The Drag Queen Dilemma...

[Jamie Ann]

Over on Reddit there was a recent discussion about RuPaul's shows being non-helpful for the trans community. Looking for it now I can't find it (of course), but it sparked an interesting thought process in my pea-brain.

The TG folks on Reddit (mostly TS, but still TG), do not seem to like drag queens as a general rule. There is some belief that drag queens are bad for transgender rights, almost as if queens are mocking us. I don't get this vibe at all from Drag Race, rather they talk a lot about LGTB-Q issues, sometimes bringing family into the story.

I feel like men dressing as women will spark controversy and bring about awareness to gender variance regardless of the motivation for doing so. The same is true of FTM individuals (of whom there are many on Reddit).

What do you all think? Are queens and kings bad for awareness and rights of the transgendered community?

I don't think that drag queens are bad for the transgender communities. On the other hand, I don’t think that they are very beneficial, either. The comedian, Jack Benny, had a drag persona that was part of his comedy acts from 1932 through 1965. If people being aware of drag performers would provide much impetus for progress more generally, then it would have done so during that period. Most people, according to others’ analyses, enjoyed the entertainment, but did not take it very seriously. It was good for a laugh.

On the serious subjects of non-discrimination laws and hate-crime laws, drag queens are mostly irrelevant. Transsexuals are VERY relevant, as they want to go to work in their genders of choice. Part-time crossdressers fall somewhere in between. Most of us don’t want to go to work dressed as women, but we do want some of the extra security non-discrimination laws and hate-crime laws provide. Drag queens do their thing in protected settings; we are more likely to go to a variety of public settings (restaurants, etc.) where discrimination and crime are potential dangers. (We can minimize those dangers, however, by going out in groups rather than as isolated individuals.)

Drag queens are part of our communities, and that is good; but they are not likely to win over the hearts and minds of the general public. We need that; and transsexuals need it even more.

[Sophie_C]

Acceptance only counts if it's for what you're doing.

That's okay though, because the drag queens will continue to go out, perform, and have fun while not caring what anyone thinks of them.
They have balls, and for that I admire and respect them.

But please, everyone, tell me when you're going to stop crossdressing out of respect to all of those GGs who think it's disrespectful and a parody of women.

Look, if Drag Queens didn't have their DRAG look, I'd be saying nothing here.

Parody:



No Parody:



Don't pretend there's no difference.

And, yes, they've got tons of BALLS, as the men they are. Damn the consequences to US, they don't care!!

[Lorileah]

In the minds of everyday people the whole TG world is divided into little boxes. These boxes are what you see and hear about in the media. No different than any other minority. Unfortunately the over emotional and bratty DQ is a symbol many people see for our community. When you say "crossdresser" to the regular Joe on the street what three images do they get? Queens (because of people who really were not queens like Milton Beryle and Flip Wilson and hundreds of other actors), Transsexuals (because as we all know every TG wants a sex change right?) and people who dress for sexual reasons. We all know here that they are the minority. But in the general world that is who gets the press (and the moron who thinks that dressing as a woman is a good idea for robbing a bank).

Are the RuPaul stars good ambassadors? Probably not but as someone once said "Just spell my name right". It does give us a gateway to discuss the issue with people if we want to. Trouble is that the majority, even here, don't want to even talk about it. I don't think the talent on RuPaul have an agenda against "us". They have an agenda for them. The idea is to make money and be famous. Can't blame them for that

[whowhatwhen]

They don't have to be ambassadors though, they're living their life as they want and having fun doing it.
The idea that every minority needs to be pure as the driven snow and act like the straight-cisgender society expects is ludicrous.

The picture you posted is exaggerated, but then again some GGs go for an exaggerated look as well.
Are they parodying themselves or are only women allowed to go for that kind of look?

I cannot believe that we're making a minority group within a minority group.