The State of Drag Issue 2012
Next Magazine presents its third annual look into the art and business of female impersonation.
November 16, 2012
(Sharon Needles)
Something strange happened to drag this year. An art form formerly relegated to dark clubs and gay getaways suddenly became fashionable. Carmen Carrera was a featured fashion model in W Magazine. Sharon Needles was shelling for PETA. Had drag queens actually become good for business?
This shift in public opinion about drag is owed in no small part to RuPaul’s Drag Race, which itself has become such an institution it warranted an All-Stars season just last month. It’s why Wil Fisher decided to investigate drag’s earning potential in this brave new world (p.20). But not all drag is on Drag Race, as Santiago Felipe showcases in his exclusive photo spread (p.17). And let’s not forget how the popularity of the Scissor Sisters’ breakout hit “Let’s Have a Kiki” reintroduced our own community to the slang and sex lives of not only ball culture but also drag culture, the latter of which Brian Sloan attempted to learn intimate details of (p.16). Yet some things never change. As Alex Erikson discovered (p.18), there is a specific talent required of every drag queen—and like fashion, it has rules meant to be broken.
Photo/Artwork:
Issue:
