The Culture Hustler

I’ve written a great deal about drag queens and used the term “drag” primarily to refer to men who cross dress as women in a highly theatrical fashion.  In the past I have also used “drag” to refer to any sort of identifiable social category achieved through dress and performance.  In short, I use the term loosely and do not object, for example, when Michelle Visage describes herself as a drag queen. 

Yet what of drag kings? 

By day 2 of Drag Con I was feeling up to the task of meeting queens and exploring the exhibition hall.  The first order of business, however, was to drop into the 10am session, “Face, Face, Face: How to Beat That Mug to Perfection.”  The panelists included queens Tatianna and Trixie Mattel along with makeup artist Kevin James Bennett.  As someone who wears as little makeup as possible, I was curious to learn what sort of advice the panelists would offer.  The room was ¾ full with about 100 in attendance—a good turnout considering that the same panel had been held the previous day. 

Shyness in the company of queens is real.  One way to combat such Drag Con anxiety is to take a seat in the audience for live tapings of “Wait a Minute" with TS Madison and “Alyssa’s Secret,” held consecutively on the first day of Drag Con. 

Earlier this month Rupaul’s Drag Con descended upon the Los Angeles Convention Center for the “first drag convention in herstory.”  As a dedicated dress scholar and fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race, I honored my intellectual responsibilities and purchased a $50 pass for the two day event, held May 16^th and 17^th.  I planned to engage in serious “deep hanging out” and visit the booths, meet the queens, talk with fans, and attend panels, which had names like “Face, Face, Face: How to Beat That Mug to Perfection.”  As this is the first known drag convention, I wasn’t sur