Drag queens entertain, but they also challenge how we think about gender, identity and personal expression. I personally knew when I was 6 years old."ĭrag queen march: Hundreds of LGBTQ community members and supporters rally at Capitol Is there more to drag than just laughs and lip-syncing? “Just because you see a dude in a dress, it’s not gonna make you gay,” Sierra says. Sierra calls the whole idea of grooming “a crock.” People don’t just turn gay overnight. “Transgender people are just living their lives,” Spaulding says. It’s much more personal for trans people, whose gender identity doesn’t match the sex they were identified as having at birth. But not all drag queens are trans.ĭrag is an art form meant to entertain people and provoke thought, he says. Sure, there are transgender people who perform in drag, Spaulding says. “They’ve put those two in the exact same box.” “People absolutely combine the two: Transgender people and drag queens,” Spaulding says. You ain’t seeing NOTHING ( laughs).” Is drag the same thing as transgender? “I’m binded and taped and I’ve got four layers of clothing on. “I don’t know why they put us in that category. That’s a totally separate form of entertainment.”ĭominique Sierra of Cape Coral, who performs as drag king Nick D’Cuple, emphatically echoes that point. Drag doesn’t typically involve nudity or stripping. "I have never seen nudity at a drag show. "Drag performers often wear more, not less, clothing than you’d see at Naples Beach," says Callhan Soldavini, a board member of Naples PrideFest organizers Naples Pride. In fact, quite the opposite: Drag queens usually wear even more clothing than most people, including elaborate ball gowns and, for drag kings, bindings to minimize their real breasts. “It’s been enjoyed by millions.”ĭrag shows rarely involve nudity. “It’s performance art,” says Annette Trossbach, artistic director of Fort Myers’ The Laboratory Theater of Florida, which often stages plays featuring people in drag. Doubtfire” (all featured in movie versions, as well).ĭrag shows are hugely popular in Southwest Florida, too, with drag queens performing more raunchy, adult-oriented material at LGBTQ bars and clubs (including the ever-popular drag-queen bingo), and more "family-friendly" material at all-ages events such as drag-queen karaoke and LGBTQ Pride festivals and parades. And drag is featured heavily in popular musicals such “Kinky Boots,” “Matilda,” “Hairspray” and “Mrs. The reality TV show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is preparing for its 16th season. Tyler Perry, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler and many other movie stars have performed in drag (as did an earlier generation that included Milton Berle, Bob Hope, Julie Andrews and even Ronald Reagan). Since then, drag has continued to grow in popularity. The protest is widely seen as the start of the modern gay-rights movement. Drag queens helped protest a police raid on New York City's Stonewall Inn, a gay bar that also included drag shows. The art form gained ground in the United States after the Stonewall Riots in 1969. What is drag? Is Florida banning drag shows? When did drag get popular in the United States? Meet the drag queens: Colorful characters lead bingo in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, etc.Įverybody say 'O!': Drag queen bingo scores big in Fort Myers, Naples, Cape Coral Previously: Naples Pride decides to host drag show indoors after City Council tried to revoke permit War against drag shows: DeSantis says it protects kids, but LGBTQ community feels attacked This all comes off at the end of the night.” “And I don’t try to cover up that I’m a man in a dress. We all laugh at the fact that everyone knows I’m a man in a dress. “I want to bring everyone in on the joke. “My goal is I want people to laugh,” Spaulding says. You’re supposed to laugh at his huge wig, over-the-top mascara and fake breasts ― and also maybe ooh and ahh at his impressive collection of outfits. Spaulding is better known by his stage name, Alyssa Lemay, and he performs as a drag queen throughout Southwest Florida.ĭrag shows are an art form, he says, and they’re meant to be fun and entertaining. People get a lot wrong about drag queens, says Andy Spaulding of Fort Myers. View Gallery: Drag Queen Karaoke in downtown Fort Myers
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