Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Drag Kings, the other side of transvestites

Drag Kings, the other side of transvestites

Gay, transgender, bisexual, drag queen, lesbian… Most of us have seen a gay couple (boys or girls) walking hand in hand through the street. Many of us have a friend who knows one whose brother has changed sex. And probably, we have also witnessed a drag queens spectacle, how could we resist? But it is almost certain that no one knows of or has ever seen a Drag King.

drag-kings

The Drag Kings are performance artists, mostly women - many of them lesbians - who dress in men’s clothing and personify male gender stereotypes as part of their spectacles. The most common activities include dancing, singing or playback, but also may include monologues and jokes. Generally, they get into the role of celebrities like Elvis Presley or interpret exaggerated male characters: the macho man par excellence. Many British Drag Kings became big music hall stars in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

But the term Drag King goes far beyond the simple transvestites. This term also applies to women who simply wear men’s clothing in their everyday lives. Thus, some transgender people - not all - will identify themselves as Drag Kings. Instead, there are women who just enjoy dressing in menswear, without identifying themselves as a man.

But how does the “trans” community feel when they see a group of women playing at being a man? Typically, the transgender people are Drag King friendly, because many of them identify with the transvestites.

Unlike the Drag Queens, which often create an individual character, many drag kings gather in small companies. These are created with desire in a strong and cohesive unit.

The Drag Kings face similar drag queens’ challenges when creating their character… Usually, they have to hide her breasts with bandages, place a dildo that looks like a penis under the trousers and hide their feminine traits to look more masculine using all kinds of tricks: fake beards, makeup, shave hair, etc.

There is a long tradition of female artists who wore men’s clothing. In the theatre and the opera it was very common. The actress and playwright Susanna Centlivre appeared in male roles in 1700. The first drag king was Annie Hindle, who began acting in New York in 1867.

Why should the Drag Queens become the legend of the transvestites? The Drag King scene seems to be slowly taking roots. The girls have realized how much fun it can be being a super macho… You should also discover the fascinating world of the Drag Kings. Berlin is the specified capital for it! Book your tickets for the German capital and rent the best Apartments in Berlin and enjoy the experience!

Posted via web from barcedona's posterous

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