List of drag kings

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This is a list of drag kings , sometimes known as male impersonators, drag performers, or drag artists. A drag king is a person who dresses in masculine clothes and hides their regular features (through such things as breast binding) for special occasions, often to perform, entertain, or engage in social activism. Many, but not all, drag kings are members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Contents

Performers

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
Stage nameNameNationalityNotes
Adam All Jen PowellFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom [1]
Andro GinFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States / Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba [2]
"Bert" Whitman Alberta Whitman Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States [3] [4]
Buck WyldeFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States [5]
Burlington Bertie Ella Shields Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States [6]
Charles Annie Hindle Flag of England.svg  England / Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States [7]
Dirk Diggler Deb Pearce Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada [8]
E. L. Brown Lillyn Brown Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States [9]
Elvis Herselvis Leigh CrowFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States [10]
Gage GatlynGage GatlynFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States [11]
Grey MatterFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States [12]
HercuSleaze Meags Fitzgerald Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada [13] [14]
Hetty King Winifred EmmsFlag of England.svg  England [6]
Hugo Grrrl George FowlerFlag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand [15]
Jarvis Hammer Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States [16]
Johnny Science Johnny Science Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States [17]
Justin AbitFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada [18]
K.JamesFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States [19]
Ken Pollet  [ es ]Elena RamírezFlag of Spain.svg  Spain [20]
King MolassesFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States / Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria [21]
Landon Cider Kristine BellalunaFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States [22]
LoUis CYfer Lucy Jane Parkinson Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom [23]
Macha Elizabeth Marrero Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States [24]
Majic Dyke Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya [25]
Marcus Massalami  [ es ]Melisa MeseguerFlag of Spain.svg  Spain [26]
Maxxx PleasureFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States [27]
Miles Long [28]
Mo B. DickMo FischerFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States [29]
Murray Hill Murray Hill Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States [30]
Nico Elsker  [ es ]Nicolás OteroFlag of Spain.svg  Spain [31]
Pepi Litman Pesha Kahane [32]
Prinze Valentino Sicily [33]
Rock BièreMélodie Noël RousseauFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada [34]
RV MétalGeneviève LabelleFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada [35]
Sigi MoonlightJacqui Bardelang [36]
Spikey Van DykeyJamie KalmanFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States [37]
TenderoniFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States [38]
Throb ZombieFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States [39]
Vesta Tilley Matilda Alice PowlesFlag of England.svg  England [40]
Vico Suave Vico Ortiz Flag of Puerto Rico.svg  Puerto Rico [41]
Wang Newton Mei-yinFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States / Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Taiwan [42]
Diane Torr Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland [43]
Ella Wesner Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States [44]
Florence Hines Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States [45]
Minnie Tittell Brune Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States [46]
Stormé DeLarverie Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States [47] [48]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drag queen</span> Entertainer dressed and acting with exaggerated femininity

A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and have been a part of gay culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drag king</span> Mostly female performance artists who dress and behave in masculine way for performance

Drag kings have historically been mostly female performance artists who dress in masculine drag and personify male gender stereotypes as part of an individual or group routine. As documented in the 2003 Journal of Homosexuality, in more recent years the world of drag kings has broadened to include performers of all gender expressions. A typical drag show may incorporate dancing, acting, stand-up comedy and singing, either live or lip-synching to pre-recorded tracks. Drag kings often perform as exaggeratedly macho male characters, portray characters such as construction workers and rappers, or impersonate male celebrities like Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Tim McGraw. Drag kings may also perform as personas that do not clearly align with the gender binary. Drag personas that combine both stereotypically masculine and feminine traits are common in modern drag king shows.

Drag is a performance of exaggerated femininity, masculinity, or other forms of gender expression, usually for entertainment purposes. Drag usually involves cross-dressing. A drag queen is someone who performs femininely and a drag king is someone who performs masculinely. Performances often involve comedy, social satire, and at times political commentary. The term may be used as a noun as in the expression in drag or as an adjective as in drag show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drag show</span> Drag king or drag queen performance show

A drag show is a form of entertainment performed by drag artists impersonating men or women, typically in a bar or nightclub. Shows can range from burlesque-style, adult themed nightclub acts to all-ages events with sing-alongs and story times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AFAB queen</span> Subtype of drag queen

An AFAB queen, diva queen or hyper queen is a drag queen who is a woman, or a non-binary person who was assigned female at birth. These performers are generally indistinguishable from the more common male or transgender female drag queens in artistic style and techniques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murray Hill (performer)</span> American comedian

Murray Hill is a New York City comedian and drag king entertainer. He is the entertainer persona of Busby Murray Gallagher, although this persona is maintained even in private settings. Murray Hill is the self-proclaimed "hardest-working middle-aged 'man' in show business."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stormé DeLarverie</span> American singer, activist and instigator of the Stonewall Uprising (1920–2014)

Stormé DeLarverie was an American woman known as the butch lesbian whose scuffle with police was, according to DeLarverie and many eyewitnesses, the spark that ignited the Stonewall uprising, spurring the crowd to action. She was born in New Orleans, to an African American mother and a white father. She is remembered as a gay civil rights icon and entertainer, who performed and hosted at the Apollo Theater and Radio City Music Hall. She worked for much of her life as an MC, singer, bouncer, bodyguard, and volunteer street patrol worker, the "guardian of lesbians in the Village". She is known as "the Rosa Parks of the gay community."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaymes Mansfield</span> Drag queen and TV personality

James Jeffrey Wirth, better known as Jaymes Mansfield, is an American drag queen, TV personality, and YouTuber. She is best known for competing on the ninth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, and playing the part of Delia Von Whitewoman in the film The Bitch Who Stole Christmas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity K. Bonet</span> American drag queen, performer, celebrity impersonator, actor and singer

Joshua Jamal Jones, better known by the stage name Trinity Kardashian Bonét, is an American drag queen, performer, celebrity impersonator, actor and singer who came to international attention on the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2014. Bonet released her first single, "I'm a Drag Queen" on September 6, 2017, and the accompanying music video was later released on October, 18. On May 26, 2021, she was announced as part of the cast for RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 6 alongside 12 other contestants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Vixen (drag queen)</span> American drag performer

The Vixen is the stage name of Anthony Prince Taylor, an American drag performer, best known for competing on the tenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race and placing seventh. Her appearance on the show was notable for raising a conversation around racial dynamics both among her fellow drag queens and in the show's fandom. She is the founder of Black Girl Magic, a drag show consisting of only African-American queens. In August 2020, she released Commercial Break, her debut album.

<i>The Boulet Brothers Dragula</i> American reality competition TV series

The Boulet Brothers' Dragula is an American reality competition television series produced by Boulet Brothers Productions, hosted by the Boulet Brothers. The series originally aired on YouTube and has aired on Netflix in the United States, OUTtv in Canada, and Amazon Prime in the United Kingdom and Australia. Starting with season 4, the series moved to Shudder in all territories. The series will become a Shudder exclusive, with all seasons being hosted on the platform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquaria (drag queen)</span> American drag queen

Giovanni Lucca Palandrani, better known by his stage name Aquaria, is an American drag queen, television personality, and recording artist best known for winning the tenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarlet Envy</span> American drag performer (born 1992)

Scarlet Envy, is the stage name of Jacob James Grady, an American drag queen, reality television personality, singer, and performer who is best known for competing on the eleventh season of RuPaul's Drag Race (2019), the sixth season of its spin-off, RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (2021), and the second series of RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World (2024).

Wang Newton is a professional drag king and Asian LGBT figure whilst running "Wang TV" on YouTube. They were featured in a 2021 New York Times article by Frank DeCaro profiling notable American drag kings. Performing since 2004, "Dr. Wang" is one of the few full-time drag king performers with an international profile. Their name is a reference to Las Vegas singer Wayne Newton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Icesis Couture</span> Canadian drag performer

Icesis Couture is the stage name of Steven Granados-Portelance, a Canadian drag queen who won the second season of Canada's Drag Race in 2021. She later returned to compete on the first season of the spin-off series, Canada's Drag Race: Canada vs. the World, in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Landon Cider</span> American drag king, actor and host

Landon Cider is an American drag king, actor and host. He won season 3 of The Boulet Brothers' Dragula and was crowned the "World's Next Drag Supermonster".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symone (drag queen)</span> American drag performer

Reginald "Reggie" Gavin, known by the stage name Symone, is an American drag queen and model. She is best known as the winner of season 13 of RuPaul's Drag Race (2021). She is a member of the queer art collective House of Avalon.

<i>Call Me Mother</i> Canadian reality television series

Call Me Mother is a Canadian reality television series, which premiered on OutTV in 2021. Hosted by Entertainment Tonight Canada reporter Dallas Dixon, the series is a drag competition which will see up-and-coming drag performers join one of three drag houses to compete in group challenges, with one drag artist eliminated each week until the winner of the competition is crowned the "First Child of Drag".

Kate Butch is the stage name of Marcus Crabb, a British drag performer and comedian known for competing on series 5 of RuPaul's Drag Race UK.

References

  1. ↑ Nina Lecourt (2019-03-28). "Drag king Adam All: 'It's the air that I breathe'". Pink News. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
  2. ↑ "Andro Gin creates space for Southern Drag Kings , one mug at a time". WUSSY Mag. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  3. ↑ "Whitman Sisters (biography)", Library of Congress
  4. ↑ Vaudeville old & new: an encyclopedia of variety performances in America, Volume 1, ISBN   0415938538, pp. 1199–1200
  5. ↑ Stories, Local (2023-05-04). "Rising Stars: Meet Buck Wylde". voyagedallas.com. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  6. 1 2 Drag!: Male and Female Impersonators on Stage, Screen and Television: An Illustrated World History
  7. ↑ The Queer Encyclopedia of Music, Dance, and Musical Theater. San Francisco, California: Cleis Press, Inc. 2004. pp. 123–124. ISBN   9781573441988 . Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  8. ↑ Moffatt, Kenneth James (2012). Troubled Masculinities: Reimagining Urban Men. University of Toronto Press. ISBN   9780802098238.
  9. ↑ "Biography". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  10. ↑ Massengill, David (2000-06-21). "Long Live the Kings! Drag Kings are making a scene in Seattle". Seattle Weekly. Archived from the original on 2007-06-26. Retrieved 2009-03-14.
  11. ↑ "GAGE GATLYN". venus rose productions. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  12. ↑ "Uglies, Monsters, and Phobias? Oh My!". OutSmart Magazine. 2024-10-15. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  13. ↑ Nolfi, Joey (2021-10-05). "'Call Me Mother casts queens, kings, and nonbinary stars in wild new drag competition'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  14. ↑ Griwkowsky, Fish (2021-10-20). "'OUTtv's Call Me Mother stars local drag queen Felicia Bonée'". Edmonton Journal. Archived from the original on 2022-01-26. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  15. ↑ "House of Drag winner Hugo Grrrl on his 'life-changing' win". New Zealand Herald. 2018-12-20. Retrieved 2019-02-12.
  16. ↑ "Jarvis Hammer Represents Atlanta in "The Boulet Brothers' Dragula" Season Five". The Georgia Voice. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  17. ↑ "Johnny Science Papers: NYU Special Collections Finding Aids". findingaids.library.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  18. ↑ "Meet 'Call Me Mother' season 2's cast of queens, kings, and non-binary artists". EW.com. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  19. ↑ "K.James". See the Queens. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  20. ↑ "Ken Pollet / Elena Ramírez (Málaga, 1992)". Ajuntament de Barcelona (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  21. ↑ Rummler, Orion (2024-02-27). "A Black drag king shares their story of liberation and expression". The 19th. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  22. ↑ Mikelle Street (2019-10-31). "Meet Landon Cider, World's Next Drag Super Monster". Out Magazine. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  23. ↑ Mustarde, Danielle (19 April 2017). "Talking drag with Lucy Jane Parkinson". Diva. Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  24. ↑ Waddell, Robert. "Profile: Elizabeth Marrero. This Drag King Is Sinfully Delicious." Puerto Rico Sun (San Juan, PR) April 14, 2007.
  25. ↑ "Navigating the World as an African Non-Binary Drag King – Only Human". 2024-10-07. Archived from the original on 2024-10-07. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
  26. ↑ "Melisa Meseguer, 'drag king': "Atacar a la masculinidad es dar donde más duele. ¡Y es muy divertido!"". El Diario (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  27. ↑ "The Business of Drag: Maxxx Pleasure Is Your Drag King Rockstar". Queerency. 2024-06-25. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  28. ↑ "Black Drag Kings You Need To Know". Yahoo News. 2023-06-29. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  29. ↑ History, Drag King (1995-11-11). "1995 – Present • Mo B. Dick". Drag King History. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  30. ↑ Brune, A. M. (2016-03-28). "Murray Hill: 'I'm more than a drag king. Why can't you just call me a comedian?'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  31. ↑ "Nico Elsker". Simia Espacio (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  32. ↑ Pollack, Chana. "Pepi Littman, Yiddish Drag King". Forverts. The Yiddish Forward. Retrieved Jan 17, 2017.
  33. ↑ "Prinze Valentino - Drag King Makeup". Artist Resources by RAW Artists. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  34. ↑ "Rock Bière". Agence IEL (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  35. ↑ "RV Métal". Agence IEL (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2024-10-17.
  36. ↑ "Meet Sigi Moonlight – Andro & Eve" . Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  37. ↑ Covello, Rachel (2018-03-08). "King Spikey Van Dykey Dishes About All Things Drag". OutCoast.com. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  38. ↑ "Tenderoni Is Putting Drag Kings In The Spotlight". Bustle. 2024-02-20. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  39. ↑ "THROB ZOMBIE". SPECTRUM TALENT AGENCY. Retrieved 2024-10-18.
  40. ↑ "10 Photos of 19th and 20th Century Drag Kings That Are Totally Inspiring". 29 January 2016.
  41. ↑ Tibi, Ariana (25 June 2022). "Politics & Pride: Getting to Know Vico Ortiz". LADYGUNN. Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  42. ↑ Dazed (2017-11-14). "Groundbreaking drag artists who aren't RuPaul". Dazed. Retrieved 2019-08-09.
  43. ↑ Obejas, Achy (21 April 1995). "Diane Torr Explores the Dynamics of Drag". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  44. ↑ Gillian Rodger, " He Isn't a Marrying Man: Gender and Sexuality in the Repertoire of Male Impersonators, 1870–1930", in Sophie Fuller, Lloyd Whitesell, eds. Queer Episodes in Music and Modern Identity (Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 2002) pp. 109-110.
  45. ↑ Abbott, Lynn (2009). Out of Sight: The Rise of African American Popular Music 1889-1895. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN   978-1-4968-0004-6.
  46. ↑ "10 Photos of 19th and 20th Century Drag Kings That Are Totally Inspiring". 29 January 2016.
  47. ↑ "Women Make Movies | Storme The Lady of the Jewel Box". Wmm.com. Retrieved 2010-08-01.
  48. ↑ DEEPTI HAJELA. "Stonewall activist Storme DeLarverie dies at 93". sandiegouniontribune.com. Associated Press. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
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