ANALYSIS & REFLECTIONS
This research is important because it raises awareness on queer culture within the Queen’s community. Not only does our research project discuss queer culture, it also brings up questions about equality for minority groups amongst the Queen’s community. The drag queen community here at Queen’s is very small. Although outside of Queen’s there is slightly more of a drag queen scene within the Kingston community. Overall, the two smaller populations still do not equal anything near as big as Toronto. This research project is so important because it not only helps to tell Liam and Andres' stories, but it also helps local queens to gain the exposure that they desire in order to succeed in drag. Our research also helps to showcase how drag queens performing in smaller environments can make a close connection with audience members, as opposed to in larger cities. Throughout this research, we drew some analytical connections between drag queens, with some of our course readings. Specifically, the articles, Bending the Body for China, and Urban Bush Women.
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Bending the body for China states, “acrobats use their trained bodies to convey cultural ideals to an audience as well as induce a spectator’s emotional responses”. Drag queens do this as well, using themselves as a vehicle for changing people’s traditional ideas about gender roles in society. Through the use of makeup, costumes, physical performance, and comedy, drag queens bend the rules of what it stereotypically means to be a man or a woman. Drag queens have always been a symbol of the gay community, and one of the first historic acts of activism were the Stonewall riots in 1969. Police often raided gay bars during the 60’s as the act of being gay was still considered illegal at the time. Drag queens were often targeted, as they have always been representative members of the LGBT community. To this day, drag queens continue to challenge cultural ideals, even if on a smaller scale. We believe that performance can be as influential of a tool as rioting.
The Urban Bush Women "offer a utopian vision in which strong women magically save the world” through their dance performances. We believe that dance is used as a similar tool in drag, as the men that perform drag generally hope to embody the qualities of a strong woman. Drag queens often use dance as a form of empowerment. The Urban Bush women are firm believers in overcoming being in a hard place, and Drag Queens are an embodiment of this belief.
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These two articles discuss different performative aspects within not only drag but also the world around performance. The Urban Bush Women and Bending The Body For China article both discuss different forms of expression within the arts. Overall, drag performers use modern day mainstream media to attract newcomers and make their art form more relatable to the average person. Having this aspect of modernity attached to the art form has become a main component in propelling the drag movement into mainstream media.