.

With a record-breaking number of anti-LGBTQ+ laws filed this year and violence against queer communities, women, and communities of color on the rise, the world needs drag performers now more than ever — in the nightclub, on the main stage, and in libraries and classrooms. Inviting these performers and their principles into educational spaces is not just about building a more inclusive classroom. It’s about challenging structures of power, fostering new ways of relating to each other and our material world, and coming together to build a more just society.

After all, when the lights come up, a world that learns from drag performers would be one “driven by pleasure, enjoyment, feeling good, taking care of each other, making sure peoples’ needs are met,” Hot Mess says — and “a more glittery and sparkly world” to boot.

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The art of drag is a target. With Pride Month near, performers are organizing to fight back

FILE - Chicago drag performer Jo Mama joins several black drag queens to lead the “Drag March for Change” in the Boystown neighborhood on the North Side of Chicago, June 14, 2020. About 10 drag artists from around the United States are banding together to protect and promote their art form. Qommittee announced its formation Wednesday, May 29, 2024 ahead of June’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month. (Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP, file)

FILE - Protesters and supporters of a drag queen story time event square off in front of Old Nick’s pub in Eugene, Ore., Oct. 23, 2022. About 10 drag artists from around the United States are banding together to protect and promote their art form. Qommittee announced its formation Wednesday, May 29, 2024 ahead of June’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month. (Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard via AP, File)

FILE - Eric Posey, of Post Falls, Idaho, embraces a supporter in court after a jury awarded him more than $1.1 million in damages in his defamation lawsuit against conservative blogger Summer Bushnell, May 24, 2024, in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. Posey said he suffered harassment and death threats after Bushnell falsely accused him of exposing himself to minors during a performance in 2022. (Kaye Thornbrugh/Coeur D’Alene Press via AP, File)

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“Drag is joy, but it’s under attack. Our very existence, our self-expression, our art — all of it is being threatened. And we’ve had enough.”

That’s the opening salvo of Qommittee, a group of drag performers banding together to protect and promote their art form, as it announced its formation ahead of June’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month.

“We’ve always had to fight tooth and nail for our place in this world,” the group said in a news release Wednesday. “But now, we’re also battling a tidal wave of hate — doxxing, harassment, death threats, armed protests, bombings, and even shootings.”

Qommittee consists of about 10 drag performers nationwide who have experienced, directly or indirectly, threats, harassment or violence related to their art form. One had a venue firebombed in Ohio; one performed at Club Q in Colorado Springs and helped victims the night of the shooting there that killed five people; and one worked at Club Q and at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, where a gunman killed 49 people in 2016.

Qommittee says it hopes, among other things, to connect drag performers and communities lacking in local support to resources including legal aid and therapy. It may also help performers and venues navigate the business.

The group is already working to create dialogue between its members and local law enforcement agencies, organizers said.

“The Qommittee stands as a kind of a central hub for other communities across the country, the performance communities across the country, to find resources to help them, whether it is negotiating with venues or … helping defend against the many protests against drag shows that we’ve seen,” said Qommittee President B Williams, a drag king who performs in Washington, D.C., as Blaq Dinamyte.

In recent years, conservative activists and politicians have complained about what they call the “sexualization” or “grooming” of children by drag performers, often via popular drag story hours, in which performers read age-appropriate materials to children, or drag brunches, whose venues generally warn patrons of material unsuitable for children.

There is a dearth of evidence that drag performers harm children. Just last week, a jury awarded more than $1 million to an Idaho performer who accused a far-right blogger of defaming him by falsely claiming he exposed himself to a crowd that included children.

Still, the idea of drag as a threat has caught on as another form of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. Opponents have even shown up to drag events with guns. At least five states have passed laws in recent years restricting performances in some fashion, but courts in some of them have put enforcement on hold.

As Pride Month approaches, it’s important to remember that drag is not just an art, but also an industry that fosters entrepreneurship and creates jobs, said community organizer Scott Simpson, who helped connect the members of Qommittee. The fans should get involved, too, he said.

“The time to really come together is now. The time to come together is when we’re having joyful moments together,” said Simpson, who also works for the unaffiliated Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “I mean, drag’s the revolution. And we want to keep the revolution going.”

Explainer: the difference between being transgender and doing drag

Lecturer in Screen and Media Studies, University of the Sunshine Coast

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Joanna McIntyre does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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Australian icon Barry Humphries has been widely criticised for again making anti-trans statements. In an interview , Humphries said that being transgender is “a fashion — how many different kinds of lavatory can you have? And it’s pretty evil when it’s preached to children by crazy teachers.”

Many people find Humphries’ transphobia confusing because he is most famous for playing drag character Dame Edna Everage. His comments are indeed harmful, but Humphries portraying a female character is completely separate from matters of transgender identification.

Recently Hollywood star Scarlett Johannson withdrew from a film in which she was to play a trans man due to backlash against the role not being given to a transgender actor. Transgender celebrities such as Caitlyn Jenner have helped bring the subject of transgender into everyday discussions. Nevertheless, there is still a lot of misunderstanding about what being transgender means and how it relates to drag.

For instance in Celebrity Big Brother UK this year, which featured Australian drag queen Courtney Act and British journalist and trans woman India Willoughby, the latter said she dislikes drag queens . This led to many vexed conversations about the relationship between transgender people and drag.

Put simply, “transgender” refers to a personal gender identity and an authentic, lasting sense of self. In contrast, “drag” is a temporary and deliberate performance of gender.

Being transgender

Transgender people exist across cultures and continents, and have appeared throughout human history - though the words we currently use to describe them are relatively new.

Transgender is a term used to indicate a person has a gender identity other than the one they were assigned at birth. It is an umbrella term that covers numerous possible gender identities. Some transgender people identify as the sex “opposite” to their birth sex. Others have a gender identity that includes both masculinity and femininity (for instance, those who are genderqueer or gender fluid) and some identify as neither (those who are agender ).

Being transgender is not linked to a certain sexuality. Like cisgender people (people who do identify with the gender they were assigned at birth), transgender people can be straight, gay or bisexual.

Some transgender people choose to undergo surgery and/or hormone therapy, and some do not. Like everyone else, transgender people express their gender in various and individual ways.

Although drag shows onstage have long been a popular form of entertainment, drag has recently become more prominent. This increased awareness is largely due to the worldwide success of the US reality TV show Rupaul’s Drag Race in which drag queens compete to be crowned a “drag superstar”. This show has infiltrated popular culture and raised drag’s public profile.

Read more: RuPaul's Drag Race is still figuring out how to handle gender and race

Drag is most commonly associated with gay men dressing up and embodying a “larger-than-life” female persona. Drag queens are flamboyant and this form of drag often involves sequins and feathers but it can also be sleek and edgy.

For drag queens, their drag persona can be an important part of their own identity as a gay man (this does not mean they are transgender). Similarly, women also perform drag as drag kings . Drag kings dress as men and take on male personas, often wearing facial hair, adopting masculine mannerisms and a deep voice.

Drag shows have a lengthy history and are a lively and important part of gay culture. In LGBTQ+ contexts, drag is used as a way to explore gender. It is often understood as a breaking down of the limitations of masculinity and femininity.

The term drag is also used to describe straight men donning women’s clothing for the sake of comedy. Barry Humphries undertakes this form of drag when playing Dame Edna. Often this type of drag is a satire of women rather than an exploration of gender itself. It therefore stands apart from LGBTQ+ drag. Nevertheless, the cultural effects of drag always depend on its context.

Read more: Strapped, packed and taking the stage: Australia's new drag kings

Transgender people and drag culture

Many transgender people have no interest in drag whatsoever. Some transgender people - such as India Willoughby - even dislike drag because they feel it wrongly implies being transgender is just about “dressing up” when really it is about living an authentic gender identity.

However, there are still connections between transgender lives and LGBTQ+ drag. Many transgender people love drag and some perform it regularly. Taking on a drag persona can also be a stage in a transgender person’s gender transition.

For example, transgender celebrity Carmen Carerra identified as a gay man and was a popular drag queen contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race. After appearing on the show she began a gender transition and now identifies as a woman - she is a trans woman.

All transgender people are individuals. Being transgender and doing drag will remain distinct. Yet as awareness of transgender identities and drag culture continues to grow, so will the acceptance and understanding of LGBTQ+ people in our society.

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What We Learned From Drag Queen Storytime (It Might Not Be What You Think!)

by Catherine Hollerbach on February 5, 2024

In March of 2018, during a snowy PLA conference, a group of staff from Anne Arundel County Public Library in Maryland attended a program called Drag Queen Story Hour: Reading Fabulously. We learned about the Drag Queen Story Hour organization that started in San Francisco and New York and had been doing programs at libraries across the country. The presentation was lively and interesting, and we thought this might be something we would want to share with our customers. The presenters mentioned that they had received pushback in some areas, but once they explained the reasoning for the program (inclusivity, diversity, welcoming, etc.) the communities got on board, and everything went smoothly. Little did we know we would have a very different experience.

After the conference, I told my supervisor, library Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Skip Auld about this program and he was curious and open to exploring the idea. He could see how it would align with the creative programming we were doing and how it would appeal to some of our customers.  One of the branch managers was interested in hosting a similar program in our library, so I put that in the monthly report I shared with our Board of Trustees in April. I thought I was being transparent, but it turned out that I wasn’t doing nearly enough to set the stage and prepare for the upcoming challenges.

In June, a staff member shared that they knew someone who performed in drag, who worked at a library, and was willing to present a Drag Queen Storytime for us. This was a win/win because the presenter was personally known to the staff member, they were trained in library storytime practices, and they were used to working with kids. The staff member submitted their program proposal, and it was approved up the chain of command, as is our usual practice. The social media post promoting the program hit Facebook in June, and I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that all hell broke loose! We immediately started getting calls, messages, and emails from elected officials and customers demanding that we cancel the program. While we knew there would potentially be some pushback, we did not expect what happened next!

Our public library system is a quasi-county organization, which means we get most of our funding from the county, but it is overseen by a Board of Trustees made up of community members. Our CEO immediately called the board chair to explain what was going on and set to work on getting the board up to speed and doing damage control. The CEO and board chair agreed that we didn’t want to cancel the program, but we had to figure out how to handle all the pushback and provide support for the staff, supportive board members, and our customers who wanted this program.

The next few months were a blur of difficult conversations, navigating conflict and controversy, determining and articulating our values, but we persevered. The program went off without a hitch that August, but we did have to make some changes. The controversy ended up extending past Drag Queen Storytime to how we select our programming, and who is welcome at the library. We learned some lessons about how to introduce a program that may be controversial, and how to stand by our values in times of diversity and challenges.

Educate your Board, Friends/Foundation, Governmental Leaders

In hindsight, when we decided we wanted to do the first Drag Queen Storytime in Maryland, we should have done more to educate the board about this program and why we wanted to do it. I did a presentation to the board so they would understand what we wanted to do and why. This was helpful, but I wish we had done it before the community pushback started. I also educated the board about our programming practices. For instance, parents/caregivers are required to accompany kids under 8, in accordance with Maryland state law. No kids under 8 would be in this program without a parent or caregiver with them, and most kids rely on parents and caregivers to bring them to the library, so the older kids are usually accompanied by adults as well. We also explained to the board that when we hire outside presenters, we have oversight as to what they present and how they present it. In this case, we knew all eyes would be on us, so we intentionally talked to our presenter about all the details, including book and music selection, and even their attire. Videos on the internet didn’t help our cause. Customers were sending videos of adult drag performances and demanding that we not allow pole dancing in Storytime. We needed to get the correct information out into the community on what our event would look like.

We also talked to the board about the library system’s values of diversity, inclusion and belonging and how important it is for us to welcome everyone. Earlier that year, the board had adopted the Urban Libraries Statement on Race and Social Equity , so we discussed that. We reminded the board members that not every program will appeal to everyone, and that is okay.  We also learned we needed to compromise to present our first Drag Queen Storytime in a way that the board would be more comfortable defending. This meant moving the venue, putting signage on the door about the parents and caregivers accompanying small children, having administration approve the content and attend the program. Although this was unusual, we could live with these limitations. In subsequent Drag Queen Storytimes, the board was not involved in the content and we were able to present the program without as much oversight of the details. Multiple board members have attended Drag Queen Storytimes to show support.

Educate Yourself

If you do controversial programs such as Drag Queen Storytime, there will be protesters. It’s important that staff know the legal parameters around protesting and what to do if protesters push the limits. We received legal advice that we could control the time, place, and manner of protesting, so we had a designated area where the protesters could stand, and we did not allow them to bring their signage into the program. We gave priority to customers with kids but did allow adults to enter the program if there was space. We believed this transparency was important. Be sure that your library has procedures in place to deal with protesters. We also had counter-protesters, which was much appreciated by staff and by the presenter! At one of our programs, the workers at the produce stand across the street saw the protesters, went to a local craft store and bought supplies to decorate their tent with rainbows and blasted ABBA music. They also sent over the message that our Drag Queen could come over after the program and get as much produce as they wanted!

Library staff with Balena Canto, at the library’s inaugural Drag Queen Storytime.

Support and Communicate with Staff

We had to educate staff on two levels. First, we needed to get buy in from staff even if they didn’t personally agree with the programs. Second, we needed to provide staff with language for talking to unhappy customers. We created a frequently asked questions document and posted it on our intranet. Staff could print this out and put it on the service desks to refer to when customers came in or called to complain. We also posted our Program Selection Policy and information about our library system’s values on our website.

Align with Partners

We realized very quickly that we couldn’t go very far with Draq Queen Storytime, or other LGBTQIA+ related programing without rallying support in our community. We had already been working with the newly formed Annapolis Pride advocacy group, and this controversy cemented our relationship. Their members came out in full force to testify at board meetings about how the library had been a safe place for them over the years and that this programming was crucial for the community. We also worked with other businesses, agencies, and non-profit groups that shared our values and would support the work we were doing.

Be Prepared for the Unexpected

It is an unfortunate reality, but it is important to let local law enforcement know when you are doing a program that might end up with conflict. In addition to protesters outside of the library, an assault occurred at one of our programs where a person interrupted the Storytime to yell his opinion and then shoved a board member who was in the program. The law enforcement officer staged in the program room quickly removed the protester and Storytime went on. This was a big help to staff who were concerned about handling a situation like this without the proper authority or training.

We also created a process for managing horrible comments online. We don’t automatically remove negative comments, but we do remove anything that is threatening or personal against staff or our presenters. Our digital experience manager keeps a file of all removed comments in case we get a Maryland Public Information Act request. We call law enforcement if there are threats that we deem dangerous, and they help us determine the next steps.

We also reminded staff that all their written communications are subject to public request, so they needed to be aware of that and choose their wording carefully. We did get some Maryland Public Information Requests related to our first Drag Queen program and had to turn over a lot of written communications.

Create a Unified Response

We worked hard to make sure we were all telling our customers the same thing. We created a response template that we sent out to those customers who contacted us via email. Sometimes we would tailor the response if they had specific concerns.

“Thank you for your feedback. The Anne Arundel County Public Library (AACPL) is committed to providing a diverse slate of creative, inclusive, educational, and entertaining programs for all ages.  We understand that not all events or materials will interest all customers. Additionally, parents make the choices as to which library events their children will attend, and we respect those choices.

AACPL is committed to racial and social equity and has pledged to:

• Create and maintain an environment of diversity, inclusion and respect both in our library systems and in all aspects of our community role
• Ensure that we are reaching and engaging disenfranchised people in the community and helping them express their voice

LGBTQIA+ programs help children and adults embrace gender diversity and sexual orientation in others and in themselves. It helps curb bullying of LGBTQIA+ children and adults who are considered “different” in all kinds of ways.n With rates of suicide attempts for LGBTQIA+ teens almost five times the level of their heterosexual counterparts, the need for these inclusive programs is imperative. LGBTQIA+ positive programs help people build empathy, provide positive role models for LGBTQIA+ children and make the world a more affirming place for all.  While we respect the viewpoint of all our customers, we remain committed to providing a safe space for all.”

All responses went out from me as chief operating officer, CEO Auld, or our marketing manager. This is not how we would have chosen to get onto the front page of the local paper or in the newsletters that were going around the local churches and community groups, but it did bring attention to our work and educate the community about the value of diverse programming.

Although it was a challenging time, Drag Queen Storytime broke the ice, and it was worth it. We are now known as a system that values diverse programming, especially LGBTQIA+ programming. Our CEO was selected as the grand marshal of the Annapolis Pride parade in June 2020, and although it was canceled due to Covid, we are proud of that recognition of our system’s work. Our commitment to diverse programming has also created a more welcoming environment for LGBTQIA+ staff, and that is well known in the Maryland library community.

Membership on our board of trustees has almost completely turned over since 2018, so we make sure that we continue to educate the new members about our path to diverse programming and our commitment to making sure it continues. We do the same with our elected officials and we continue to nurture relationships with our partners as we grow and expand programs to meet the needs of our diverse community.

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