tlavideo.com

Review

Drag King Anthology examines the “other side” of the drag culture—female-to-male performers who embody masculinity as a statement of queer identity. This unique book dispels the myth that drag kings are simply “women doing drag,” presenting entertaining and enlightening essays that address gender, sexuality, and feminism. Using prose, poetry, and photographs, an eclectic mix of scholars, performers, and fans offer cultural and political insights on the international growth and development of drag king troupes and communities.

Mentioned in passing or neglected altogether in academic writings on queer and feminist theory, “kinging” has emerged as a powerful cultural and political comment on gender norms. Drag King Anthology provides an alternative look at how women—butches, trannyboys, femmes, and gender variants—perform masculinity to cross the spectrum of sexual and gender categories and the impact these performances have. Essays and visual images combine with case studies on drag king troupes in the United States, Canada, and Australia to reflect an aesthetic that is more than the sum of its parts.

"As dykes, our choice to king it up and create arenas for drag king culture is a political, liberatory move with deep resonances for shaking up outdated, oppressive gender systems and sexual codes, as well as our own potential for power. Queers and trannies do more than survive (and live) at the margins of society; through the exaggerations, perversions, and transmutations we create, we push human behavior to a futuristic edge. Drag kinging produces new erotics, new genders, and new forms and modes of power." —k. Bradford, from “Grease Cowboy Fever or the Making of Johnny T.”

Drag King Anthology is an essential read for anyone interested in drag or the performance of masculinity. A valuable resource for academics working in sociology, anthropology, gender studies, pop culture, and contemporary critical theory, the book lends itself to coursework at the graduate and undergraduate levels.