The ability to express your own insight while maintaining knowledge of diverse networks is what my

example shows. This assignment was completed through a workshop on Queer Theory. Through reading
and discussion of artifacts I was well informed and became aware of diversity in gay culture. This paper
explains the importance of queer theory in communication research and introduces the concept of
performativity as a crucial component.


Dressed in Drag
Melanie Palacio
Boise State University
Dr. Hicks
Communication 494









Disclaimer
I wanted to express my sincere apology in advance for any inaccurate names or incorrect
gender reference that I may use in this paper. I mean no disrespect to the drag community. The
video references that I have cited and the characters that were represented not all identified as
being gay individuals, and I am unsure if drag queen is the proper and respectful definition. I
believe that everyone is creative in their own ways and these drag queens express themselves by
completely transforming into famous icons. These individuals have the ability to entertain
audiences while performing to compete for recognition and status that they work so hard to
achieve and deserve.










Abstract
This paper discusses the hierarchical ordering of the drag community, the socialization
processes and the difference between performance and performativity as it relates to queer
theory. The information gathered for this paper comes from a viewing of a very important gay
and queer culture 80s documentary called Paris is Burning and Season 3 of Ru Pauls Drag
Race. Essays read and used for understanding of performance vs. performativity and queer
theory are from Judith Butler.












Queer theory encompasses what is not normal to the heterosexual world. Drag queens
are in that category because of the inability to gender identify; unable to fit in the normative box
that society has made for the hetero gender. The drag community is a cultural metaphor with its
interlinked beliefs, values, behaviors and artifacts. Paris is Burning, a documentary, was the
first inside look into queer theory and the world of drag in the 80s. This club featured was
situated in Harlem and was a safe haven for men to come be something that they were not in the
outside world. In the club these men are able to transform into their counterpart and compete in
the many categories for recognition in the drag community. There is a hierarchical ordering and
socialization process as well as performance and performativity that occur within the drag
community.
In the drag community there is a hierarchical order that consists of different levels; house,
family, mother. The house is always named after one of the famous queens who have won many
categories at the drag ball. When a member in the drag community is affiliated with a house it is
like a family for people that do not have one. The house is commonly known as a gay street
gang. There is a hierarchical order between houses. To be the most successful house it must
have the most recognized members.
From viewing Paris is Burning one of the levels of the hierarchy is the family unit.
Although it is non-biological in nature, the family is where the drag queens go to find comfort
and support. Occasionally, this is the only place for them to go due to the fact that their
biological families disowned them because of what they were; drag queens. The house exists in
the club while the family exists outside in the real world. In the club atmosphere, the house
members are there to give their family members support and encouragement while they compete
for recognition. Outside the club many of these house members actually live together as a family
while taking care and looking out for each other. It is described by one of the drag queens
featured in Paris is Burning as a group of human beings in a mutual bond.
When it comes to the mother figure in the drag world there seems to be levels within that
hierarchy. Paris is Burning featured Pepper Lebeija who is also known to many as the
legendary mother. It was stated that she gained this title recognition because she was a
reigning figure for more than two decades. The mother has the most power and is a very popular
and well respected figure in the drag community.
In the socialization process drag queens are the system components arranged in complex
ways that consist of hierarchical ordering, interdependence and permeability. The drag
community is a cultural metaphor with its interlinked beliefs, values, behaviors and artifacts.
The drag queens rely on one another for support and encouragement while allowing information
to be given and received.
In Ru Pauls Drag Race, the first episode of season 3, the socialization process and
assimilation seemed very evident by which these individuals entered, became integrated and
were told to chausse away. As each contestant entered the room one by one there was a certain
individualization occurring; there was a new family they were becoming a member of. Entering
through that door, the anticipatory socialization with each new contestant was evident until the
first encounter with the others contestants in the room. These contestants came from all over the
United States and from all walks of life. One of the contestants had never been out of his town let
alone on an airplane. There was a familiarity among the contestants that was developing as time
went on. Being recognized by others due to her celebrity status as a drag queen, Delta Works
seemed to be positioned in a higher hierarchical order than the other contestants; legendary
mother. Throughout viewing the chosen episodes in season 3, there was a metamorphosis that
occurred when acceptance was attained with each one of the contestants as individuals as well as
the group as a whole.
During each episode of Ru Pauls Drag Race attempts are to discover the talents of each
contestant, while motivating these individuals through interactive sequences. During this, Ru
Paul and the judges on the panel will evaluate each of the contestants for their talents, skill, and
motivation; through assigned tasks with parameters. For example, the Christmas episode, the
contestants were given an assigned amount of time and $25 each to spend at a thrift store. They
were instructed to purchase holiday items and then use their creativity to design costumes to
walk the catwalk for that evenings elimination round. The prize for this contest was a phone
call home. This was a great example of the hierarchical ordering along with the love and caring
of family, house and mother. Delta Works won the challenge and was awarded the coveted
phone call home in which she so graciously gifted to Shangela, another contestant who
desperately needed to speak with her grandmother and was able to do so.
Jocks and Straps one of the season 3 episodes of Ru Pauls Drag Race was a very
good example of performance and performativity. There was male guest that each of the
contestants was to choose to turn into a female counterpart. At first there was an apprehension by
the jocks to even willingly participate in this challenge. When the jocks entered the room they
seemed to be culturally formed naturally into their male gender. As the jocks became a little
more comfortable with each of the contestants and the apprehension subsided ever so slightly, it
seemed that the jocks still wanted to hold on to a piece of their masculinity. While trying on
female clothing the jocks started to use their masculine artifacts, such as a ball, and throw this
around attempting to goof off and not take this contest seriously. It seemed that as soon as the
jocks were able to see their full transformation into their counterpart, they became more feminine
and accepting of the process. The Jocks performance on the catwalk was the best they could do
with the little training that they had received due to time.
During the judges critiquing of the contestants, the jocks were sitting in the illusion
lounge rooting on their sisters while sitting on the edge of their seats listening to the judges
critique their contestant sisters. There was a sense of true familial support and encouragement of
family. This episode was the one that also defined the difference between performance and
performativity. The jocks were the hired actors who would attempt to perform a role. When
these jocks were then transformed into their female counterpart and saw themselves in the
mirror, the performativity was ever so slightly accomplished. Being exposed to that culture
seemed to form that female gender. Their walk became more feminine along with a softer voice
and other female gender mannerisms as apparent as their dress. If given longer exposure to the
queer culture, these jocks gender may have more solidly formed, which would have made their
performativity more believable.
The PSA episode from Ru Pauls Drag Race that was viewed during the workshop was
questioning the contestants as to what they loved about America. This was something that I
identified as being part of a family; their country. The contestants were able to share from their
heart what America meant to them in their PSA along with their personalized custom designed
patriotic costume.
In regards to the drag queens, Butler writes, if one should come out only to produce a
new and different closet (Butler, 1993, p. 309) this does not necessarily mean being a
homosexual, because not all of them identified as that, but as coming out as a drag queen into a
new closet. Butler goes on to mention that this is a valued situation. Now that one closet is
empty, where is one to go? (Butler, 1993, p. 309) When it comes to drag queens once the
light is shed on them they now have that place to go, the club. This is where they can be
transformed into their new persona and their performativity can be illuminated. Another closet
for them to go is the family or house that they are accepted in to.
It is also mentioned that being out always depends to some extent on being in
(Butler, 1993, p. 309). Paris is Burning was a perfect example of this because the drag queens
had come out in their new found glory and were accepted in to the drag community.
In reading the Imitation and Gender Insubordination article, there is mention that to say
that I play at being one is not to say that I am not one really (Butler, 1993, p. 309). It seems
that after viewing both the videos from the workshop and my understanding is that one can
play a character when in drag as a performance, but taking on all the mannerisms and effects
of who they are emulating is performativity. This goes on to mention that the being gets
established, instituted, circulated, and confirmed. (Butler, 1993, p. 309) This is the realness
the being that one of the drag queens mentions in Paris is Burning. To give the perception that
you are your straight counterpart is the ability to blend in like a real woman; femme realness
queen.
Performance and performativity are described as two very different things. Judith Butler,
in her video Your Behavior Creates Your Gender describes performance as taking on a role as
an actor; it is the gender that we are and present to the world. She also describes performativity
as what produces the series of effects; dressing; acting; walking; speaking; talking. She also
states that gender is culturally formed. When describing the drag world, it seems that in order to
dress in drag there needs to be a role taken on as an actor to perform. When performance is
established then performativity should naturally occur. As I understand it, it is like getting into
character that will produce the series of effects. (Bigthink)
In conclusion, I have attempted to explain the drag community hierarchical order,
socialization process as well as performativity in the realm of queer theory. In explaining what I
have taken away from this workshop is a better understanding of the drag community. I have
learned of the wonderful love, support and encouragement that are the true meanings of mother,
family and house as it relates to the drag culture. In relation to queer theory and the controversial
belief of Judith Butler stating that, no one is a gender from the start (Bigthink). I agree, that
gender is culturally formed. The Jocks n Straps episode of Ru Pauls Drag Race proved this to
be true. In as little time as those jocks were exposed to the culture, they were already forming
their female gender, and with more exposure performativity could be attained. I have gained a
greater understanding between the difference of performance and performativity. I explain it to
others that performance is landing the role, and performativity is the ability to transform into
character in every effect to be flawlessly believable; realness. If one does not take on every
effect of the gender no one will believe you are who you are performing. Theorist Judith Butler
has taken the activist role in instigating and encouraging transformation in understanding of the
queer world.




References
Butler, J. (1993). Imitation and gender subordination. H. Abelove, M. A. Barale, & D. M.

Halperin (Eds.). The lesbian and gay studies reader (pp. 307-320). New York, NY:

Routledge.

Bigthink.com/Judith butler. How discourse creates homosexuality. Accessed on: 6/22/14.

Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VqvCndtYCg

Livingston, J. (Producer)&(Director). (1991). Paris is burning [video]. United States: Miramax

Films.

Zack, B. (Producer) & Stevenson, I. (Director). (2011). Ru Pauls Drag Race [video]. United

States: World of Wonder Productions.