Kings, Queens, and In-betweens: Drag and the Formation of Constituent Identities in the GLBTQIA Movement

• In Event: 512 - Section on Sex and Gender Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 16. Masculinities, Boundary Work, and Sexual Identities

Abstract

Female and male impersonation and cross-dressing have existed as forms of entertainment for hundreds of years, but in the past several decades drag performance has emerged as an act of protest for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, and Allies (GLBTQIA) community. As a cultural production that is both entertaining and political, drag performance has been shown to be an important ‘tactical repertoire’ for the GLBTQIA movement. As such, it provides a space to articulate movement goals and collective identity and push the boundaries of gender and sexual identity. In, addition, this paper seeks to demonstrate how drag performance enables dissent within the GLBTQIA community, as well as toward external entities, and not only articulates collective identity, but what I refer to as ‘constituent identity,’ the multiple, unique identities of which the GLBTQIA community is composed.

Author

• Sandra C. Arch, Vanderbilt University