DiscussionThoughts on Drag Race?

submitted by [deleted] from self.LGBDropTheT

Does anyone have a similar feeling that Drag Race has contributed to some of this?

I don't take issue with drag queens, but with the way the show and fans put them up on a pedestal.

Especially after the JK Rowling tweets, I saw plenty of queens that have been on the show make statements that really didn't address what she was saying at all, but were the "woke" thing to say.

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[–]haveanicedaytoo💗💜💙 16 insightful - 1 fun16 insightful - 0 fun17 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

I used to watch Drag Race back when the contestants were gay MEN doing drag and I really liked being able to see them in their normal daily lives being men. Some of them were very obviously poor/low income and it was like a Cinderella story, getting to watch them try out new drag with more expensive/high-quality items. Like when Bianca gave Adore Delano his first corset, it was so emotional for me to get to experience that beautiful moment of kindness with them. And a lot of those contestants have great jokes and hilarious and energetic personas so that was fun to watch as well. I still randomly remember that Lil' Poundcake skit sometimes and it always cracks me up.

But now Drag Race and Drag Queens sit on on an uncomfortable precipice.

When they were doing (what rad fems call) "womanface" and treating the concept of women like ridiculous cartoon characters, no one cared. Women were just told that they were being stupid homophobes and to get over themselves, that drag wasn't about them and their fishy vaginas.

But now trans people are making it all about themselves and saying drag queens are offensive to trans people because men dressed as women acting like clowns is a bad look for trans, and people are actually taking this shit seriously, and I, a woman, am just sitting here like... Yeah, of course, when a man complains, suddenly it becomes valid.

So is Drag a niche part of American gay culture, or is is twansphobic uwu?

Whats hilarious is that most normies can't tell the difference between a trans woman and a drag queen, so when drag queens speak on Twitter, random dum-dums will be like 'Yassss Kweeen!!!!' when they really have no idea who TF is talking and what TF they are talking about. So to tie back to your main point, RuPaul's Drag Race contestants would do better to, instead of being attention whores who rush into the middle of drama with nothing of value to add, sit down, research, and understand that trans people are not their friends. Trans people literally erased them from stonewall, and are systematically transing all drag queens of the past one by one. In 20 years RuPaul himself will be remembered as a trans person at this rate.

[–][deleted] 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

You bring up a good point, personally I don't think RuPaul even agrees with current "queer theory," but he's a businessman more than anything.

I'm always seeing Drag Race fans dance around topics but never actually address them. "Why does Trixie Mattel use the word dyke constantly?" or "Why do these gay men call themselves lesbians like it's a cute joke?"

As if the answer isn't obvious. But you can't point out sexism without it becoming an issue of transphobia.

[–]Q-Continuum-kin 6 insightful - 3 fun6 insightful - 2 fun7 insightful - 3 fun -  (2 children)

Rupaul has already been on the receiving end of some TRA shitstorm for some of the things he's said. I can't stand the show but I also hate most reality tv. I just caught when the TRAs went nuts over something he said a while back and found it funny at the time but I can't remember what the issues was. Probably because, like most things TRAs go nuts over, it was completely benign.

[–][deleted]  (1 child)

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    [–]automoderatorHuman-Exclusionary Radical Overlord[M] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

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    [–]ArthnoldManacatsaman🇬🇧🌳🟦 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

    I can definitely see where you're coming from. People watch Drag Race and see its normalisation of performative femininitysorry and I'm sure a certain percentage of its viewership then think to themselves 'Oh! This is what trans is? Oh but drag queens are so much fun! You sashay into that bathroom, sis! Okurrrrr'

    I go back and forth on Drag Race personally. On the one hand, it's great that it has such a wide reach and RePreSeNTaTion etc. But on the other hand it's always struck me as a little misogynistic. And then they started allowing transwomen to take part, and I personally don't think a transwoman can be a drag queen, but perhaps I'm just an inveterate transphobe who wants to exclude trans people from everything, who knows?

    [–][deleted] 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    Over time it seems like the show's reached the other end of the horseshoe on sexism. It's men writing women at its progressive extreme.

    [–]joogabahGay shows the way 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    Does it normalize performative femininity or poke fun at it? Drag could be gender subversive by making it a joke. Trans cannot tho.

    [–]RedEyedWarriorGay | Male | 🇮🇪 Irish 🇮🇪 | Antineoliberal | Cocks are Compulsory 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    I never liked drag race. I never liked nor cared for drag queens. Now, I do care about them, because I think they are holding us all back.

    [–]OPPRESSED_REPTILIANIntersex male | GNC | Don't call me "a gay", "twink" or "queen" 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    Sexist, mind-numbing trashy shit.

    And yes. It did contribute. Drag Race popularized the idea that being gay is SO FLAMBOYANT AND QUIRKY and thats why we now have people wanting to be gay for the "aesthetic." Pride did that too but when drag race got more popular it skyrocketed.

    Also, few things are more depressing in the whole LGBT shitshow than rich privileged men being clowns on television because they don't have any dignity to lose or anything to fear, but then proceed to act like they have been through "The struggle" and how they have brave inspirational heroes for putting on a wig and mocking women for their "career." It's absolute bullshit.

    [–]8bitgay 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

    I feel like a big part of the show is based on gay men being aggressive towards other gay men and using it as humor. "Shade" is a big thing, right? I might be wrong, but this is the impression I always got from the few parts I've watched, from what people quote from the show, from online interactions, etc.

    For me the issue with Drag Race being popular is that people try to emulate their behaviors. In specific, gay men emulate their negative behaviors towards other gay men. Frankly I'm really against this status quo of irony and sarcasm, against creating ambients where everything is always being negative but "it's just a joke". This is what leads to people saying "kill terfs" and then using the "it's just a joke" excuse when someone confronts them.

    Internalized homophobia is a common issue among gay men, and for me that's why it's so easy to tell gay communities that we're in the wrong, that we must support other groups because we aren't as oppressed, etc. For me the popularization of this gay-versus-gay narrative (even if under the ruse of "humor") only helps to make this internalized homophobia stronger.

    It's also an easy defense against homophobia. I've seen countless people having a double standard towards this issue. When a gay man says gay men aren't into female genitals, it's a huge attack against trans women, no matter how respectful he tries to be. But the LGBTQ+ can say awful, violent and homophobic stuff against gay men, and when a gay man complains it's easy to say they're just joking, that it's just a meme, etc.

    [–][deleted] 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    The original impression I got from the show was that these guys were proud to be feminine men (if not stereotypical), and knew the costumes were just for fun. But some newer contestants seem to really believe they occupy a female mental space, and that the cattiness is just a part of that.

    I agree though, I'm sure most don't want the fallout from having any controversial opinions. But I think if the pendulum swings against trans issues, drag performers will be included in it for not separating themselves. Especially with so many women who watch the show.