The Age of Becoming: Diary of an Aspiring Faux Queen - Chapter 8. Being Drag Jail-Bait

Hi there!

I feel as if I was born twice: once as a female and then again, as my drag version of a female. It's hard to come out of the closet once, wearing baggy jeans with all of your hair cut off, but to come out of ANOTHER closet, wearing a wig and a sequin gown!? You can imagine how surprised people were when I pulled THAT out of my backpack!

To be honest, I really didn't think it would be so surprising for me, after watching and admiring drag queens for so long, to come out as one (or at least, an aspiring one)! However, listening to their questions and opinions, I realised that they were not so surprised that I wanted to do drag because of who I am, they just didn't know why I'd want to put myself through the difficulty and inevitable judgement I would fall prey to as, not only a baby drag performer, but a FEMALE baby drag performer!

It's a long and winding road to becoming an established drag performer. There are so many things to do and buy before actually BEING a drag queen, it's almost scarier to prepare to be a drag queen, than to actually BE one!

So, what do I need to organise before officially launching myself into the drag scene?

CHARACTER:

A drag queen is not a drag queen without at LEAST creating one character! This character can be anyone and anything, but is almost ALWAYS a more confident version of the person underneath the wig!

HAIR:

Some drag queens prefer to go without, but MOST drag queens have at least ONE wig!
I mean, if you don't have a wig, what are you supposed to take off during your lip synch!?

MAKEUP:

A drag performer who can't do their makeup is NOT a pretty picture! Not only does a drag queen need to have the right makeup, but they need to know how to use it!

WARDROBE:
Costumes are probably the one thing that a drag queen can NEVER have too many of (although, I'm sure Willam would argue that shoes are that one thing). I mean, what else is a queen supposed to attach all of her sequins and glitter to!

SHOES:

Heels are a MUST! There are many uncomfortable (even painful) parts of the transformation, but if you want to make one of them a LITTLE less uncomfortable, a good pair of stripper heels (like Pleasers) is DEFINITELY a worthwhile investment. How different are drag queens and strippers, anyways?

PERFORMANCE STYLE:
To be a MEMORABLE queen, you need to have a signature performance style or "shtick"!

BODY-ODY-ODY:

Naturally having the body of a woman may excuse me from having to tuck, but to get that perfect Monroe-style body, a corset, good underwear and some good contouring skills won't hurt!

C-U-N-T

Yes, I have that too, but I'm actually talking about RuPaul's four chosen criteria to be "America's Next Drag Superstar" (it's great to be ambitious, right?):

CHARISMA, UNIQUENESS, NERVE and TALENT!

Well, if one faux queen can make it in Melbourne, with any luck, I can!
Thank you to Bella Nitrate for opening the door for gurrrls like me and making it look so easy to be just FABULOUS!

Thank you for reading!

Queer Goblin Queen

The Age of Becoming: Diary of an Aspiring Faux Queen - Chapter 7. Pale Like the Clouds in Heaven

Hi there!

The world is a shady place and I wouldn't have it any other way, because I am DETERMINED to be eternally pale (which isn't always so simple for a girl with naturally olive skin who tans easily)! I know, it must seem unusual for someone to prefer white over a healthy orange glow; I guess I'm just not of this era!

My infatuation with an almost unnaturally fair complexion most-likely stems from my addiction to Hollywood's Golden Age. Sure, the women of the silver screen were featured in black and white, but I can't imagine they'd look so glamorous with a tan!
There's just something so alluring, even mysterious, about a woman in black and white.

So, why has what was once seen as glamorous, become an image of poor health?
Today, people expose their bare bodies to the sun for hours, trying to achieve a "healthy glow" or they spend immense amounts of money on fake tanning products and solariums. Sure, vitamin D deficiency is a thing, but so is skin cancer and there are pills to replace missing vitamins!

Unfortunately, it's HARD to keep the colour out of your skin in Australia, but that's why Ben Nye's Clown White exists! Makeup can perform miracles and drag queens probably know that best! I mean, just look at Detox (pictured above)! Her black and white look is at the top of my list of drag looks that I just ACHE for and it is one of my greatest ambitions to re-create it (this may require some practise).

Here are some more reasons to opt for pale over a tan:

Bette Davis...

is better than being photo-shopped into an orange.

Who doesn't want to look like a Disney princess!?

If Sharon Needles can make ghoul look glamorous, so can you!

Not to say that a golden or chocolate complexion can't be GORGEOUS, but my skin-tone of choice is certainly Clown White!

Thank you for reading!

Queer Goblin Queen

The Age of Becoming: Diary of an Aspiring Faux Queen - Chapter 6. Drag Politics

Hi there!

Drag is many things: a community, an art-form, a form of entertainment. However, sometimes, it just feels like POLITICS! 

You wouldn't expect such a close community to branch off into so many categories, but there are unlimited ways to express yourself, so why limit the ways to express yourself in drag!? This is why there are so many forms of drag. 

Now, as fabulous as it is to see queens sticking together, sometimes the groups that they form just feel like political parties! Sure, this can be a great strategy to work your way up the stripper's pole and it's great to find friends with common interests, but, you're making enemies out of the queens who could actually TEACH you a few things about different styles of drag! Doesn't that seem a little counter-productive?

In my opinion, you should make the most out of your competitors and there are always a few things you can learn from each of them!

Some examples:

Pageant Queens:

If you want to create some BIG hair OR to learn how to rhinestone EVERYTHING, you should talk to a pageant queen! These queens have mastered the Toddlers-and-Tiaras look and the attitude to match! You know what they say: The bigger the hair, the closer to... your ego?

Of course, pageant girls aren't as innocent as they look; they tend to be the first to judge other queens in a competitive environment!

Comedy Queens:

They may not put as much of their focus on a picture-perfect appearance, but beyond the glamour, comedy is a GREAT part of the allure of drag! It is, after all, a form of ENTER-TAINT-MENT! As a friend once said to me: There is nothing more attractive than a beautiful woman who is willing to look ugly and these queens can be drop-dead-GORGEOUS!

Fishy Queens: 

What's that I'm smelling? It must be the tightness of Willam's tuck! These queens impersonate women SO well, I find myself attracted to them! Of course, there IS more to drag than looking pretty, but it doesn't hurt!

Even real women get the 5 o'clock shadow, right?

Celebrity Impersonators:
Drag is ALL about impersonation and these queens have mastered this art, which many of us attempt and fail at on a daily basis. LESBEHONEST, who doesn't dream of being famous!?

I am still convinced that Chad Michaels and Cher are the same person.

Some drag parties don't like to fit themselves into any one of the established categories, so they create their own! Born of talent, ego and great taste in films, I present to you:

HEATHERS

This famous girl-group consisted of some of RuPaul's most talented Season 3 queens: Delta Work, Carmen Carrera, Manila Luzon and, the queen herself, Raja Gemini.

And the queens who weren't Heathers? 

Of course, girl-groups are like fast-food chains: they never just stop at one! Exhibit B:

Roxxxy + Alaska + Detox = Ro-La-Dex?

Oh, that's the one! 

RO-LASKA-TOX: "The new prescription drug for people who are gagging!"

I feel like I'm forgetting one... It must be SHARON NEEDLES! She may not belong to a drag party, but she could be a party of her own! I mean, she is from PARTY CITY!

Thank you for reading!

Queer Goblin Queen

The Age of Becoming: Diary of an Aspiring Faux Queen - Chapter 5. Art Imitates Strife

Hi there!

Drag queens are fascinating to watch. They're pretty (most of the time), they're HIL-AR-I-OUS and their mouths move in ways that leave me in awe (must be all that deep-throating)! But, as much as we love to laugh with a drag queen, we LOVE to laugh at one!

Drag queens are always trying to entertain their audience, but they can be most entertaining without even needing to try! In such a tightly-knit community, there's guaranteed to be some...

That's right! Drag queens typically don't like sports, but that doesn't mean that they don't throw some serious SHADE! It's not really surprising; they are always wearing claws after all! But, LESBEHONEST, if they didn't save some things for later, where would Ru get her material for UNTUCKED!?

Some of the most memorable reads from Ru's shady ladies happen behind the scenes and that makes for some ENTERTAINMENT!

Now, it may be obvious that I appreciate the existence of RuPaul's Drag Race; DO YOU BLAME ME!? Watching drag queens compete is like watching a group of pregnant women; it is an emotional ROLLER-COASTER! In just seconds, queens seem to go from family to foe (or maybe just family, depending on your definition). 

It may be a way of compensating for family issues (which seems to be upsettingly common within the queer community), but our harshest criticisms come from our queer family and that seems to apply even more to the drag community. Sometimes, these criticisms are put forward with innocent intentions and others, they are just plain READS!

My favourite example:

I'm not sure I'd even call the feud between Coco Montrese and Alyssa Edwards "shady"; it was really more of a STORM! I really wish I just had a compilation of all of their fights because the shade they served in Season 5 probably made the whole season for me (and there was some TALENT)!

As much as I LOVE to see a drag queen throw shade, there's another thing a drag queen can throw that is even more entertaining: ANOTHER DRAG QUEEN! 

Mimi, that is NOT how you throw shade.

So, if you need a lesson in reading (which you probably don't if you're reading this), take some notes from Ru's girls. For now, the library is closed, but always remember: Don't be shady, be a lady!

Thank you for reading!

Queer Goblin Queen

The Age of Becoming: Diary of an Aspiring Faux Queen - Chapter 4. Make Drag, Not War

Hi there!

I've discovered an upsetting amount of people (mostly heterosexual) who seem oblivious to the difference between drag queens, transsexuals and transvestites. 

At first, I was APPALLED at the thought of anyone questioning the differences (because in my mind, they're so clear)! However, after a few LONG discussions with some very confused (and sometimes ignorant) people, I've come to realise that it is not expected for people who aren't a part of the queer scene to know the difference, as it is for queer people.

This is because queer people almost naturally learn to acknowledge and accept the existence of a wider array of people, especially people who are a part of our queer community! THIS is because it is expected (and rightly so) that we don't treat ANYONE with the particular breed of intolerance and disrespect that queer people have (since before RuPaul's birth) and continue to experience.

How can I expect every person I meet to know the difference!? As much as I wish it were so, this isn't exactly something that is taught in school.

So, here are some definitions (at the risk of turning my blog into a dictionary):

Drag Queen - A female impersonator or, more generally, a person portraying a female character through appearance and performance (typically lip-synching).

Faux Queen - Same as above but as performed by a female as a female.

Drag King - A female impersonating a male character (opposite of Drag Queen).

Transsexual - A person who identifies and lives as the sex opposite to that they were born to (Note: don't ask if they've had a sex change; it's not your business).

Transvestite - A person who dresses as a female (usually for the purpose of sexual gratification).

There are MANY more, but for the purpose of this entry, I'll leave it there.

Now, I know that I just drew a line between drag queens and transsexuals, but the fact that they are different does not mean that they cannot co-exist! Anyone who watches RuPaul's Drag Race knows that there are some drag queens who also identify as transsexuals. Carmen Carrera is probably the most well-known example of this today, famous for serving body-ody-ody REALNESS before and after transitioning (which took place after she was on Season 3 of the show). 

(The above photo is of Carmen before her transition)

Another great example of the co-existence of the two forms of identity is Monica Beverly-Hillz (with a Z) who actually came out as a trans woman on Season 5 of the show! When asked about it by RuPaul in the reunion episode, she explained: whilst drag is what she does, trans is who she is!

Terms and labels, like people, can be complicated, but it is worth taking the time to learn a bit about them because it can save you from offending someone and/or embarrassing yourself! Be considerate, not an idiot!

Thank you for reading!

Queer Goblin Queen

The Age of Becoming: Diary of an Aspiring Faux Queen - Chapter 3. Why Me?

Hi there!

Naturally, you're probably wondering why a lesbian (yes, I'm a lesbian) is trying to pursue a career in drag. I assume this because I have seen and experienced my fair share of criticism for being a GIRL who wants to do DRAG (and I haven't even started yet)! 

There are SO many reasons to want to do drag! 

Sure, drag requires a lot of effort and DISCOMFORT, but that shouldn't turn you off; the pros of drag more than outweigh the cons! To start with, what better reason is there to dress up than to say that it's your JOB!? Yes, it's an expensive job (especially when you're buying your makeup in Australia), but you can still make a profit if you really COMMIT yourself to it.

More than a job, drag can be a great, non-destructive ESCAPE. We all want to be someone else, to experience life as a different person and to perceive life through different eyes and through drag, that is completely possible! Not only can we decide who's eyes we see through (and how many pairs of lashes), but we can control how the eyes of others see us! 

That element of control is probably the most appealing aspect of drag. Performing as a character that YOU create allows YOU to decide exactly who YOU want to be, how YOU appear to others and it never has to be concrete! For someone, like me, who feels the need to express different aspects my personality at different times, drag is the perfect way to do so because you can create and portray as many characters as you like!

The freedom and ability to put on a pretty (or funny, or even ugly) face and express yourself as YOU feel fit is not a privilege, but a right: one that is deserved by everyone and anyone.

Thank you for reading!

Queer Goblin Queen

The Age of Becoming: Diary of an Aspiring Faux Queen - Chapter 2. Inspirations Beyond Ru

Hi there!

As much as it sometimes seems like drag performers just fall from the sky, it unfortunately doesn't happen so easily. There is a LOT of work that goes into the creation of the character that a drag performer (as with any performer) undertakes. Beyond the costumes, the heels, the wigs and the cake-level makeup, a drag performer is first and foremost an actor and, as with any actor, a drag performer needs inspiration to create and perform their character!

Much like drag performers themselves, my decision to become one did not fall from the sky. After a year of watching them perform and talking to them about their experiences and their inspirations, I became so inspired, I just HAD to try it for myself!

Of course, it was not just through other drag performers that I became inspired to create the character that I am now determined to create. As well as an aspiring faux queen, I am also an aspiring filmmaker and that has had a GREAT impact on the type of character I wish to portray.

To give you an idea of my biggest inspirations, I'll start with my favourite films. I have always been fascinated by films that manage to capture the contrast between reality and fantasy in a way that is confronting and beautiful and that is why a lot of my favourite films are European. Films like Pan's Labyrinth and Melancholia manage to evoke intense emotions, whilst still maintaining a natural beauty that is VERY difficult to capture. It is exactly this contrast between pain and beauty that I aspire to evoke through my performance as my character. That said, true to my conflicting nature, I have a conflicting inspiration: musicals.

Now, what drag performer is not inspired to some extent by musicals! They're fun, hilarious and easily capture the essence of drag! Musicals like Rocky Horror and Chicago have inspired me not only to ensure the presence of comedy and eccentricity in my performance, but they have also inspired my style. 

That brings me to my final biggest form of inspiration: the 20s, 30s and 50s. Watching films that were made and set in earlier eras, I've always admired the glamour, strength and intrigue of the female protagonists. Actresses like Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford (much like ONE of my favourite drag queens, Jinkx Monsoon) are so beautiful, intense and simply fascinating to watch; how could I not be inspired to imitate them!?

Also, Madonna (because we're all material girls on the inside).

So, with such varied and conflicting seeds of inspiration, my character will either be a hit or a MISS!

More on that later.

Thank you for reading!

Queer Goblin Queen