Drag king

Drag kings have historically been mostly female

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, several drag kings became British music hall stars and British pantomime has preserved the tradition of women performing in male roles. Starting in the mid-1990s, drag kings started to gain some of the fame and attention that drag queens have known.^[7][8]

History and terminology

While the term drag king was first cited in print in 1972,^[9] there is a longer history of female performers dressing in male attire. In China, the practice of "female men [characters]" (kunsheng; see also sheng roles), where women portrayed men in stage performances, were first documented during the middle Tang dynasty (617–908 CE). This continued through to the early Qing dynasty, when the Qianlong Emperor banned actresses from performing in 1722. It was revived in the late 19th and 20th centuries as the ban on actresses was loosened.^[10]

In theatre and opera, there was a tradition of

British music hall performer Vesta Tilley was active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a male impersonator.^[15] Other male impersonators on the British stage were Ella Shields and Hetty King.^[16] American Vaudeville entertainer Florence Hines was a pioneer male impersonator of the 1890s.^{[17] [18]} Blues singer Gladys Bentley performed in male attire in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco from the 1920s through 1940s.^[19]

Drag king culture in Australia flourished in lesbian bars from the 1990s and 2000s, but began to fade in the 2010s.^[24]

The term drag king is sometimes used in a broader sense, to include female-bodied people who dress in traditionally masculine clothing for other reasons. This usage includes women temporarily attempting to pass as men and women who wish to present themselves in a masculine gender role without identifying as a man. Diane Torr began leading Drag King Workshops in 1989 that offer women a lesson in passing as men.^[25][26] Torr was featured in the 2002 film on drag kings Venus Boyz.^[27]

Drag kings have historically been more marginalized by

A British lesbian cabaret organization called Lesburlesque made it part of their mission to promote drag kings on the wider British cabaret circuit. Their founder Pixie Truffle gave an interview to the Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom on her desire for drag kings to close the gap with queens and with male stand-up comedians.^[36]

Similar to some drag queens who prefer to be seen as actors—like

In recent years,^[when?] some drag king performers have adopted other terms to describe their own performance styles, particularly if they deviate from the more traditional forms of "kinging". Common names including "gender blurring" acknowledge the merging of both male and female traits in the performances. Vancouver performer Rose Butch adopted the ambiguous label "drag thing".^[38] Long-time performer Flare called the stage of drag king styles that emerged in Toronto's scene in the mid-2010s as "unicorn drag".^[38]

Tools of gender illusion

Look: Drag kings also make use of items such as socks and silicone prosthetics when packing,[41]^[42] creating the illusion of a male appendage between the legs.^[43][40]

Stage Presence and Performance: An important part of gender illusion, this refers to the way a drag performer utilizes body language and takes up space on stage. Some kings will incorporate more aggressive choreography into their routines to emulate or expand on stereotypical masculine characteristics.^[39] Accessories, rhinestones and elaborate costumes contribute to a drag king's performance.^[44]

Breast binding

Body shaping apparel, most commonly binders, kinesiology tape, and sports bras, are used to create the look of a flat chest.^[40] For hiding one's breasts some use a method involving cutting a hole in the crotch of pantyhose for the head and making sleeves out the legs.^[45] Some drag kings use silicone chest plates that are pulled over the head to create a muscular, masculine chest shape and cover the breasts.^{[citation needed]}

In entertainment

In film

• Victor/Victoria (1982)
• Connie and Carla (2004)
• Midnight Asia (2022)

In literature

2016–present – Moriarty the Patriot, in which the spy known as James Bond is a drag king persona of Irene Adler, an associate of Sherlock Holmes and the titular Moriarty brothers.^[46]

In music

• 2021 – Little Mix presented as drag kings in their music video 'Confetti'^[47]

See also

References