Man Up
I am fortunate to call a couple trans men my friends and one of them has started performing as a "Drag King".
Recently it seems the Drag King culture is gaining publicity and I can see why after a few performances I have seen. As with drag queens I just don't believe a great majority of drag kings are trans. So with all due respects to transgender men, I'm going to pass along an article from The Independent called "Man Up". Here's an excerpt written about Holly Williams Drag King adventure:
"The doorbell rings. I hesitate, then head down the stairs to answer it, taking them at a wide-legged stomp, a goatee sprouting a shade too darkly from my chin, a bulge between my legs. It's not the only thing bulging – when I answer the door to the unwitting postman, his eyes fairly stand out on stalks. "Er, flat two?" "Yep," I growl. "Mrs Holly Williams?" he asks, flustered. Confirming my identity with the barest grunt (it's 'Ms' actually, but I think he's got enough gender confusion to contend with without a lesson in semantics), I grapple the large package – quiet in the back! – with manful ease. Back in my flat, I fall about laughing, but I may have just made Lenna Cumberbatch a little bit proud. She's a drag king – a woman who performs masculinity – and she's been helping me find my alternative male persona, donning men's clothing, sticking hair on my face and socks down my pants, as well as teaching me how to walk, stand and speak. I don't think I convinced the postie, but by the end of an hour playing around, Cumberbatch does say, "I think you could pass".
I'm am just fascinated about why any woman would want to present male as I am sure genetic women are about us!
Read more here.
Recently it seems the Drag King culture is gaining publicity and I can see why after a few performances I have seen. As with drag queens I just don't believe a great majority of drag kings are trans. So with all due respects to transgender men, I'm going to pass along an article from The Independent called "Man Up". Here's an excerpt written about Holly Williams Drag King adventure:"The doorbell rings. I hesitate, then head down the stairs to answer it, taking them at a wide-legged stomp, a goatee sprouting a shade too darkly from my chin, a bulge between my legs. It's not the only thing bulging – when I answer the door to the unwitting postman, his eyes fairly stand out on stalks. "Er, flat two?" "Yep," I growl. "Mrs Holly Williams?" he asks, flustered. Confirming my identity with the barest grunt (it's 'Ms' actually, but I think he's got enough gender confusion to contend with without a lesson in semantics), I grapple the large package – quiet in the back! – with manful ease. Back in my flat, I fall about laughing, but I may have just made Lenna Cumberbatch a little bit proud. She's a drag king – a woman who performs masculinity – and she's been helping me find my alternative male persona, donning men's clothing, sticking hair on my face and socks down my pants, as well as teaching me how to walk, stand and speak. I don't think I convinced the postie, but by the end of an hour playing around, Cumberbatch does say, "I think you could pass".
I'm am just fascinated about why any woman would want to present male as I am sure genetic women are about us!
Read more here.
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