The glamour and camp of a drag show is nothing new. But drag performers’ recent heightened visibility across pop culture has made them a lightning rod for controversy, in spite of a history of philanthropy and community outreach efforts.
Legislation is on the table in many states, including Missouri, that would classify drag entertainment as unfit and immoral.
ºüÀêÊÓƵ has a thriving drag community of both queens and kings, with nightspots featuring performances regularly. There’s also an influx of shows happening at unexpected venues such as Ballpark Village, Live! by Loews, restaurants and libraries.
Gilberto Pinela, who serves on the board of , an advocacy group for LGBTQ+ Missourians, has worked with the drag community in various capacities, including fundraising and emceeing.
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“Their work is invaluable for the community,†he says. “They’re willing to raise money and go above and beyond the call to make sure an organization such as PROMO gets the funds necessary in order to continue to do the hard work of bringing equality to all LGBTQ+ in Missouri.â€
Shawn Stokes performs as Akasha Royale and is a show director at Rehab Bar & Grill in the Grove neighborhood. Stokes is among the performers who have testified, in drag, against anti-drag bills before a House committee in Jefferson City.
He says drag performers aren’t making news for committing illicit acts against children the way some “priests or cops or teachers†are.
“People who’ve been to a drag show or a storytime or Pride have felt safe there,†Stokes says. “You don’t see drag storytelling turn into some rumpus room. You see us competing in pageants or raising funds.â€
As Akasha Royale, Stokes has participated in hundreds of fundraisers. But he is most deeply invested in Extreme Makeover Drag Takeover, which benefits the Human Rights Campaign and has won multiple fundraising awards.
The annual event, which takes place at Rehab, raised $1,200 when it started in 2014.
“We realized we had something,†Stokes says. “The next year it was $3,000, then it was $10,000. ‘Whoa, what are we doing?’ People really like this.â€
In 2017, fundraising started before the event and generated $30,000. The event was last held in 2019 and raised $65,000.
When Extreme Makeover Drag Takeover returns this year, proceeds will benefit PROMO. The goal: $90,000.
“Now is a great time to bring it back,†Stokes says. “People are witnessing the rhetoric — the narrative pushed by conservative ideals. I’m nervous as hell, but so many people are waiting in the wings to help make it happen. We want to provide an even greater impact.â€
Elevated profile
The acclaimed TV competition “RuPaul’s Drag Race†has brought drag into the mainstream for the past decade-plus. But even before RuPaul gave the art form a global platform, there were popular representations — largely comedic or musical or both: Milton Berle, Flip Wilson, “Some Like it Hot,†“Tootsie†(March 21-April 2 at the Fox Theatre), “Mrs. Doubtfire†(Dec. 26-Jan. 7 at the Fox), “Hairspray,†“Kinky Boots,†Big Momma, Madea. In Shakespeare’s day, men played women’s roles onstage.
In December, a gaggle of “Drag Race†veterans descended on the Factory in Chesterfield for “A Drag Queen Christmas,†a touring show that visits the area often. Days before a single queen could sashay across the stage for the near-sold-out show, there was a noisy outcry.
Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, suggested the event was pornographic in nature and wrote to Chesterfield Mayor Bob Nation, saying the show risks violating statutes protecting minors from pornographic material. The venue put an 18-and-over age restriction on the show, but it didn’t thwart more than 100 protesters who showed up with signs.
State Reps. Ben Baker and Mazzie Boyd, both Republicans, are looking to enact restrictions on drag performances. Boyd would have venues showcasing drag classified as “sexually oriented,†along the same lines as sex shops and strip clubs.
Elsewhere:
• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to send child protective services to parents who allow their children to see drag shows.
• Rep. Heather Scott of Idaho said drag queens and LGBTQ supporters are waging a “war of perversion against our children.â€
• Legislation was recently signed in Tennessee banning drag performances where children could be present. A march in protest of a similar bill in Missouri is planned for 6 p.m. March 25 in the Grove.
“There’s an election coming up, and Republicans are rallying up their bases so they can get people sensationalizing over something they know so little about,†says Maxi Glamour, an 18-year veteran of drag performance.
Glamour, who uses they/them pronouns, views the legislation as a personal attack and calls it “horrifying.â€
“I think they’re trying to delegitimize us,†they say. “I think of what my queer ancestors had to go through, and I will not go through it. I will fight it tooth and nail and try to debunk these myths — bring them into the 21st century.â€
Glamour produces Faeded, a recurring fantasy dance party, and hosts Abort Fascism, a pro-choice fundraiser, both at the Crack Fox downtown. They also have competed on “The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula,†a TV reality series.
Glamour, who is passionate about “curating spaces where trans people can express themselves,†is president of Trans Housing Initiative ºüÀêÊÓƵ, which started two years ago to address systemic housing injustice faced by transgender people.
“I don’t like to see people oppressed,†Glamour says. “I try to do whatever I can to change that.â€
Far-reaching effects
Michael Klataske, who for more than 25 years has performed as Jade Sinclair, says he is alarmed by the recent anti-drag legislation. Klataske is co-owner of Prism, which presents drag shows nightly in the Grove.
“Hopefully our state will be wiser than the others,†he says. “If the bill passes, it changes what the Fox Theatre and Muny can put on. It can force drag into private spaces. It doesn’t make sense. It has implications people haven’t begun to think about.â€
Performers’ fundraising efforts are “common knowledge in the drag circuit, for countless years, countless events.†Klataske says. “Whenever there’s a need for money, the drag queens can put on a show. We know how to draw audiences in, and it’s so easy for them to give a dollar — or a hundred dollars.â€
For many performers, he says, “most of their work is for charity. I’ve never tracked the money I’ve contributed to fundraising. It’s so much.â€
Klataske says PAWS, which helps those living with HIV/AIDS to care for their pets’ nutritional and veterinary needs, is just one of many organizations to benefit from fundraisers put on by drag performers. Others include Pride ºüÀêÊÓƵ and Vivent Health.
Jai Wilson, who performs as Tabbi Katt, says increased visibility of drag unfortunately has allowed hate to build.
“People see it more and think it’s happening more,†says Wilson, a show director for Bar:PM in the Carondelet neighborhood. “And people feel righteous in their beliefs. It’s a lot of things coming together.â€
Wilson also organizes a recurring drag brunch at Ballpark Village. The next event is April 22.
Library storytime events for children are also triggering for drag detractors.
“It’s so crazy they can be so mad about reading stories about inclusion — the idea of reading a story about loving someone for who they are, accepting someone for who they are,†Wilson says. “I can’t understand where that motivation is coming from.â€
ºüÀêÊÓƵ Public Library has had success with its Drag Queen Storytime events since their debut in 2017 at Central Library downtown. The last one was held last year at Tower Grove Pride, but none are on the schedule for now.
Jen Hatton, the library’s manager of public relations and digital marketing, says the storytimes were created as an effort to provide different, diverse and new programming.
“ºüÀêÊÓƵ Public Library aims to offer programs that enrich our community,†Hatton says. “Some may represent members of our community, and some can help attendees engage with new perspectives. This program helps to celebrate the diversity of our ºüÀêÊÓƵ community.â€
There has been some pushback from members of the community who “are not 100% supportive of the events.†But the first events drew more than 200 attendees of various ages.
“So many people thanked us for providing this outlet,†Hatton says. “For those who don’t enjoy it, there’s various other programs they can enjoy.â€
Maxi Glamour has participated in storytimes at various ºüÀêÊÓƵ-area libraries. For children’s parties, they dress as fantasy characters and sing, play the flute and read stories about loving yourself and expanding imaginations.
A drag performer’s mere presence onstage can also send an empowering message to an audience. A full-figured performer in intimate apparel could reassure a woman in the audience that she can celebrate herself in the same way.
Drag also demonstrates to queer youth who’ve been let down by society that “there’s light at the end of the tunnel and a world of acceptance,†Wilson says.
He has worked with Nestle Purina’s and Mastercard’s diversity and inclusion groups to talk about drag, the queer community and the importance of using correct pronouns.
“I got those opportunities on those platforms as Tabbi Katt,†he says.