CHEATING GENDER
My friend, Kat, is a non-binary Drag King. They consistently perform in drag shows in Toronto, something they look forward to all week. They start getting ready almost three hours prior to the show, in anticipation of a five minute performance. "Stavros is my base persona, he’s a Toronto Greek bad boy that lives in his Grandma’s basement," they tell me as they exhume their drag bag from the depths of their bedroom floor and show me the array of costumes inside. "Getting ready for so long helps me feel more comfortable changing my look and getting into character. It feels good to be a different version of yourself for a night."
Kat binds with athletic tape. When I remarked about this being painful, they simply said “it hurts less than duct tape.” Although later in the night they offhandedly mentioned that, “my nipple is piercing my rib cage.”
Kat binds with athletic tape. When I remarked about this being painful, they simply said “it hurts less than duct tape.” Although later in the night they offhandedly mentioned that, “my nipple is piercing my rib cage.”
"I think for Queens and Kings starting out it’s the same level of difficulty and nervousness, and learning how to shape your body [in order] to cheat your gender a little bit. But I know there’s kind of a divide…the benefit that Drag Queens get over Drag Kings is pretty vast. And it has something to say like “oh even when women are gay we’re still in the background. At the end of the day it’s still men, and mostly white men, who are Queens, are getting those kinds of opportunities and funding to do the shows. It’s harder for Kings to get shows, but Kings and other gender performers are just as entertaining."
"May I show you my penis?" Kat opened a desk drawer to reveal of collection of sex toys and accessories related to their King persona. They pulled out a silicone penis that is used to pack their underwear and handed it to me so I could feel it. They've only worn the penis a couple times, on a regular day just to get used to it. Kat started inserting the penis into their underwear and told me that they've never done this in front of someone before. I started to lower my camera but then they added, "If I’m going to be a performer I have to be more vulnerable."
I asked if their family ever comes to see them in the show, they shook their head. When I asked if they ever invite them they said yes, but instead of coming, "they text me and say I thought you liked being a girl." Their brother is very supportive but lives out of town and so can’t make it to the shows, but when friends come they usually videotape Kat’s performance so they can send it to him.
I asked if their family ever comes to see them in the show, they shook their head. When I asked if they ever invite them they said yes, but instead of coming, "they text me and say I thought you liked being a girl." Their brother is very supportive but lives out of town and so can’t make it to the shows, but when friends come they usually videotape Kat’s performance so they can send it to him.
After binding is done and their costume is prepped, the makeup begins. Kat contoured their ab muscles, collar bones, and hip bones before thickening their eyebrows and adding a moustache. "I feel very confident in drag, being male in drag is my way of getting out all of the masculinity I was not allowed to show publicly growing up. I feel comfortable presenting male even more now on a daily basis, it really helped me transition to how I look now. But in full drag I feel so different, I get to be basically a caricature of myself."
Kat shared with me that coming out has been invaluable to their mental health. "I feel like myself for once, I feel so happy knowing I don’t have to hide myself anymore."
Kat shared with me that coming out has been invaluable to their mental health. "I feel like myself for once, I feel so happy knowing I don’t have to hide myself anymore."