Was wondering. How many of you guys have been drag kings, how many of you have thought about it...how many still perform as trans kings? For me, performing helped me to be more confident in myself and my masculine appearance. Cause I found out that when I'm onstage, alot of people can't even tell that I'm trans, alot of them think I'm just a gay boy.
Thought about it at one point, but it's not quite me...I'd be more of a queen, post-transition anyway :icon_cute:
People think I am a drag king and I am with someone who is more drag-king-ish than me. I just dress in a lot of shirts, waistcoats, tweed etc. and annoyingly enough I get seen as drag king.
I've thought about it. It seems like a fun thing. But i'm far from thinking about that stuff right now, unfortunately.
I began questioning my gender identity when I was maybe 16 or 17. It was at this age that I started doing drag shows/contests. I won at the LGBT center I performed at 3 years in a row. It gave me an outlet to express myself as a guy before I knew for sure. I don't do it now, but I think that after going on T for a bit I'll make for a lovely gender ->-bleeped-<- performer or drag queen.
To tell you the truth, I don't quite understand trans kings and ftm drag kings. I would like to learn though. Here's my thinking. Please correct any misconceptions or stereotypes as that's the last thing I want to have for anyone, especially trans* people.
Drag kings are mostly natal females who take on a mostly exaggerated male persona for performance. They use most of the same techniques that ftms use to pass (binding, packing, masculine mannerisms) but to an extreme (adding faux facial hair, taking the mannerisms to a Marlon Brando level). It's all overdone for the sake of performance. Many, but not all, identify as lesbians.
Trans kings do the same thing as drag kings (exaggerating masculinity), but identify as female-to-male transgender (or male or what have you). And that's where I start to see a problem. How can one really tell the difference between a drag king and a trans king if both act the same, dress the same, and if the make-up/costuming is well done, look the same? It just increases the chance of the trans king getting called a 'she' and treated like a female outside of performance, something that probably (although it might) wouldn't bother a drag king.
So that's my issue with the whole thing. To me, it makes more sense for ftms to be drag queens than to be drag kings/trans kings because if we had been born natal males, that's what our form of crossdressing would have been. I realize that being a trans king isn't crossdressing, but when the audience is only familiar with drag kings and queens, it sure looks it.
After reading what you wrote, Adio, I went and re-read the first post. I thought it had mentioned drag queens, but i guess the OP only was talking about drag/trans kings. I'd only be a drag queen in this case so nevermind my comment before. But now that I realize, i am wondering the same thing, Adio. Wouldn't it be drag queen for ftms? I know if i were in a drag show id be a drag queen, not king :/
Adio: I see kings and queens as just expressing an exaggerated gender for a performance. It's not necessarily about cross dressing. There are cis-gender women that do drag performances as queens.
Quote from: Nygeel on March 16, 2010, 05:01:22 PM
Adio: I see kings and queens as just expressing an exaggerated gender for a performance. It's not necessarily about cross dressing. There are cis-gender women that do drag performances as queens.
I didn't know that some cisgender women do drag (as queens). That's definitely something I'll have to look into. I know it's not all about the crossdressing, but like you said, an exaggeration of gender. But from the media, you have to admit that the exaggeration isn't what's talked about, it's the fact that "opposite sex" clothing is worn by performers.
Quote from: Adio on March 16, 2010, 07:01:15 PM
I didn't know that some cisgender women do drag (as queens). That's definitely something I'll have to look into. I know it's not all about the crossdressing, but like you said, an exaggeration of gender. But from the media, you have to admit that the exaggeration isn't what's talked about, it's the fact that "opposite sex" clothing is worn by performers.
Opposite sex clothing is usually a main component (although it isn't necessary). I forgot what it's called when cis-gender women dress as drag queens. Will look it up.
Faux queens.
When a post-transition t-person does a drag show as their birth sex, you divide by zero I think.
Quote from: Autumn on March 16, 2010, 11:12:04 PM
When a post-transition t-person does a drag show as their birth sex, you divide by zero I think.
Lol, that or you are stuck in an loop.
If I dress as a woman and exaggerate femininity in my current state, I would just look like a normal (ridiculous) woman. I think I've had enough of trying to play the female.
Quote from: Adio on March 16, 2010, 04:53:39 PM
Drag kings are mostly natal females who take on a mostly exaggerated male persona for performance. They use most of the same techniques that ftms use to pass (binding, packing, masculine mannerisms) but to an extreme (adding faux facial hair, taking the mannerisms to a Marlon Brando level). It's all overdone for the sake of performance. Many, but not all, identify as lesbians.
Trans kings do the same thing as drag kings (exaggerating masculinity), but identify as female-to-male transgender (or male or what have you). And that's where I start to see a problem. How can one really tell the difference between a drag king and a trans king if both act the same, dress the same, and if the make-up/costuming is well done, look the same? It just increases the chance of the trans king getting called a 'she' and treated like a female outside of performance, something that probably (although it might) wouldn't bother a drag king.
So that's my issue with the whole thing. To me, it makes more sense for ftms to be drag queens than to be drag kings/trans kings because if we had been born natal males, that's what our form of crossdressing would have been. I realize that being a trans king isn't crossdressing, but when the audience is only familiar with drag kings and queens, it sure looks it.
Well, at my local gay bar there is a pretty decent crowd of transkings who perform. It's probably not like that everywhere though. And the audience recognizes them as normal males, well alot of the crowd at least. My drag dad, who is ftm, fooled me in the beginning. I was like, "why is there a male performing on ladie's night?". Most of us fool the audience like that. I have some facial hair, so does he, and we pass for regular guys and don't over exaggerate things (some do, but not on purpose, they're just trying to pass, but most of us don't). I think the line between being just a drag king and a trans king is that we don't want to overexaggerate things...and drag kings can, cause they're not trying to pass full time. One of the guys on this forum is actually a trans king who I know from this bar. I also perform on boy's night...which is supposed to be only male entertainers. As far as I'm concerned, I am a real male entertainer. I'm fighting to keep a somewhat regular spot on Thursday nights.
And yeah..no way in hell would I be a drag queen after transition. I've played the female card far too often against my will, and I don't want to go back. Performing gave me a healthy outlet for my emotions, that's for sure. My drag dad said once, that if he hadn't created his drag persona, that he would still be very withdrawn, wouldn't be such a trans activist, wouldn't be as confident in himself as he is now. I can definitely relate.
I actually know an FTM, pre-everything, that's really good at pulling off the female drag. Somehow he just pulls it off.
I started performing around the time I was coming out as trans. I perform because it is fun and I make quite a bit of money doing it. I have never considered myself a drag king exactly because I perform as myself. They only dressing up i do is putting on side burns. Now that I am on T sometimes i still put them on and sometimes i dont. My facial hair is starting to come in so I won't have to worry about that at all soon. I don't consider myself a drag king at all anymore because I am a guy. I am an entertainer. I can't speak for any other trans guy who performs, but I would think a lot a trans guys who perform probably consider themselves male entertainers or something along those lines. Ill post the link to my youtube page, I have a few videos of me performing on there if you guys want to watch.
http://www.youtube.com/user/itsmeparker?feature=mhw4 (http://www.youtube.com/user/itsmeparker?feature=mhw4)
Yep....I'm just a male entertainer in my eyes. Sometimes I still consider myself a trans king. Idk. I just got my binder today...so I'm gonna pass a hell of alot better onstage now!
Quote from: SilverFang on March 17, 2010, 12:56:01 AMI think I've had enough of trying to play the female.
You got that right.
I'd gladly tech one, but I'm no performer in any context.
For a lot of ftms I know they resorted to being a drag king before they came out as trans. For me it was a way of testing myself and trying to figure myself out without anyone else knowing. I started as a lesbian and once I came out as trans there was no reason to quit. Its fun. A lot of people around here now know who I am and for someone reason I kinda like it. Also its given a lot of guys info so they could talk to me and find out trans info. Almost like a safe place for other closeted trans folk.