Plan and brainstorm with me. Let’s create some content for Drag Queen University, all about the history of drag including why and where it started, how to dress in drag, and include how much fun it is and how important it has been in building a community.
Great idea! Here’s a rough outline of the content we could create for Drag Queen University:
I. Introduction
- Definition of drag
- Importance of drag in building a community
- Overview of what we will cover in the article
II. The history of drag
- Where and why drag started (e.g., Ancient Greece, Shakespearean theater, drag balls)
- Key figures in drag history (e.g., Divine, RuPaul, Marsha P. Johnson)
- How drag has evolved over time
III. Dressing in drag
- Tips for choosing the right outfit and makeup
- How to create a drag persona
- Different styles of drag (e.g., camp, glam, androgynous)
IV. The fun of drag
- The thrill of performing in drag
- How drag helps people express themselves
- The joy of being part of a drag community
V. Conclusion
- Recap of what we covered in the article
- Final thoughts on the importance of drag
Let’s dive a little deeper into each section:
II. The history of drag
- We could start by discussing the origins of drag in ancient Greek theater, where men would play female roles. Then we could talk about how drag evolved in other cultures, such as Kabuki theater in Japan and cross-dressing in Shakespearean theater in England.
- Next, we could discuss the history of drag balls in the United States, which were popular in the 1920s and 30s. These balls were a safe space for LGBTQ+ people to express themselves and build community.
- We could also highlight key figures in drag history, such as Divine, who was a drag queen and actor in the 1970s and 80s, and RuPaul, who is arguably the most famous drag queen in the world today. We could also talk about activists like Marsha P. Johnson, who played a key role in the Stonewall riots and was an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
III. Dressing in drag
- In this section, we could provide tips for choosing the right outfit and makeup, such as finding clothing that fits your body well and using contouring to create a more feminine or masculine look.
- We could also discuss how to create a drag persona, which involves coming up with a name, backstory, and personality for your character. We could provide examples of famous drag personas, such as Trixie Mattel and Sasha Velour.
- Finally, we could talk about the different styles of drag, such as camp (which is characterized by exaggerated femininity and humor), glam (which is more about glamour and beauty), and androgynous (which blurs the lines between gender).
IV. The fun of drag
- This section would be all about the joy of performing in drag and being part of a drag community. We could talk about how drag allows people to express themselves in a way that they may not be able to in their everyday lives, and how performing in front of an audience can be an incredibly empowering experience.
- We could also discuss the importance of drag in building a community, both historically (as with drag balls) and today (as with drag shows and events). Drag queens and other LGBTQ+ performers have always been at the forefront of creating safe spaces and bringing people together.
V. Conclusion
- In the conclusion, we could recap what we covered in the article and emphasize the importance of drag in our culture. We could also encourage readers to explore drag themselves, whether by attending a drag show, experimenting with drag makeup, or even creating their own drag persona.