All the Tea and All the Shade—It's More Than Drag: A QueerCriT Analysis

• In Event: The Library Is Open: Reading RuPaul’s Drag Race in a Time of Drag Bans

Abstract

Drag is under attack. All over the United States, school districts, local governments, higher education institutions, and state legislatures have canceled, restricted, or condemned drag shows, claiming that the performances are inappropriate or offensive. Drag Queens have been banned from reading books at schools and libraries, accused of “grooming” children in terms likening Drag Queens to sexual predators. Almost 20% of states in the US are considering statewide bans on drag. Violence against Drag Queens, and the LGBTQ+ community writ large, have also increased in the last several years, as the far-right and other extremist groups ramp up their assault on groups they consider counter to hegemonic notions of American nationalism and society. Shootings at LGBTQ+ clubs, along with assaults or protests of Drag Queens at story hours, have made many wary of the physical and emotional violence associated with drag.

Author

• Cleveland Hayes, Indiana University - Indianapolis