“Why it gotta be black?” – How Race Impacts the Representation of Black Drag Queens

Kate Wray

Abstract This journal article investigates how race impacts the representation of the black drag queen. I have done this by comparing the black drag queen to the white drag queen. Through this I have identified how blackness acts as a marker to the drag queen identity, causing issues surrounding masculinity which are not identified when the person already holds the power of whiteness. It also identifies reasons why this discussion has been neglected critically. Overall, pointing to the larger issues of the portrayal of race in media.

Key Words Drag queen, race, ‘coon’, black, RuPaul, whiteness, Alaska Thunderfuck, emasculation, hyper-femininity, gender.

Introduction

The portrayal of the Drag Queen is an interesting one in terms of the issues which surround their portrayals of masculinity and femininity. Yet through my investigations I have found that an important discussion which has been neglected critically is the representation of race within drag queen culture. Therefore, I will identify the differences that occur between white and black drag queens, which I will do by: Identifying the constructs of the black drag queen, the implications race has on the drag queen identity, and an attempt to identify the reasons for the absence of race within academia. I will pursue my investigations by textually analysing RuPaul Andre Charles. He identifies himself as a subversive character, claiming that: “there is the drag that I do, and my girls do, which is really taking the piss out of all identity" (McClelland, 2013). Making him an interesting case study, as I will be able to identify how his intentions relate to my findings.

The Drag Queen – Constructs of Femininity

Drag queens do not identify themselves with the female gender, but instead impersonate femininity. They do this by establishing a “physical representation of hyper-feminine womanhood.” (Barrett, 1999, p314.) This form hyper-femininity takes place in the way in which they present their feminised form, for example: the ‘tucking’ of genitals to create the illusion of a vagina, heavy make-up to portray a glamorised feminine look, 2______and padding of the hips and breasts whilst also synching in their waist to create an overtly stereotypical representation of a female figure.

However, issues with the critical work discussing the portrayal of hyper- femininity through drag are that they commonly disregard race. Edgar states that: “Successful drag… hinges upon the performer's ability to deploy stereotypical notions of femininity through performances of gendered norms” (2011, p133-134). However, these constructs of femininity explicitly refer to the application of white femininity: “In the context of a society founded on European imperialism and colonialism, normative femininity is never signified outside a process of racial domination and negation” (Deliovsky. 2008, p52). From this, it can be seen that femininity is never race-neutral. Instead it is the property of white womanhood. Therefore In order to become successful within the drag, the black drag queen must adhere themselves to these constructs of white femininity.

RuPaul abides to these personifications of whiteness. She masks herself in a hyper-feminised form of whiteness which resembles the imagery of a super model - wearing long blonde wigs, constructing a slim figure and large breasts, as well as whitened skin. Therefore, although RuPaul’s intentions are to create an image that transcends typical notions of gender and race, by embodying herself in whiteness she ultimately masks her African American identity within white femininity in order to become successful.

Effect on Masculinity

Although damaging to femininity, drag also has an effect on masculinity. Magubane states that “The purpose of the transvestite… is to further emphasize the importance and efficacy of masculinity” (2002, p244). Although arguably true, again Magubane fails to identify race.

Both white and black drag queens present themselves similarly by adhering to the constructs of a hyper-feminised form. However, the ability to enhance ones masculinity through female impersonation is only applicable when the person already holds the power contained by whiteness. White drag performers can detach themselves from their female identity. They are free to imitate a more sexualised form of hyper-femininity whilst still reinforcing their masculinity through phallic imagery (Garber, 1992, p96).

For example, Alaska Thunderfuck 5000 (Justin Honard) portrays a femininity that imitates stereotypical notions of an unintelligent, blonde, ______3 overtly sexualised woman. Yet in her music video Nails (Simkins, 2014) there is a shot which includes a close up of her crotch, where suddenly, an arm decorated in jewellery and false nails emerges upwards from between her legs. Garber argues that “one cannot be a male transvestite without knowing, loving, and magnificently expanding the importance of one’s own phallus” (1992, p96). It is through this use of phallic imagery that Alaska and many other white drag queens are able to maintain their masculinity throughout their performances.

In comparison where whiteness allows the drag queen to remain masculine, the black drag queen is denied this ability. Instead, the drag queen image becomes detrimental to black masculinity. Hook argues that “appearing as a "woman" within a sexist, racist media was a way to become in "play" that "castrated" silly childlike black male that racist white patriarchy was comfortable having as an image in their homes” (1992, p146). In terms of RuPaul, as previously mentioned her portrayal of white hyper-femininity has allowed her success in her career. However, her masculinity is lost within her performance. For example, she is less sexualised than white drag queens. On her show RuPaul’s Drag Race (Murray, 2009-present), RuPaul presents herself in a ‘runway look’. During these moments, she always wears long floor-length gowns completely covering her legs and breasts. Her jokes at this point are always very safe and rarely take on a sexualised form. Additionally, RuPaul states that she believes she is received so positively because of her intention to remove any sexualisation from her character. Claiming that: “It was more like a Disney caricature, rather than a sexualized, subversive character” (Wu, 2013).

In comparison, it can be seen that rather than the empowerment that white masculinity gains from drag performances, the black drag queen ultimately loses their masculinity and becomes hypothetically castrated. This image can be seen to serve as a way to reinforce ideas of white supremacy - it presents an object that successfully mocks femininity whilst also denying any power within black masculinity.

Characterisation

The emasculating image created through the process of drag can be linked to the characterisation of ‘the coon’ as described by Donald Bogle. This character type presented “the Negro as an amusement object and a black buffoon” (2001, p7). It was purely designed to entertain white audiences, which it did by stressing the inferiority of the black man. It was not intended to be harmful to African Americans, yet did so through emasculation, 4______through its use for comical effect, and through their use as an indication of “the black man’s satisfaction with the system and his place in it” (Bogle, 2001, p8). The black drag queen can be seen to conform to this label of black identity. She is presented as a passive figure whose image is created for the enjoyment of white audiences, as long as this image is one that masks itself in whiteness whilst also presenting itself as emasculated– thus being deemed safe within a white dominated society. Where RuPaul conforms to the image of a passive figure, her claims to subversion are denied. And instead her image reinforces these black stereotypes that allow white audiences to laugh whilst the black man is to be laughed at.

Returning the White Gaze

However, by analysing the representation of the black drag queen under Donald Bogle’s characterisation of the ‘coon’, although somewhat accurate, it claims that there has not been any progression from the racist characteristics identified in 1973.

However, there are examples of these racist ideas being subverted. Magubane argues that “producing the black subject as an object of ridicule was critical for producing the black person as an object that did not exist independently of the white audience’s conception of him” (2002, p252). However, since the creation of the category of the ‘coon’ there have been conscious changes to remove these stereotypical labels of black masculinity and “it is no longer possible for white spectators to completely control the meaning and direction of the gaze” (Magubane, 2002, p252). An example of this returned gaze can be seen from RuPaul at the 1993 MTV Music Video Awards (MTV, 1984-present). During this show, RuPaul was paired with Milton Berle, an older white comedian who formerly dressed in drag. There were conflicts between the two backstage, which then continued onstage where Milton uses RuPaul as a prop in his act – touching her breasts and mocking her image. Angry at Milton’s comments and actions, Rupaul responds by saying: “You used to wear gowns, and that’s funny - now you wear diapers.” At this moment, the audience turns their laughter at Milton rather than at RuPaul. Through this incident it can be seen that by refusing to become material for Milton’s jokes, RuPaul successfully emasculates Milton, thus reversing the dichotomy of whiteness as powerful and blackness as powerless.

______5 Conclusion

To conclude, race is an important factor to consider when investigating the portrayal of the drag queen. This is because drag does not go unnoticed within the hierarchy’s of a white dominated society. There is a freedom within whiteness that allows the white drag queen the ability to mock the female identity whilst also maintaining their masculinity. And where the black drag queen is acknowledged, it can be seen that to succeed within drag culture she must mask her blackness with white femininity, whilst being deprived of any form of sexualisation - ultimately becoming emasculated, resembling the stereotypical character of the ‘coon’. An interesting issue that presented itself when investigating the perceptions of the drag queen is that many of the discourses surrounding them do not specifically identify drag in terms of race. A reason for this is due to the post-race society we currently live in. This is the idea that we live in an era where civil rights have accomplished its goal and racism now has no significance (Dawkins, 2010, p9). However, as shown by my investigations of the black drag queen, there is clear evidence that issues of inequality are still present. And by ignoring race from the discourses of drag culture, the issues surrounding the castrated image of black masculinity are disregarded, which thus inadvertently reinforces these images.

Bibliography

Barrett, R. (1999). Indexing Polyphonous Identity in the Speech of African American Drag Queens. In: Bucholtz, M. Liang, A.C. and Sutton, L. A. Reinventing Identities: The Gendered Self In Discourse. New York: Oxford University Press. p313-326. Bogle, D. (1973). Black Beginnings: from Uncle Tom’s Cabin to The Birth of a Nation’, in Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies and Bucks: An Interpertive History of Black in American Films, London and New York: Continnum, pp3-17. Dawkins, M. (2010) ‘Mixed Messages: Barack Obama and Post-Racial Politics’, Post Identity, 30:2 (Fall 2010), p9-17. Deliovsky, K. (2008). Normative White Femininity: Race, Gender and the Politics of Beauty. Atlantis. 33 (1), p49-59. Edgar, E. A. (2011). Xtravaganza!: Drag Representation and Articulation in RuPaul’s Drag Race. Studies in Popular Culture. 34 (1), p133-146. Garber, M (1992). Vested Interests: Cross-Dressing and Cultural Anxiety. London: Routledge. p41-110 Hooks, B. (1992). Is Paris Burning? In: Grossberg, L. Nelson, N. and Treichler, P. Black Looks: Race and Representation. New York: Routledge. p145-156. 6______Magubane, Z. (2002). Black Skins, Black Masks or "The Return of the White Negro". Men and Masculinities. 4 (3), p233-257. McClelland, M. (2013). RuPaul: The King of Queens. Available: http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/rupaul-the-king-of-queens- 20131004. Last accessed 22nd Jan 2015. Wu, J. (2013). The Transformer: RuPaul. Available: http://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/rupaul/. Last accessed 19th January 2015.

Filmography

MTV Music Video Award (1984-present) Created by MTV. MTV: USA Nails (2014) Directed by Ben Simkins, Greek Mythology Productions: USA RuPaul’s Drag Race (2009-present) Created by Murray, N. World of Wonder: USA

Word Count: 1622