Rogue Jotería Platformization: Digital Latinx Drag Pedagogy Amidst Rising Anti-Drag Legislation

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 11:40 am Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: The Library Is Open: Contributions to a Special Issue on Drag Pedagogies (Table 10)

Abstract

This paper examines the role of digital platforms in fostering resistance and education within Latinx drag communities amidst increasing anti-drag legislation in the U.S. While RuPaul’s Drag Race has brought mainstream visibility to drag, this discussion focuses on three Latinx drag artists whose digital practices engage in everyday forms of resistance intersecting with queerness, Latinidad, and femmeness. By exploring the cases of Drag Story Hour ambassador Per Sia, RuPawl the Doggie Drag Queen, and drag gamer Marisol Lords, the paper analyzes how these artists leverage platforms like Twitch and social media to foster activism and community. Utilizing digital ethnography and qualitative methods, this work highlights the potential of digital drag pedagogy as a tool for resistance, education, and empowerment within marginalized LGBTQ+ communities.

Authors

• Arturo Cortez, University of California - Davis

• José Ramón Lizárraga, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Mariel Reyes Galvez, Metropolitan State University of Denver