Women in row over drag show as it is declared a male-only zone
AS DRAG queens go, Lacey Lou and Georgie Bee love nothing more than dressing up in garish clothes, slapping on layers of make-up and showing off to adoring fans. But they are among a growing number of performers in Britain who are very different to traditional cross-dressing acts.
Unlike men who work as over-thetop female impersonators, Lacey Lou and Georgie Bee are actually women camping it up as women.
There is resistance to this new breed of live performer. Male drag queens who fear their female colleagues have an unfair advantage are citing it as an example of cultural appropriation.
The world of drag has recently taken on a new lease of life with Rupaul’s Drag Race, a US reality TV show in search of the next drag superstar.
And it was Rupaul Andre Charles himself who sparked controversy when he declared that drag is a maleonly sport and women would probably be barred from competing on his show, which is also broadcast in the UK.
Rupaul, 57, the programme’s judge, claims that women drag artists lack “danger and irony”, in part because when men dress in women’s clothes they are openly rejecting masculinity.
Lacey Lou, Birmingham’s first professional female drag artist, says his comments are an example of misogyny within the gay community.
“There are a lot of male drag queens who think drag is only for men. But, it’s really the idea of playing on gender,” she said. “There is a lot of misogyny in the gay community, which I found really surprising when I started working as a drag queen. You would expect a suppressed community to understand what it feels like to be disregarded.
“A person’s biological sex or gender identity should not prohibit or inhibit their participation in an art form that mocks gender.”
Lacey Lou became a drag queen five years ago. Now aged 26, she runs a number of drag events in Birmingham.
“When I first started, I looked up to classic male drag queens. But a lot of them didn’t understand me becoming one because they hadn’t seen it before. They would ask if I was a woman. When I said yes, they would say: ‘Well, you’re not a proper drag queen then’. Telling a woman she can’t play her own gender is another layer of misogyny.” Georgie Bee, who in 2016 became the first female performer to win the Sink
‘They would ask if I was a woman. When I said yes, they’d say: “Well, you’re not a proper drag queen then” ’
the Pink drag competition in London, is frank about what makes a drag artist.
“If you feel like a drag queen, you are one. It’s nothing to do with what’s in your pants. How you choose to perform gender is up to you. Just make it worth watching,” she says.
Both view Rupaul’s claims as misogynistic. “Everyone looks up to Rupaul,” Lacey Lou said. “But I think he has sold out. He hasn’t moved with the times or paid attention to the community he has actually fostered.”
Georgie Bee said: “You absolutely do not need validation from Rupaul.”