this post was submitted on 12 Jun 2024
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It's getting better, but I really don't appreciate how many people seem to think that "drag queen" and "being a transgender person" is interchangeable and exactly the same.
For clarity for anyone who isn't sure, drag queens are performers who often (but not always) identify as gay men in their day to day lives. A drag queen is a caricature of a woman, a massive exaggeration for entertainment purposes. Drag queens are like clowns, and clowns don't go around in their day to day life identifying as a clown. It's a job, a gig, a temporary identity for entertainment purposes.
Transgender people have gender dysphoria that is so unbearable that they have no choice but to bear all of the negative things that come with coming out as transgender in order for them to have some tiny speck of hope at being happy and comfortable in their own bodies. Transgender people, unlike drag queens, always do identify with their chosen gender representation.
I'm really glad you said this. There's a large amount of the general population who think trans and drag are the same, even people who are allies. I respect those who do drag and I can understand why they do it, but as someone who is trying to present as myself authentically instead of performatively it's almost detrimental to the cause when those who are outside looking in automatically equate the two.
When I came out to my family as trans, my dad's first thought was I was going to be "parading myself around like a drag queen" (his words). He voiced his concern about it, because he had no understanding that they are not the same thing. Typically when I come out to people as trans one of the first things they talk about is how I must love Ru Paul's and assume that I watch it. I've never watched a full episode in my life, and truthfully it's kind of difficult for me to watch it knowing mentally that's how people would perceive me if I come out to them.
And while I acknowledge that there can be overlap in the community it's not who I am, nor is it how I want to be perceived. I don't have the luxury of "taking off" who I am, nor am I trying to be a caricature of a woman. I'm just trying to be myself and I wish more people understood that.
I have such a mess of opinions about Drag Race. I'm glad that it brought the idea of drag to the mainstream so that people understand that drag performers aren't the kind of monsters that right wingers make them out to be. But in a lot of ways, I feel like it's done more harm than good to the trans community. With the constant conflation between trans and drag, and also the fact that Ru Paul is a fucking asshole who's not at all supportive of the trans community, it's hard to see it in a positive light.
I also just hate reality competition shows, especially in a scene that should be so much more supportive and uplifting and cooperative, rather than competitive.