In the sparkling world of drag, where glamour, creativity, and self-expression converge, queer people can explore their identities and celebrate their true selves.
For the queer community, drag is not just an art form; it’s a tool for empowerment and politics and a sanctuary where gender identity and expression thrive.
In this exploration of the art of drag, we talk to local performers about their motivations, the challenges they face, and where the future of drag lies for the queer community and beyond.
Drag is empowering
Transforming into their alter ego and stepping on stage (or on the camera) can be life-changing for drag performers. For Newcastle-based drag artist Vandoll (they/she), performing has shaped who they are:
“Drag…helped me with my own gender identity. [It] allows me to intentionally construct how I am perceived and express parts of myself that people don’t usually see.”
For some drag artists, it’s about exploring through makeup and costume, and for others, inhabiting a new persona mentally and through movement. Drag becomes a means of self-discovery, allowing individuals to amplify certain aspects of their personality or tap into hidden parts of themselves.
Sydney-based drag king Manish Interest (he/they) has used drag to explore the intersection between his gender and cultural identities as a Sri Lankan Tamil person:
“Starting drag, I was able to unlock a part of me that I previously repressed. It has given me confidence in myself and opportunities to represent queer South Asian people.”
Drag is political
Behind the glitter and glam of drag lies an artform that often confronts adversity. From the police raids of queer bars throughout the 20th century to the attack on drag story times in Australia, drag performers are a resilient bunch.
Sydney-based Māori drag queen Aunty Tamara (she/they) says that regardless of whether your particular type of drag is political, you’re always going to be sending a political message:
“Drag at its core is political. It’s a major middle finger to societal norms, and essentially just says, ‘I’m going to do what I want to do and be who I want to be’. That’s empowering, influential and enriching all at the same time.”
Drag is diverse
Drag is not just the domain of cisgender gay men. Though many of the first historical representations of drag come from theatre and vaudeville, where men played female characters, nowadays, drag is for everyone.
Throughout the late 1800s and first half of the 1900s, male impersonators were a large part of the underground queer community, with performers such as Vesta Tilley and Stormé DeLarverie famous for their acts. These days, we’ve seen the likes of Landon Cider and Hugo Grrrl winning mainstream drag TV competitions. Closer to home, pioneering kings like Sexy Galexy, Izzy Ashido, Klit Angel and Eden Puss are performing and hosting alongside prominent Australian drag queens.
Trans and non-binary people have and continue to play a huge role in the growth and diversity of the art too. For some trans and non-binary people, drag is their first opportunity to play with gender expression and feel affirmed in a safe and welcoming space. Some of the most famous drag queens in history, such as Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, prominent figures in the Stonewall uprising of 1969, the punk and influential Vaginal Davis, and local legend, Carlotta, of Les Girls fame, all transitioned through drag.
With every season of RuPaul’s Drag Race that flies by, more and more trans queens are taking the main stage and demonstrating that drag is for everyone. In fact, recent RuPaul’s Drag Race seasons have been won by trans women Sasha Colby, Kylie Sonique Love and Jinkx Monsoon. Even more recently, fashionista Detox joins the list of queens to come out as trans.
This diversity is what makes drag so special and a mirror to the diversity of the broader queer community.
Drag is the future
Given that drag has existed for hundreds of years, you may wonder where its future lies. Manish Interest, Aunty Tamara and Vandoll, shared their dreams about where drag is heading.
Manish Interest hopes that “drag leans more into the idea that [it] doesn’t have to be one singular thing”. They’re excited to see “more experimental and representative acts…on bigger stages”, which we’re already starting to see with the likes of Jimbo and Willow Pill winning RuPaul’s Drag Race seasons in recent years.
Aunty Tamara loves that drag is increasingly entering the mainstream and that “we’re on the right path in terms of more visibility and acceptance.” Drag performers are being booked beyond the gay bars, and there’s something special about seeing Art Simone in a TV ad during the footy or Courtney Act on Dancing with the Stars.
However, there’s a fine line between mainstream success and losing the unique underground heart that drag was borne from. Many performers hope increased opportunities don’t lead to a shift for drag to cater solely to a mainstream market.
Ultimately, drag has enriched both mainstream and queer culture. Manish Interest sums it up perfectly:
“From nightlife to fashion to the performing arts, the experimentation that is fostered in drag spaces leads to new and exciting things in mainstream society all the time.”
Within the queer community, Vandoll sees drag “breaking down silos…to facilitate greater unity”, while Aunty Tamara loves that drag will continue to “give a voice to those who may not have the courage to speak up.”
Beyond our rainbow streets, Vandoll shares that drag “has done a lot to humanise LGBT people…exposing people to diverse queerness, and humanising diversity more generally.”
As drag gains wider recognition, it has the potential to redefine beauty standards, gender norms, and inclusivity. The future of drag promises an even more diverse and accepting world where individuals of all gender identities and expressions can thrive.
Drag is here to slay and stay
Despite the ongoing challenges faced by drag artists across the world, drag and its unique form of gender expression will always be a core part of the queer community. Drag has been at the forefront of the queer liberation movement, and today, drag continues to be a catalyst for social change, amplifying voices and advocating for equality.
For Aunty Tamara, whilst the creative expression of drag is her favourite part of the job, drag also helped her find her ‘why’:
“Being a gay, brown Māori boy from Western Sydney…if there’s one person’s life that my drag has touched, then I’m on the right path.”
And that’s what it’s all about, right? Through drag, we witness the power of self-expression, resilience, and empowerment in all its glory. Whether we laugh or cry, drag helps us, performers and punters alike, get a little closer to being ourselves and adds sparkle to a sometimes scary world.