Drag as Art and Activism: Every Drag Performer is an Organizer (Blog Post #2 Camilo Velasco-Overson)

Camilo Velasco-Overson Crit. Issues Joanne Kesten 11/20/2024 Drag as Art and Activism: Every Drag Performer is an Organizer Drag exists at the crossroads of visual art, performance art, and vibrant queer expression. Full of humor, campiness, and often accompanied by sharp political analysis, drag is a crucial artform across the country and world. At its core, drag is an act of resistance through art. It was created by and for queer people. The article I am discussing sums it up nicely in its title: ‘Every Drag Performer is an Organizer”. Though modern-day drag is synonymous with queerness, cross-dressing has existed for centuries as a form of entertainment. Many classic movies show men in drag, though generally as the butt of a joke. Historical theater and opera – specifically Japanese theater called Kabuki – forbade women from performing, and therefore had men play female roles. (“Kabuki Theatre | Silk Roads Programme”). Conservatism and homophobia has long gripped the United States. It wasn’t so long ago that on a federal level, crossdressing was illegal (as was being gay in general) (Jaffe). There has been a shift forward over the years: namely marriage being granted as a right to LGBTQ+ people, and medical care for transgender people becoming more accessible, both of which happened under obama. However, under the first term of Trump and his recent re-election, there has been a huge wave of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, as well as calls to repeal many of the protections currently in place. Drag as an art form has been under attack in many states as a result. Part of this is because, as the article says, “[Drag’s] surge into the mainstream has come at a time when gender roles and boundaries have blurred across the board—the last several winners of Drag Race have been trans or nonbinary—and so drag is being lumped in with other perceived threats to a gendered order that has been collapsing.”
Drag artist Vidalia Anne Gentry speaks during a news conference held by the Human Rights Campaign to draw attention to anti-drag bills in the Tennessee legislature on February 14, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee. (blog citation)
Drag queen story hour. Photo credit: Jonathan Moore. Taken from article: International Drag Day, Drag and the Fight for LGBTQ+ Rights. “The attempts to ban or eradicate drag are unique in that proponents are not only attacking a form of expression, a creative performance—drag is also a job.” (Jaffe). The reality is that drag is one of the most expensive art jobs out there – and it is also a job. The higher profile the performer, the more they are spending. Hundreds of hours and dollars go into crafting drag acts. Performers often sew their own garments, rhinestone, style wigs, purchase and perfect the art of makeup, and on and on. Performers who are at the level of RuPaul’s drag race often spend tens of thousands of dollars to compete. With that investment can also come huge paybacks. The cash prize for winning RuPaul’s Drag Race is now $200,000 for season 15 (Duncan). Many drag performers set their own booking fees, and can make anywhere from $60 to $800 a show depending on their renown as a performer. Personally, as a transgender drag and burlesque performer, I have made as much as $400 in one night, or as little as $20. Like much contracted or gig-based work, the income of drag performers is simultaneously unpredictable and crucial. The attacks on drag performers is a threat to not just the self expression of queer people, but their livelihoods. There is an intentionality in targeting this artform; it’s dual-fold. It’s a threat to the conservative values of a repressive America, and it’s also a survival tactic – even a thriving tactic – for queer art, queer joy, queer resistance, and queer survival. The call and hope within this article, which is a reflection of many performers’ ideals, is that drag artists get organized. Yes, drag is a form of a resistance is a form of organizing against oppression – but imagine the power wielded when there is intentional, targeted action. With the nature of drag, we all know that performers are capable of jaw-dropping feats. They are jacks-of-all-trades; warriors in heels. Drag artists stepping forward and stepping up can utilize that energy and power to further confront oppressive state and government legislation; to counter the oppressive cultural current within America and the world at large.
Still from a performance video circa 2023. Artist is Tera To Philia, showcasing an act which criticizes the imperialist oppression of the USA and of the Marcos and Duterte regime(s) in the Philippines. The article focuses on interviewing one artist in particular, a fiery and long-standing drag artist and activist Ryan Houlihan. He delivers a punch of a closing statement. “I have some news for you about the [Drag Performers] that you’ve picked a fight with[.] They have a lot of solidarity. And they’re beloved, and their job is to be beloved. And you might look at them as clowns, but I could say the same thing about your politicians and their careers in reality television. It’s time to start taking drag workers seriously—as seriously as you take anyone else in media, the arts, or communications, or honestly, in activism, because every drag artist is an activist.” Citations: Duncan , Charlie. “How Much Money Has Each Season of RuPaul’s Drag Race given Away? Here’s the Tea.” ThePinkNews.com, The Pink News, 19 June 2024, www.thepinknews.com/2024/06/29/rupauls-drag-race-money-prize-money/. Accessed 10 November, 2024. Foti, Bryce. “International Drag Day: Drag and the Fight for LGBTQ+ Rights - GLAD.” GLAD, Glad Law: Legal Advocates and Defenders , 16 July 2024, www.glad.org/international-drag-day-drag-and-the-fight-for-lgbtq-rights/. Accessed 19 November, 2024. Jaffe, Sarah. “Work Won’t Love You Back: Every Drag Performer Is an Organizer.” Progressive.org, The Progressive, 30 June 2023, progressive.org/magazine/work-wont-love-you-back-every-drag-performer-organizer-jaff e/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2024. “Kabuki Theatre | Silk Roads Programme.” En.unesco.org, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, en.unesco.org/silkroad/silk-road-themes/intangible-cultural-heritage/kabuki-theatre. Accessed 3 November, 2024.

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 30, 2024 at 7:23 PM

    This is definitely a large issue we will be facing in the near future. As well as currently facing, even before Trump’s re-election. I found it surprising and uplifting that drag has been present historically in the United States since the late 1800’s, at least documented accounts (Foti). Also it's interesting that Kabuki has been practiced in Japan since the Edo period in the early 1600’s (“Kabuki Theatre”).
    To add to the discussion I was looking to see what drag performers are doing currently in relation to the result of the election. It seems that past Rupaul’s Drag Race queen contestants have reacted with activism and community in mind (Duncan). Many have taken to social media voicing their frustration, calling out Trump supporters, while also being a flame of reassurance for the queer and minority groups to stay strong and safe (Duncan). Some are scared and disheartened that their livelihoods and source of income and freedom to express on stage will be taken, this unfortunately could come to fruition (Duncan).
    Also, as far as using social media, performance and makeup there is “itsjohnwalsh” on TikTok and Instagram that assisted with the Harris campaign (“John Walsh”). According to Walsh’s LinkedIn page he assisted with reaching a broader audience to get out and vote. On Walsh’s TikTok there is a parodied version of “I Know Him” from Alexander Hamilton the Broadway Musical. In this Walsh is dressed as trump, who is singing as the king of England (itsjohnwalsh). This is in relation to Biden dropping out of the campaign race and Harris taking over the campaign run.


    Work Cited

    Duncan, Charlie. “RuPaul’s Drag Race queens react to Trump’s US presidential election victory: ‘The fight isn’t over’.” PinkNews, 6 Nov. 2024, https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/11/06/donald-trump-drag-race-election/. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

    Foti, Bryce. “International Drag Day: Drag and the Fight for LGBTQ+ Rights - GLAD.” GLAD, Glad Law: Legal Advocates and Defenders , 16 July 2024, www.glad.org/international-drag-day-drag-and-the-fight-for-lgbtq-rights/. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

    “John Walsh.” LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsjohnwalsh/. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

    “Kabuki Theatre.” Intangible Cultural Heritage. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/kabuki-theatre-00163. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

    Itsjohnwalsh. TikTok, 24 July 2024. https://www.tiktok.com/@itsjohnwalsh/video/7395282728964476203?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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  2. AnonymousDecember 1, 2024 at 6:59 PM

    To start, I thought this was a very powerful blog post! Drag has always been synonymous with queer art and expression. As you pointed out, it's ‘an act of resistance through art,’ something that Tori and I spoke of in our blog post. I’m also glad you pointed out that this is something that has existed for years in different forms, through theater and other forms of cross-dressing. Along with that, the monetary cost you brought up and its relation to the art form was also really nice, and demonstrates how not only are they starting to attack an art, but the people behind it by compromising their finances. Of course, this isn’t the only way lawmakers and conservatives are putting trans and queer people down, but it's one of them.
    The fire that drag performers and drag itself as an art form has been facing I fear will only get worse as the years go on. Queer rights in general are under fire and trans people seem to be facing the brunt of it. Over the past five years, we’ve seen an increase in anti trans laws at the state level, and I fear it will only get worse with Trump’s reelection. Drag as an outlet for queer expression and joy is more important than ever, as all queer art is. There’s always an underlying fear that I have when it comes to being queer in today’s age, but it's only getting worse now. I worry for my own rights as a queer and trans person, and I worry for my community. I worry for trans kids, of whom most of the new laws are targeting, and their livelihood and safety. I worry for our collective future, both as a queer community and a country. This fear, this worry, is why art like this is so important, especially now. We need queer joy, queer celebration, queer people being completely unapologetically themselves.
    Drag is a perfect way to do this, a way to celebrate queer people and a way for those queer people to express themselves in a loud and unmistakable way. As you point out, it's a ‘survival tactic’ for many facets of queer livelihood, and I couldn’t have put it in a better way. Queer’s people very existence is already constantly challenged, and of course queer based art would face similar fire. While I fear the future, I have hope for all of us, and the ability for us to form together and step up to help each other when we need to the most. Drag art may just be one form of Queer resistance, but it's a powerful one.

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