Research Session 2

In this second research session, I focused on drag kings. I used the same website as in the first session, http://sex.sagepub.com/content/13/3/275.full.pdf+html and found more useful information. I learned about the difference between drag queens and kings and how they come to performing. In the study of the drag king group the Disposable Boy Toys, from Santa Barbara, the article states that "in contrast to the drag queens, the drag kings tended to experience identity transformation as a result of performing as a drag king" (282). The drag queens had already explored their gender identities before drag and came to it as a result of that. However, drag kings experienced different paths of identification. Many of the drag kings joined the group for an opportunity to perform or to be with their friends that were involved. The DBT helped the members realize their gender identity and understand any pre-existing questions about their identity. In the study with the DBT, almost all of the participants identified as strictly female, but later on, half said they were 'genderqueer', 'FTM', or transgender. I then questioned what the first two terms were. Genderqueer means that they "claimed an identity outside of the male/female binary" (282). This continued to answer my question on gender restrictions in the previous session. I have realized that there really are no rules to it. A person is able to explore and realize their gender identity on their own. This continues with the next term, 'FTM', which stand for "Female to Male." This is when a person is in the process of changing their identity. Lastly, transgender referred to a wide range of identities, which included the other two terms.

Once the drag kings had developed an understanding as of who they wanted to be, some began claiming labels such as "butch" or "ambiguous masculinity" (284). The drag queens did not go through such a complicated process of discovery because they came to drag as a result of understanding who they were. The article goes on to say that "drag has historically been an assertion of gay existence. Drag kinging is a relatively recent phenomenon" (284). This helped me to further understand the differences between drag queens and drag kings. These differences lead to performing gender and sexuality in their own ways. The DBT members focus on challenging/informing the audience on class, race, body size, gender, and sexuality. They also have an anti-racist perspective.

I wanted to see if their were any other sources that I could use, so I went to the McIntyre Library website and searched "drag kings." At first I had trouble finding something useful. (The first article was on drag racing.) I almost gave up, but luckily found an article from a book titled "The Journal of Popular Culture," found at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-5931.2011.00831.x/full. I found an interesting quote that states " As the effects of queer globalization become stronger, it seems that gender categories are blurring not just on the fringes of society but in mainstream media as well" (Escudero-Alias). This intrigued me because it states what had been on my mind about gender restrictions and that there really are none. In my third research session I am going to focus on individual accounts of drag, and this new article contains the information that I need.