Vibrant, popping hair colors, heels no shorter than five inches, bold dark-tinted lips, and the most flamboyant clothes—does this description ring a bell? One may think it’s because of a Halloween party, or a movie shooting. You may have seen such people dressed in this type of clothes on TV, too. If you haven’t in real-life, then you’re in for a treat; because these Drag Royalties are ready to splash the town in their richest rainbow hues. Although the bright, colorful rainbow banners have been taken down with the end of this year’s Pride Month, the art of expressing oneself remains. On this day, July 16, we celebrate International Day of Drag, an event that recognizes the efforts and contributions of Drag Queens and Kings to the community, as well as displaying the vibrant culture of Drag all over the world.
What is Drag?
No, it’s not the motion you do when bringing a person across the room. Drag is the term used for people who dress up to exaggerate the appearance of the opposite gender identity (cross-dressing). This form of art is usually expressed through a performance that aims to defy gender conventions by dressing up as the opposite gender.
Drag is mostly used in entertainment, yet lately in mainstream pop culture, it is used as an art of self-expression, highlighting the essence of the LGBTQIA+. Some entertainment that drag is known for is lip-syncing, modeling, and dancing. There are two known royalties: the Drag Queen and Drag King. The most popular is the Drag Queen, who are usually men (queer, gay, transgender) who dress flamboyantly and exaggeratedly in women's clothing, as well as paint their faces in the brightest makeup, and play the role. Their counterpart, the Drag King, is a lesser known terminology, where women wear exaggerated men’s clothes and act like one. Although these are usually people who dress up as their opposite gender, anyone can still be a Drag Queen.
The exact year when the term was exclusively used is different in most accounts. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “drag” traces back as old as 1388. It was only in the 19th Century that drag was used to explain the performance while acting and dressed in the opposite sex’s clothing. There was also a claim during the theater period, that it was called drag due to the time men would wear petticoats (as they act like women in the play), in resemblance to the way their clothes would “drag” on the floor. Thus, when men would crossdress for a play, they were referred to as “putting on their drags”.
History of Drag
Despite the term only making headlines today, the history of drag traces way back into theater times. In Ancient Greece and Rome, women weren’t exclusively allowed to join the theater. In order to act the role of women, men had to dress up as one. In the 17th and 18th Century, claims of men acting the women role were mentioned in Kabuki theaters (Japan) and Peking Operas (China). It’s also not surprising that in Shakespearean times, these were also encouraged, as noticeable in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, when the character Viola was dressed as Cesario, and many other of his plays.
In 1880, when the interest of theater shifted to vaudeville (a theatrical genre of variety entertainment), cross-dressing and female impersonation saw a rise. William Dorsey Swann—also proclaimed as the First Queen of Drag—had numerous drag balls at his mansion, where his guests were reported to have worn silk dresses and participated in cakewalks. A man known as Julian Eltinge would play the role of a woman in his vaudeville plays. At the end of the performance, he’d shed off his wig to show the audience his real gender, which still garnered him his fame as well as the recognition of drag up until the 1930’s. Drag acts were still continuously rising, in spite of World War II before and after, even going as performances in the city nightlife, as noted in bars and spaces. With the rise of gay bars, drag soon became an art form, not just any form of comedy or performance.
When the Stonewall Riots happened in 1969, drag was highly used as well to showcase its right to freedom and solidarity to the community. It became the gateway to the Gay Liberation Front. This was only one of the very firsts for the LGBTQIA+ community on the road to acceptance. In the 1990’s, RuPaul also rose to fame, with their drag persona paired with their recording career. It was also around this time where the legendary film documentary, “Paris is Burning”, introduced the world to the highly eclectic life of the underground ballroom scene in New York, which is referenced almost all the time in queer media.
In the 2000’s, drag became a terminology with an expansive description for any gender identity. Notable, in 2009, when the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race aired on TV. Highlighting the creativeness of fellow Drag Queens as they strut their way into winning the crown and the recognition of “America’s next drag superstar”, the series has been airing for nearly 17 seasons and many spin offs. With that, the introduction of drag skyrocketed even more to mainstream media, enlightening the viewers. Filipina drag queens like Manila Luzon, Ongina, Jiggly Caliente, Vivianne Pinay, Aura Mayari, Anetra, Marina Summers, and the latest addition to the mix, Eva Le Queen, have now served their rights to become official Ru-girls, competing in the main competition hosted by RuPaul himself.
In the Philippines, which mostly embraces the LGBTQIA+ culture, the influence of drag has become more evident. This led to the invention of Drag Race Philippines, which is the Philippines’ version of RuPaul’s Drag Race (Spoiler alert: The cast for season 3 has just been released, so go check that out!) The new spin to gender norms have been explored due to the encouragement of these kinds of art forms, which can eventually lead to the full acceptance of gender expression—something that the Drag Queens and Kings all over the world wish to happen.
International Drag Day’s significance
Even in the presence of fame, it still felt like the accolades of the community were underappreciated. Adam Stewart knew this. That’s why, one sweet day in 2009, he aimed to let the world know about the contributions of drag artists’ all around the world as he created the “International Day of Drag”, by posting it on Facebook through his page. Years later, the acknowledgement of Drag all around the world continues, despite the challenges the community faces.
Although it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, drag continues to be a freedom of expression to many. So whether you’re a girl, boy, bakla, tomboy, you’re free to dress yourself in your most extravagant clothes to show off the diva that you are. Because remember, in the mighty words of Mama Ru, we’re all born naked and the rest is drag!