A Day At The Drag Show Of Shows

A few years ago, I decided to attend the first Drag Con at the Los Angeles Convention Center.  I  thought maybe I could get a possible photographic series out of it. I was jumping in with my eyes wide open,  without an idea what I was in store for. This event was produced by the one and only Rue Paul the long reigning Queen Of Drag.  It was a very shrewd move on her part, to produce an event where former contestants who were now celebrities in their own right who had established their followers on Drag Race would appear at the event signing autographs. Vendors also participated in the event.  Make-up booths, wig manufacturers, and clothing designers attended to show their wares just to name a few.  The planets aligned on this day and his concept proved a huge success. The event was very well attended and apparently, it was so well publicized that the members of the Christian Right were well positioned outside the venue like perennial flowers that blossom while professing their usual fire and brimstone with the Bible in tow. 

While entering the convention center I pondered,  Is it truly possible to taunt a drag queen and get away with it? After all with my experience with them, they are tough!  They had to toughen up from a very young age back when the bullies in the sandbox would taunt and abuse them. They would become ninjas as they learned the art of the sharp tongue and used it to fight the enemy with precision. They learned to use it with timing and artful precision. And when fully grown they would put on their armour to become a completely effective and powerful weapon to to protect themselves.  They could then stand with an act of defiance to those who would dare cross them. Instead of ignoring them and leaving them alone the bullies now grown would come back for more. Gluttons for punishment that will never be learned. Drag Culture plays to rules their critics don’t or don’t want to understand. The critics are in many cases the inspiration for drag queens as to how they approach their art. There is a ying and a yang to it. Their critics inspire them in many cases. The critics are not used to such criticism. They don’t like it. So with their bibles in tow, they weaponize scripture and go to battle.

In my youth, every drag queen emulated Dusty Springfield.  Lady Bunny did Dusty to perfection with her exaggerated blonde wig and her exaggerated black eye makeup. She wore short mini dresses and she truly resembled Dusty. She was the costume in the 1970s for many a gay Halloween party. There are a plethora of drag legends to emulate; Divine, Trixie Mattel, and Bob the Drag Queen whose commanding presence I got to experience at Madonna’s Celebration tour to name only a few in the long history of queens. The art form has evolved in so many directions but one thing remains true especially today in this highly charged political climate, it has impact, it is provocative and it shakes things up.  It disturbs and raises the hair on the backs of anyone who fears them because it leaves the opposition flat-footed not knowing what the opposition truly is..

Art should disturb. It should shake things up and drag does that.  Communities of God Fearing individuals have tried everything within their power to erase the world of drag.  But Drag queens know each other and they stick together like glue. They protect their community the best way they can like a barnyard dog.   If knocked down they quickly adjust their wigs, open their compacts, check their lipstick, and get right back up again. 

Look at what has happened recently with the “scandal” of Drag Story Time for kids at the public library. The way the MAGA folks describe it you would think that nude hedonistic orgies sprinkled with acrobatic little people high on opioids were taking place at the local library when in reality it’s a drag queen sitting on a little chair reading a children's book to kids that are dropped off by their parents,  having a wonderful moment in time hearing a story.. 

This is a tight and cohesive community of men who simply enjoy an amazing art form that is always evolving in its visual style and form.  While at the venue, I had the privilege to include The Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence in my series.  Their history of worldwide activism is legendary and has proven to be very effective but not without its detractors. They became a beacon of awareness for HIV/AIDS & LGBTQ rights since its inception in the late 1970s. Their work is legendary. They ruffled more than a few feathers when they appeared in embellished nun's habits which drove the establishment crazy.  Their blending of religious symbolism with camp and satire was too much for many to tolerate. They had crossed a line.  The Sisters relished in it and wore it as a badge of honor.  They were appalled that the institutions that were supposed to help those in their time of need were completely absent. Politicians snubbed the community and the Word AIDS was never mentioned once by President Reagan during his presidency. The Sisters would appear in nuns' habits, wearing elaborate makeup. They would decorate themselves with a variety of religious accessories, mocking traditional religious figures. Their position was based on the hypocrisy and oppression interpreted to be hostile to the community by conservative and religious institutions.  In layman's terms, they were giving anyone who would not help them or their community the big middle finger, especially to those god-fearing people who professed love for their fellow man while at the same time professing to the world that it was god’s will that millions of people would die from AIDS. As a result, they worked within and successfully raised millions of dollars for charity, health organizations, homeless shelters, and LGBTQ youth programs while supporting valuable outreach to their local communities.

So I paid my ticket to enter the Drag Con inner sanctum and quickly discovered the visual goldmine I was entering.  The theatre, the drama, and the joy that I was experiencing were electric. Photographers are voyeurs by nature and I was completely in my element. Initially, I did not know how to execute my project.  Many of my potential subjects were paired off. I thought to keep it simple. I came up with two rules; First, the image must contain individuals who know each other.  I wanted there to be a relationship with those in the image. Second, I wanted the image to have a celebratory feeling. I chose to photograph them with a simple flash head-on and let them do what it is that they do best which they did.  They of course know how they best look in an image they spend hours practicing the theatre of drag. They all looked perfect.  The resulting series that I produced was gold.  I was on their turf and they were allowing me to take their picture and they appreciated the fact that I was taking the time to acknowledge and appreciate them, something we all desire. 

 Drag queens are not transexuals or cross-dressers. They are predominantly gay but there are a few straight men in the past that have dipped their toes into that world. Milton Berle and Flip Wilson made their alter egos famous in front of millions of fans. They challenge societal norms through humor and satire adding critical commentary on what is going on in society in real time mocking gender stereotypes and conventional standards of behavior. At the same time bringing people together to celebrate diversity, individuality, and creativity. 

While hunting my potential subjects I would politely ask if I could take their picture. The answer was always yes. I would always compliment them on how amazing they looked. Always beaming with pride they would thank me. I knew to say “chin up” before capturing my shot as women are always self-conscious about any sags in their necks. They were no different.  The energy between my subject and myself was electric. I was having the time of my life and each image seemed to be better than the last. I was on a roll and I didn’t want it to stop. The time flew by so fast and before I knew it I had more than accomplished what I had set out to achieve. 

Photographers can experience emotional pain and agony when selecting the images they choose for public viewing. Their photos are like their babies. The editing process is always difficult. In this case, the problem that I had was nearly all of the images I took were amazing. I was especially taken by how the flash produced such vivid colors thanks to my subjects. I was initially concerned that shooting them head-on with a simple flash would flatten the images, but that did not happen.  

The camera is a way for me to investigate the world in a way that I could not have otherwise explored. I have learned so much from the experience at Drag Con and it has resonated to this day. I learned a new and valuable way to approach my subject with a new curiosity and empathetic interest. As a gay man, I appreciated how expansive my community is with all of its different groups and moving parts that exist.  I had after all attended gay bingo at the local gay venue or attended a charity event with the Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence but I had never approached it with an academic eye. It was truly a day to remember.