King Me

Unlike that of drag queens, scholarship on drag kings has been forged in a queer theory framework. Also, drag kinging is a much more recent occurrence[i]. Drag king theorist pioneers such as Judith “Jack” Halberstam provided a foundation for a critical analysis of drag kinging. Like that of drag queens, there has been a similar academic debate regarding the social and political significations of drag kings’ performances. While some view kinging as an appropriation of heteronormative gender roles[ii], the majority of theorists and performers argue that drag kinging deconstructs masculinity, binary gender, and norms of hetero-/homosexuality through parody and theatre[iii]. Drag kings are more likely to perform outside of the hierarchical rules of “court.” Drag kings are also more likely to perform in drag troupes[iv]. Drag kinging in urban, working-class bars critiques masculinities twofold: contesting dominant white, middle class masculinity as well as celebrating/critiquing many non-white, working-class class masculinities [v]. There are a couple limitations with the existing research of drag kings. Only individuals who identify as kings/queens/performers have been examined. What about amateurs? What is the process of “becoming” a drag king? This process has been examined for the creation of drag queen personas but is still lacking for kings.




[i] Halberstam, Female Masculinity, 231-233.


[ii] Schacht, “Lesbian Drag Kings.” This view that drag kinging only reinforces patriarchal structures is still quite common in queer (specifically lesbian) communities.


[iii] Halberstam, Female Masculinity; Taylor, Rupp, and Shapiro, “Drag Queens and Drag Kings”; Neeve Neevel a.k.a. Pat Riarch, “Me Boy,” in The Drag King Anthology, eds. Donna Troka, Kathleen Lebesco, and Jean Noble (New York: Harrington Park Press, 2002); k. bradford a.k.a. Johnny T, “Grease Cowboy Fever; or the Making of Johnny T,” in The Drag King Anthology, eds. Donna Troka, Kathleen Lebesco, and Jean Noble, (New York: Harrington Park Press, 2002); Butler, “Imitation” 360-362.


[iv] See analysis of drag king troupes: Disposable Boy Toys (DBT) in Taylor, Rupp, and Shapiro, “Drag Queens and Drag Kings”; All the Kings Men in Kaitlin Meelia’s A Play in the Gray, DVD (Planted Seeds Productions, 2009); Venus Boyz in Gabrielle Baur’s Venus Boyz, DVD (Clockwise Productions, 2002);


[v] Judith Halberstam, “Mackdaddy, Superfly, Rapper: Gender, Race, and Masculinity in the Drag King Scene,” Social Text, (fall 1997):104-31, Special issue, “Queer Transexions of Race, Nation, and Gender, edited by Phillip Brian Harper, Ann McClintock, Jose Esteban Munoz, and Trish Rosen; Daniel Peddle’s The Aggressives, DVD (Image Entertainment, 2005); Baur, Venus Boyz.