An Absolute Drag

People sure are getting riled up about Drag Queens lately. I myself can’t quite figure it out. It seems that people haven’t had enough exposure to them to appreciate what they are about. I am all about freedom of expression, and that at its base is what Drag is about. They just dress a little better than the rest of us.

First, how do you know if someone is into drag, if they are not currently dressed in drag? You don’t. Because they are just normal, everyday people when they aren’t performing. I have worked with and know a few people who perform in drag. They weren’t fancy or spectacular in their normal clothes, except that they were spectacular at their day to day lives, just not in a shiny way. It’s funny how people are going on about what perverts they are, or how they are just looking to condition our children into being depraved sickos. I would bet good money you have either met or been in contact with someone who performs in drag but never knew it because they weren’t wearing false eyelashes at the moment.

Have you ever been to a drag show? They are incredibly entertaining! My friend Amy and I went to one when we were in Key West a couple of years ago. It was great! They are true performers! They dance, there are costume changes, they interact with the audience, and from what I could tell, they make some good cash while working! They are talented, and quite outgoing while they make their way around the room. I had a great time, and marveled at their costumes and make-up, and how they have no tell-tale signs of their true gender while they are performing. After the show they are good about answering questions, and you can really appreciate what they are doing, and the time and money they put into their stage personas. Artists, they are artists.

There is one thing I don’t like about Drag Queens, however. They are far better at hair and makeup than I am. I cannot get my makeup to look like I want most days, and I have the natural curly hair that does what it wants, not what I want. Now, they take more time than I do getting ready, which I get, because they are seeing and entertaining more people than I do most days. They also take far better care of their outfits than I do. They can walk and dance in big high heels, I fail miserably at that. They have to look good, and they do, in my opinion.

Now, there is also a big difference between Drag and Transgender. Most people that perform in drag don’t really want to transition, they just love to perform, and this is their medium. And what if they did want to transition? It doesn’t affect me one way or the other. I cannot wrap my head around all of this hate and misunderstanding about people that do drag, or are in transition. What does it matter to me how these individuals are living their lives? It does not change my day to day existence. I would hope that if someone I loved came to me and said they were not comfortable as they are, and are thinking of transitioning, that I could be open minded enough to be supportive. I haven’t had that happen, but I do know people that are going through that with loved ones. It’s so complicated, and there is a lot to it all, and until I have walked in any of their shoes, I cannot comment on how they handle it. I just hope they can, and not lose a person they love along the way.

There are lessons to learn about all of this as we go along. I see so much going wrong right now with how people are acting about all of this stuff. The Bud Light cans that people are talking about, and now they won’t drink it, or Travis Tritt is taking it off his concert riders? Who cares? Why is it such a big deal? Travis Tritt is a skirt away from cross-dressing as it is! Throughout the years, we have been entertained by men dressing as women! There’s Mrs. Doubtfire, Tootsie. Patrick Swayze dressing in drag with Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon. Gene Hackman in “The Birdcage.” If a man, dressed as a woman, reading to children is so awful in your mind, go volunteer and read to those children instead! You won’t, because complaining about it is easier and supports your agenda better.

I have had the opportunity to work with a lot of different people in my life. I was in the service industry for over 30 years, and that is a place where many people, a lot who can be considered “misfits’ land because it is place where everyone kind of fits. It’s there that I have met gay people, people from other countries, different religious beliefs, rich people, poor people, drug addicts and drunks. A lot of broken individuals who had nowhere else they felt they could work. If there is one thing I picked up there, it is that we are all far more similar that not, and that all of our dreams are not so different. We want acceptance and love. People fill those wants in different ways. I am lucky I have been exposed to so many different individuals. The people that would condemn someone because they love differently, dress differently or feel differently than I do are not the people I want to be around. I want a wild and varied group of people in my circle, and I have that. I am blessed beyond words as a result of the varied persons I know. That very much includes my LGBTQ friends, and if your opinion of me is less because of that, your opinion me was not accurate to start with, and I am sorry you did not know I am supportive to all types, not just your type. When you are ready to grow as a person, let me know and I will happily introduce you to some of my friends, and maybe we can catch a drag show together.