‘There is fely a mographic of gay men that thk I should shut up and s down’: Meet the women dog drag | The Inpennt

Contents:

• I’M 43 – BUT I’M MA TO FEEL LIKE A DOSR BY YOUNGER GAY MEN
• KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY
• KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIEND
• JAGS' MAXEN IS FIRST MALE AMERIN PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY
• JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT COACH KEV MAXEN MAK HISTORY AFTER COMG OUT AS GAY
• RECLAIMG THE F-WORD: ‘DRAG RACE’ CAST BREAKS DOWN USG QUEER SLURSHAVING A KIKIIT’S THE MAKEOVER CHALLENGE ON THIS WEEK’S “RUPL’S DRAG RACE ALL STARS,” WH THE QUEENS PUTTG LBIANS DRAG WHILE BATG THE RECLAIMG OF TRIGGERG QUEER SLURS.COLEMAN SPILENTERTAMENT CRICUPDATED JUL. 08, 2023 4:05AM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 07, 2023 1:34PM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY ER O’FLYNN/THE DAILY BEAST/PARAMOUNT+THGS ARE G DOWN TO THE WIRE ON RUPL’S DRAG RACE ALL STARS 8, WHICH MEANS THAT THE WORKROOM IS BEG MORE SPAC, AND THE PRODUCERS ARE LOOKG FOR WAYS TO FILL AN ENTIRE HOUR OF TELEVISN. ON DRAG RACE, THAT TYPILLY MEANS A DREAD MAKEOVER CHALLENGE, WHERE THE REMAG ST OF QUEENS WILL HAVE TO DRAG UP A SET OF RANDOM PEOPLE WH A FG SHARED TRA, ROPED OM SOME BAR SOMEWHERE THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY. NOT LERALLY, OF URSE, BUT JUDGG BY HOW HAPHAZARDLY THE GROUPS OF MAKEOVER PARTICIPANTS ARE PICKED, DO FEEL AS THOUGH A PRODUCER STUMBLED TO SOME WATERG HOLE AND ASKED, “WHO WANTS $1,000 AND A EE LUNCH?”THIS SEASON’S MAKEOVER SUBJECTS ARE—DMROLL PLEASE—LBIANS. TO WHICH YOU MIGHT ASK, “…LBIANS?” Y, JT GOOD OLD-FASHNED LBIANS. HELL, THEY’VE DONE ARMY VETS; THEY’VE DRAGGED UP UNRAPPRECIATED SCHOOL TEACHERS; THEY’VE EVEN TOUCHED UP THE ST OF LTLE WOMEN LA. ALL THAT’S LEFT IS LBIANS!EXPLAG THEIR CHOICE, HOST RUPL SAID, “FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF THE GAY LIBERATN MOVEMENT, TO THE AIDS CRISIS, TO TODAY, OUR QUEER SISTERS HAVE ALWAYS SHOWN UP WHEN THE LGBTQ MUNY NEED THEM THE MOST.” THAT’S VERY TE, BUT WAS A STATEMENT THAT LEFT ME SCRATCHG MY HEAD. RU MAK SOUND AS IF THE LBIANS WERE SHOWG UP AT THE MOMENTS QUEER HISTORY JT TO SUPPORT THE GS, BUT THE LS LGBTQ WERE JT AS IMPACTED AT THOSE TIM, TOO. RU DID, HOWEVER, MENTN THAT LBIANS OFTEN REMA THE SILENT HERO SUPPORTG THEIR ENTIRE MUNY, SO THIS WEEK WAS THE SHOW’S TRIBUTE TO THOSE CHAMPNS.MAKEOVER EPISOS ED TO PRENT A MORE FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE. CONTTANTS HAD TO DOLL UP A PARTICIPANT WHO WAS PLETELY UNFAIAR WH THE ART OF DRAG, AND DIDN’T KNOW WHERE TO BEG HELPG THE QUEENS THEY WERE PAIRED WH. NOW, EVERYONE WHO WALKS ONTO THE SET OF DRAG RACE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT THEY’RE GETTG TO, WHICH IS BOTH AN ADVANTAGE TO THE QUEENS, AND A SLIGHT DISADVANTAGE TO THE SHOW. THE MAKEOVERS ARE LS OF A CHALLENGE OF FDG THE RIGHT FORT LEVEL, AND MORE ABOUT PERFECTG A DRAG FAY REMBLANCE WHEN ALL IS SAID, DONE, PADD, AND BEATEN WH A MAKP BSH. THAT SAID, THE MAKEOVERS FUNCTN BETTER WHEN THE NTTANTS PERFORMG THEM FEEL SAFER. IN DRAG RACE SEASON 6, THE QUEENS HAD TO MAKEOVER STRAIGHT MEN WHO WERE ON THE SHOW AT THE BEHT OF THEIR SPO AND GIRLIENDS, LEAVG BOTH THE QUEENS AND THE STRAIGHT MEN UNFORTABLE. WH THE LBIANS PRENT, NONE OF THE REMAG QUEENS HAVE TO SPEND THEIR TIME GGG THEIR LEVEL OF SAFETY, WHICH IS A NICE FUNCTN OF THE LATER-SEASON MAKEOVER CHALLENG. YET, THEY STILL ONLY PRENT A FEW KERNELS OF TERTG NVERSATN.THIS WEEK, THAT ME OM THE QUEENS—ALL GAY MEN—CHATTG WH THEIR LBIAN FAY ABOUT THE PLITED SUBJECT OF RECLAIMG CERTA SLURS. ONE OF THE LBIANS, AMANDA, TOLD NTTANT JIMBO THAT SHE REFERS TO HERSELF AS A “SISSY DYKE,” PROMPTG FELLOW NTTANT JSI WILD TO ASK ABOUT THEIR RELATNSHIPS TO THE WORD.“FOR ME, ‘DYKE’ IS A RECLAMATN OF A WORD THAT WAS ED TO HURT , BUT REALLY MEANS BEG POWERFUL YOUR QUEER, WOMAN-LOVG SELF,” ANOTHER ONE OF THE LBIANS BEG MA OVER, ANGIE, SAID.“THERE’S AN ADD POLIL NNOTATN,” AMANDA CHIMED . “‘DYKE’ IS JT AN ENPSULATN OF MY POLICS, JT LIKE ‘QUEER.’” THE THIRD LBIAN THE ROOM, LISA, MENTNED THAT TOOK MUCH LONGER FOR HER TO BEE OKAY WH G THE WORD. “IT WAS A TERM THAT WAS ED AGAST ME WHEN I WAS BULLIED. BUT RECENTLY, ME AND MY MOTORCYCLE IENDS, WE DID THE QUEERS ON GEARS/DYK ON BIK, SO WAS REALLY NICE TO RECLAIM THE WORD WH A BUNCH OF OTHER QUEER WOMEN.” THEN, AMANDA POSED AN TERTG QUTN, WHICH REMAS A HOT-BUTTON ISSUE WH QUEER CIRCL (AND THE DRAG RACE FANDOM SELF): “DO YOU GUYS THK THAT LBIANS N SAY ‘FAG’ AND THAT GAY GUYS N SAY ‘DYKE,’ OR THAT SHOULD ONLY BE KEPT WH THOSE GROUPS TO SAY?” KANDY ME MENTNED THAT HER OWN MOTHER IS A BUTCH LBIAN, WHOM SHE REFERS TO AS A DYKE, BUT ALSO PLETELY UNRSTANDS WHY LBIANS WOULD NOT WANT A GAY MAN TO SAY . THE GAY EXPERIENCE AND THE LBIAN EXPERIENCE—THOUGH TRSILLY LKED BY QUEERNS—ARE HERENTLY DIFFERENT. JIMBO AGREED WH KANDY, ADDG, “I THK ’S ABOUT TENTN, DO TEND TO HURT ME, DO TEND TO BE FUNNY?”THERE’S ONE THG THAT’S FOR SURE: IF YOU’RE READG THIS, AND YOU’RE NOT A PART OF EHER OF THE MUNI, YOU SHOULDN’T BE SAYG ALL! BUT EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO SAY , YOU N STILL LEARN SOMETHG OM . THAT’S THE BETY OF DRAG RACE AMASSG SUCH A LARGE STRAIGHT DIENCE.THE TYP OF NVERSATNS ARE MUCH MORE TERTG THAN THE ON THAT WERE AFFORD TO ON PREV MAKEOVER CHALLENG. WE ED TO HAVE TO WATCH QUEENS BEAT THE FACE OF A STRANGER WHILE ANSWERG THE SAME OLD QUTNS ABOUT THEIR HISTORY WH DRAG AND HOW MUCH THEIR FAI DO OR DO NOT ACCEPT THEM. IT GOT TIRG! LIKE SO MANY ASPECTS OF DRAG RACE OVER THE YEARS, THE MAKEOVER CHALLENGE NEED A MAKEOVER SELF. THE MAKEOVERS MIGHT BE ON THEIR LAST LEGS, BUT THERE IS STILL SOME VALUE LEFT THE DISCSNS THAT THEY GENERATE—EVEN IF RUPL PROBABLY DID JT SP A BIG WHEEL THAT LAND ON “LBIANS.”KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK. COLEMAN SPIL
• THE 50 BT GAY SONGS TO CELEBRATE PRI ALL YEAR LONG
• WHAT'S THE APPEAL OF DRAG QUEENS/KGS, OM A GAY STANDPOT?
• ‘THERE IS A MOGRAPHIC OF GAY MEN THAT THK I SHOULD SHUT UP AND S DOWN’: MEET THE FEMALE DRAG QUEENS
• THE NIGHT I BEME A DRAG QUEEN—AND CHANGED MY ATTUS TO LGBT PRIFEELING MYSELFSARAH ROGERS/THE DAILY BEASTI THOUGHT WOULD BE FUN TO BE MA OVER TO A FABULO DRAG QUEEN, BUT STEAD FOUND MYSELF MULLG PRI, MASCULY, PRIVILEGE, AND SHAME. I STILL LOOKED PRETTY! ENJOY!KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED NOV. 20, 2019 11:58AM EST / PUBLISHED JUN. 17, 2019 4:55AM EDT FOR A FEW HOURS ON THURSDAY NIGHT, I LOOKED REALLY FUCKG BETIFUL. I HAVE TO SAY : I WAS STUNNG. IT WAS UNNIABLE. I WAS SO BETIFUL, FACT, THAT WAS TRMATIZG, EVEN A LTLE B HORRIFYG. I NEVER EXPECTED TO LOOK LIKE THIS. TTHFULLY, I ACTIVELY DIDN’T WANT TO. BUT THERE I WAS, LOOKG SO GODDAMN PRETTY, AND LOVG . WELL, HATG , TOO. HATG A LOT, REALLY, BUT STILL NFINT THE FACT THAT I WAS MORE GEO THAN I HAVE EVER BEEN MY ENTIRE LIFE.ONLY WASN’T ME. IT WASN’T REAL. AND WASN’T HOW I EVER WANTED TO BE SEEN OR THOUGHT OF. I’M SO GLAD I LOOKED SO BETIFUL ON THURSDAY NIGHT. WHAT I’M WORKG ON IS BEG PROUD OF . MEET ANA HELP. ANA HELP IS A DRAG QUEEN WHO WAS BORN AND DIED THE SAME FOUR-HOUR SPAN AT THE JAM HOTEL NEW YORK CY’S NOMAD NEIGHBORHOOD. HER PURPLE HAIR IS A HALF PONY THAT DRAP OVER SHOULRS, MATCHG THE KALEIDOSPE OF LAVENR HER SMOKEY EYE, A MASTERPIECE OF EYE MAKP SO OL AND GLAM-GOTH DRAMATIC YOU WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED IF TURNED TO A BUTTERFLY, FLEW RIGHT OFF HER FACE, AND WENT OUT THE BACK TO CHA-SMOKE HAND-ROLLED CIGARETT.SHE LIVED HER LIFE THE SPIR THAT SHE WAS CREATED, WHICH IS FABULOLY, WH LOVE, AND WH ENOUGH LIP GLOSS TO MAKE OUT FOR HOURS AND NOT HAVE TO REAPPLY BEFORE HTG THE CLUB. WHEN ME TIME FOR HER TO WALK THE NWAY, SHE WAS LIVG: FEELG HER FACE, FEELG HER HAIR, FEELG HER STT. THEN WAS TIME FOR ANA HELP TO SAY GOODBYE. HER TIME ON THIS EARTH WAS A BRIEF EXPERIMENT, AND A JOYO, WONRFUL ONE. BUT WAS ONE THAT WOULDN’T BE HAPPENG AGA.ANA HELP WAS A PRODUCT OF AN EVENT LLED LOVE & LIPLER. IT WAS A FABULO, SPIRATNAL, CLIVE EVENT WHICH FANS OF DRAG, BETY, AND THE “DRAG ILLN” ULD PARTICIPATE MI MAKP TUTORIALS, MGLE WH SOME OF NEW YORK CY’S BIGGT DRAG QUEENS, AND A FEW PEOPLE ULD RECEIVE FULL DRAG MAKEOVERS OM THOSE QUEENS. THE IA OF THE EVENT WAS TO CELEBRATE WORLD PRI AND THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STONEWALL RTS, RAISG MONEY FOR THE STONEWALL COMMUNY FOUNDATN.THAT IS HOW I FOUND MYSELF SPENDG THREE FULL HOURS A MAKP CHAIR BEG TRANSFORMED TO A DRAG QUEEN. STG STILL THE BEGNG STAG OF THE THREE-HOUR MAKEOVER. I VERY MUCH DID NOT WANT TO DO THIS. I AM ALSO A PHOVER WHO LIK ATTENTN AND EE DRKS, SO I SAID Y ANYWAY. THE ENTIRE PROCS SHOCKED ME, THOUGH NOTHG MORE THAN MY REACTN TO . ADVERTISEMENT WHAT STARTED AS A SILLY STORY PCH ABOUT “WOULDN’T BE FUNNY IF I GOT A DRAG MAKEOVER?!” EVOLVED OVER THE THREE HOURS TO SOMETHG STRANGE AND MORE MEANGFUL: WHAT TAK TO BE A DRAG QUEEN. IT’S NOT JT MAKP, HAIR, A BRASSY SENSE OF HUMOR, AND NICE FAKE BREASTS. THERE’S SOMETHG MUCH EPER AND MORE PROFOUND. I NEVER FOUND MYSELF, AND TTHFULLY MIGHT NOT EVER. BUT I DISVERED MORE PRI THAN I EVER EXPECTED THOSE WHO DO. SOON AFTER ARRIVG AT THE JAM, I MET JAN SPORT, THE DRAG QUEEN WHO WOULD BE TURNG ME TO A BETIFUL LADY.SHE WAS SO KD AND TENR, REPEATEDLY FSG OVER WHETHER I WAS DOG OK, EVEN THOUGH I WAS THE ONE ACTIVELY MAKG HER JOB HARR. I KEPT NERVOLY FIDGETG MY LEG AND BUMPG HER, WHEN SHE ALREADY HAD TO SPEND THREE HOURS SQUATTG AND HUNCHG OVER ORR TO MAKE ME OVER. I WOULD HAVE QU WH A BACKACHE AFTER 12 MUT.AND THEN THERE WAS THE TIME SHE HAD TO PUT EYELER ON MY BOTTOM EYELIDS. FUCKG HELL, GUYS. DID YOU KNOW THAT PEOPLE PUT EYELER, LIKE, SI THEIR EYELID? THIS IS MASOCHISTIC AND OUTRAGEO. IT ALSO MAK YOUR EYE LOOK 400 TIM MORE BETIFUL THAN DID BEFORE, SO I’M SOLD. POOR JAN SPORT HAD TO TALK ME THROUGH THIS PART LIKE A CHILD, AND SHE WAS SO PATIENT, BLS HER. ADVERTISEMENT I’M THE KD OF PERSON WHO N’T PUT HIS OWN EYE DROPS. MY BOYIEND HAS TO HOLD ME DOWN, PRY MY EY OPEN CLOCKWORK ORANGE-STYLE, AND DO THE UNTDOWN TRICK THAT DOCTORS E ON TODDLERS TO GIVE THEM SHOTS, PRICKG THEM ON “TWO” STEAD OF “THREE.” I THK WHEN WE STARTED DATG, HE THOUGHT THIS WAS A CUTE B, BEE WE BOTH LOVE THE SCENE FRIENDS WHERE MONI HAS TO DO THE SAME THG TO RACHEL BEE RACHEL IS BEG A WIMP. BUT SIX YEARS LATER AND UNTOLD LEVELS OF EXASPERATN OVER DROPS WASTED BEE I BLKED BEFORE THE SOLUTN H MY EYE, HE IS MORE THAN NVCED ’S NOT.WHAT I’M SAYG IS POOR JAN SPORT NEVER STOOD A CHANCE. MIRACULOLY, SHE PULLED OFF. AND, MY GOD, DID MY EY POP. THEY POPPED! I NEVER THOUGHT I’D HAVE EY THAT POPPED! JANSPORT CHECKS THE PROGRS OF THE DRAG TRANSFORMATN.SARAH ROGERS/THE DAILY BEAST THREE HOURS IS A LOT OF TIME TO SPEND FOUR CH OM A STRANGER’S FACE AS THEY STUDY EVERY PORE OF YOUR OWN, ANALYZG S SHAPE AND S ODDI AND BILY MAKG YOUR EYEBROWS DISAPPEAR WH A WAXY VER-UP PASTE. (“THIS IS WHAT WE LL THE UNCLE FTER PHASE.”) IT IS BOTH HILAR AND UPSETTG TO SEE YOURSELF WH A BASE LAYER OF PALE FOUNDATN AND NO EYEBROWS, SO RATHER THAN GIGGLE NERVOLY, JAN SPORT AND I CHATTED. A LOT. I REALLY LIKE HER.I LEARNED THAT SHE STARTED DOG DRAG TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS AGO. SHE’S A MIL THEATRE MAJOR AND DID A CISE NTRACT ON A ROYAL CARIBBEAN SHIP THAT PORTED DUBAI. IT WAS ILLEGAL TO “YOU KNOW, EXIST AS MYSELF THERE,” SHE TOLD ME, SO HER GIRLIENDS WOULD GO AND BUY HER MAKP TO PLAY AROUND WH BACK ON BOARD. ONE OF THEM NOTICED THAT SHE LOOKED A LTLE B LIKE KRIS JENNER WHEN SHE PUT ON MAKP. AROUND THE SAME TIME, SHE HAD JT SEEN THE EPISO OF KEEPG UP WH THE KARDASHIANS WHERE JENNER TALKS ABOUT WANTG TO JO THE BROADWAY ST OF CHIGO, AND MA A WHOLE B ABOUT . ADVERTISEMENT A KRIS JENNER DRAG QUEEN ORIG STORY? JAN SPORT AND I WERE SOULMAT. AS FOR HER NAME: “I WAS DNK AT A MCDONALD’S AND SAW A JANSPORT BACKPACK.” HONTLY, MIGHT HAVE BEEN TE LOVE.IN THE DRAG MUNY, THERE ARE DRAG FAI, WHICH AN EXPERIENCED PERFORMER, A DRAG MOTHER, WILL MENTOR AND HELP BREAK TO THE DTRY A YOUNGER PERFORMER, A DRAG DGHTER.JAN SPORT MET RUPL’S DRAG RACE ALUM ALEXIS MICHELLE AFTER SERVG TOGETHER AS JUDG FOR A PETN THAT JAN HAD WON THE YEAR BEFORE. SHE TOLD ALEXIS THE KRIS JENNER STORY. IF YOU’VE SEEN DRAG RACE, YOU KNOW THAT ONE OF THE GREATT MOMENTS THE SHOW’S HISTORY IS WHEN ALEXIS PLAYS JENNER A KARDASHIAN-SPIRED MIL. THE NNECTN SEALED THEIR BOND: JAN WAS NOW ALEXIS’S DRAG DGHTER. “SHE SHAR WH ME THE MAKP TIPS SHE LEARNED OM HER, CLUDG HOW TO BETTER BLEND THE NTOURG ON YOUR NOSE AND A SPECIAL TRICK WH HIGHLIGHTER. MY NOSE LOOKED VERY TH AND MY CHEEKS LERALLY GLISTENED” ALEXIS WAS ALSO AT THE LOVE & LIPLER EVENT THURSDAY PERFORMG A MAKEOVER. THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT, SHE’D POP OVER TO SEE HOW JAN AND I WERE DOG. “JT CHECKG ON THE FAY.” SHE LLED ME HER GRANDDGHTER. IT WAS ADORABLE.JAN TALKS TO ME ABOUT ALL THE WAYS ALEXIS HAS HELPED HER, GUIDG HER THROUGH HER EARLY YEARS THE MUNY AND HELPG HER LAND GIGS. SHE SHAR WH ME THE MAKP TIPS SHE LEARNED OM HER, CLUDG HOW TO BETTER BLEND THE NTOURG ON YOUR NOSE AND A SPECIAL TRICK WH HIGHLIGHTER. MY NOSE LOOKED VERY TH AND MY CHEEKS LERALLY GLISTENED. GRANNY ALEXIS KNOWS HER STUFF! ADVERTISEMENT JANSPORT PUTS THE FISHG TOUCH ON HER DRAG DGHTER, ANA HELP.SARAH ROGERS/THE DAILY BEAST EACH STEP OF THE MAKEOVER PROCS BLEW MY MD. THE WAY THE PURPLE EYHADOW STANTLY FEMIZED MY FACE. HOW A METRIC TON OF LIPLER AND GLOSS TURNED ME TO LISA RNA A MATTER OF MUT. HOW EACH LAYER AND STEP THE PROCS TRANSFORMED MY FACE DIFFERENTLY, UP UNTIL THE FAL ELEMENT—FAKE LASH THE SIZE OF BAT WGS—THAT MORPHED ME OVER ONCE AGA, ONE LAST TIME.THREE HOURS IS A LOT OF TIME TO SPEND STARG AT YOURSELF THE MIRROR, EVEN FOR A VA PERSON LIKE MYSELF. MORE, IS AN CREDIBLY STRANGE EXPERIENCE TO SPEND ALL THAT TIME ONT OF A MIRROR AND NOT REGNIZE THE REFLECTN LOOKG BACK. AND TTH, BEG AAID OF THE FACE YOU’RE SEEG. DRAG, CROSS-DRSG, GENR FLUIDY: ’S ALWAYS SOMETHG I OUTRIGHT REJECTED, THE WAY THAT GAY MEN STILL TERNALIZE HOMOPHOBIA AND EXPRS SOMETIM QUE VICLY THEIR MUNY. I NEVER WALKED AROUND MY MOM’S HEELS. I NEVER HAD A SIRE TO DO DRAG. I NEVER HAD AN CLATN TO WEAR MAKP, OR GO TO A PROVCETOWN TEA DANCE, OR ANYTHG LIKE THAT.DON’T GET ME WRONG, I LOVE THAT STUFF. I LOVE THE ART OF DRAG, GOG TO DRAG SHOWS, WATCHG RUPL’S DRAG RACE. THOSE QUEENS ARE FABULO. BILLY PORTER, KEIYNAN LONSDALE, NI TORTORELLA, AND ALL THE MEN AND GENR FLUID PEOPLE THEY’VE SPIRED WH THEIR FASHN ARE HERO TO ME. AND I LOVE WHEN MY GAY IENDS POST PHOTOS OM FIRE ISLAND STTTG AROUND THEIR PUMPS AND WIGS. I’M FORTABLE AROUND ALL THIS, CELEBRATE , AND ENURAGE . BUT I NEVER, EVER WANTED TO DO . ADVERTISEMENT INSECURY IS A BCH, PEOPLE. SHAME IS MAYBE EVEN MORE FEROC.PART OF WHY I SAID Y TO THIS IS BEE, THIS PRI MONTH, PECIALLY, I WANTED TO OBTA SOME GREATER GRASP ON WHO I AM AS A MEMBER OF THIS LGBTQ MUNY. WHAT PARTS OF MY INTY AM I ACTUALLY PROUD OF? WHAT STILL NEEDS WORK? WHAT IS, SADLY, HOPELS? I’M GETTG OLR, AND LIVG NEW YORK, BEG A MEMBER OF A MEDIA WHICH ABS, JAWL, AND YOUTH ARE PABLE, I’VE BEEN GRAPPLG WH A SORT OF EXISTENTIAL INTY CRISIS.THIS IS PERHAPS ENTIRELY BORG TO YOU. I AGREE! WHO WOULD GIVE A SH ABOUT ANYONE ELSE’S “JOURNEY”—I WANT TO SELF-FLAGELLATE JT FOR G THAT SUFFERABLE WORD—BIS THE PERSON ON ? EXCEPT MAYBE YOU SHOULD RE. SHARG OUR STORI IS THE ONLY WAY TO MOVE FORWARD. IT’S HOW ANY OF WILL EVER FEEL NORMAL ABOUT WHO WE ARE. THAT MUCH OF PRI MONTH, AT THE VERY LEAST, I UNRSTAND.DON’T GET ME WRONG, I REALIZE THE WORDS ARE BEG TYPED OM A RABOW TOWER, WHERE I WORK AS A POP CULTURE WRER, WHERE MY EXUBERANT VERAGE OF LGBTQ ISSU IS EMBRACED, AND AN UNRCURRENT OF UNABASHED HORNS IS ALLOWED TO MAKE S WAY TO PIEC WHOUT EDORS BLKG AN EYE. ADVERTISEMENT I REALIZE I THK THE THOUGHTS WHILE WAKG UP NEXT TO MY HANDSOME BOYIEND EACH MORNG, A BYPRODUCT OF A FAY WHO HAD A RECKONG WH THEIR ENTIRE FAH BEE OF MY INTY, A FATHER WHO TRAD WEEKENDS ACHG MY BROTHER’S BASEBALL TEAM AND BUILDG SETS FOR MY PRODUCTN OF SEVEN BRIS FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, AND A MOTHER WHO WATCHED ENDLS HOURS OF DIGNG WOMEN WH ME. I AM SO LUCKY.BUT THERE IS STILL SO MUCH ABOUT MY INTY THAT I HARBOR RENTMENT OVER.I RENT THAT G OUT IS A THG I HAD TO DO. I RENT THAT BEG GAY IS A “THG,” AND WILL ALWAYS BE A THG, EVEN TO PEOPLE WHO “DON’T RE”—BEE HAVG TO ARTICULATE THAT THOUGHT IS STILL A THG. I REMEMBER THE BULLYG OM WHEN I WAS YOUNGER. I REMEMBER THE SULTS. I REMEMBER NOT WANTG TO LOOK, TALK, OR ACT THE WAY I DID, BEE I HATED THAT THIS WAS HAPPENG.THIS IS NOT A LL FOR SYMPATHY, NOT BY A LONG SHOT, AND NOT WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER MEMBERS OF MY MUNY WHO ARE FIGHTG FOR THEIR LIV. BUT IS NDOR, FOR WHATEVER THAT’S WORTH. “BUT, STILL, 2019, BEG YOURSELF, PECIALLY IF YOU’RE LGBTQ, IS A POLIL ACT. IT’S NOT NORMAL, OR MUNDANE—SOMETHG I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE” MASCULY AND NORMATIVY AND PASSG AND DG ARE THGS THAT I—AND I WOULD VENTURE MANY GAY MEN—HAVE SPENT A LIFETIME THKG ABOUT, AND NSTANTLY. BUT TALKG ABOUT THOSE THGS ALSO SUGGTS SOME SORT OF FEMY, BEE MEANS TALKG ABOUT FEELGS AND SECURY. ADVERTISEMENT SO MANY BRAVE QUEER PEOPLE RPOND TO THIS BY BEG UNAPOLOGETILLY THEMSELV. BUT, STILL, 2019, BEG YOURSELF, PECIALLY IF YOU’RE LGBTQ, IS A POLIL ACT. IT’S NOT NORMAL, OR MUNDANE—SOMETHG I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE.SO THAT WAS MY OWN RECKONG THIS PRI MONTH, REFLECTG A NEW KD OF SHAME: THE REALIZATN THAT THIS IS HOW I FELT.THERE’S A QUOTE OM STONEWALL PATRON MICHAEL LEVE, WHO WAS AT THE RTS, THAT I’VE BEEN THKG ABOUT A LOT, PECIALLY LIGHT OF THE LOVE & LIPLER EVENT: “THE DRAG QUEENS, THEY ARE THE ON WHO SAID TO THE POLICE, ‘WE ARE NOT LEAVG.’ AND THEY FORMED A CHOS LE OUTSI, ONT OF THE BAR. AND THEY STOOD THERE, DANCG THE STREETS.” ANA HELP MAK HER NWAY BUT AT THE JAM HOTEL.SARAH ROGERS/THE DAILY BEAST I AM NOT IMAGG MYSELF AS ANY KD OF EQUAL OF THE QUEENS AT STONEWALL. MY GOD, ULD YOU IMAGE? HOW IDTIC, ME, DNK OFF VODKA SODAS THE BALLROOM OF A HOTEL WHERE THERE’S AN ACTUAL GALLERY THE LOBBY HOMAGE TO THE RTS. THIS WAS SILLY FUN, FULL-STOP.BUT WAS AN OCSN TO PUT TO PERSPECTIVE HOW FAR WE’VE E TO BE THERE, AND HOW FAR WE HAVE TO GO. THE UBER DRIVER SULTG THE DRAG QUEEN STANDG OUTSI THE HOTEL AS HE DROPPED ME OFF, FOR ONE, WAS A REMR OF THAT. MY OWN PERSONAL FEELGS ABOUT PUTTG ON THE DRAG MAKP AND BEG TORTURED OVER HOW WOULD FEEL IS CERTALY ANOTHER. ADVERTISEMENT THE THG IS, I DID LOOK BETIFUL. I DID KD OF HATE LOOKG LIKE THAT, AND I HATE THAT I FELT THAT WAY. BUT I LOOKED GEO, AND A SMALL WAY, THAT WAS HEALG.EVERYONE AT WORK KNEW THAT I DID THIS, AND THE NEXT DAY, AFTER SEEG THE PHOTOS, THEY ALL HAD THE SAME QUTN: HOW LONG DID TAKE TO REMOVE THE MAKP? THE TTH IS THAT WASN’T THAT BAD. I BURNED THROUGH ABOUT 20 MAKP REMOVAL WIP AND ABOUT 10 MUT HAD RETURNED MY FACE A MSY, EMO—BUT REGNIZABLE—VERSN OF MYSELF. ERRANT WIG GLUE MY HAIR, EYEBROW MAKP, AND PECIALLY THE EYELER WERE STUBBORN AND REQUIRED EXTRA SCBBG WHEN I GOT HOME. (THERE WAS STILL SOME RIDUAL EYELER THE NEXT MORNG. RIDUAL EYE POP!) MOSTLY, THOUGH, WASN’T ARDUO, THOUGH THE RAPID DISAPPEARANCE OF ANA WAS A LTLE JARRG. I WAS JT REALLY EXHSTED. WHAT TAK FOR ANYONE TO DO DRAG OR WEAR A DRS PUBLIC OR BE SEEN A WAY THAT RADILLY MAGNIFICENT REQUIR A FORTU THAT I DO NOT HAVE, THOUGH I NOW HAVE THE FANTASTIC PORTRAS TO REMD MYSELF THAT WAS THERE, AT LEAST SOME REGARD, AT SOME POT. MORE THAN THAT, THOUGH, THE PHOTOS WILL BE A REMR OF THE NECSY TO BE PROUD, AND PROUD OF EVERYTHG, OF ALL OF YOU.IT’S AMAZG WHAT A LTLE PURPLE EYHADOW N DO. KEV FALLON, BEFORE AND AFTER DRAG MAKP MAGIC.COURTY MATT MONATH KEV FALLON

I’M 43 – BUT I’M MA TO FEEL LIKE A DOSR BY YOUNGER GAY MEN

Kev Maxen has bee the first male ach a US men’s profsnal sports league to e out as gay. Per Outsports, as of September 2022, there have only ever been 16 players NFL history to publicly e out as gay or bisexual. Carl Nassib beme the first active NFL player league history to announce that he is gay 2021.

Per Outsports, Maxen is the “first publicly out male ach a major Amerin men’s pro sports league, ” wh WNBA ach Curt Miller, who publicly me out to the media as gay 2015, also a publicly out male ach an Amerin profsnal sports league. Amics at the Universy of Sydney pared the voic of gay, straight and bisexual men a study volvg 160 the rearch led by clil psychologist Jam Morandi, people were reced to analyse the voic of 60 men, 20 of whom were gay, 20 straight and 20 bisexual. They were then asked to rate the men on their sexual orientatn g a sle om zero (exclively heterosexual) to 10 (exclively homosexual).

Rults om the study showed listeners uld distguish between gay and straight men’s voic wh an accuracy of 62 per cent, apparently nsistent wh prev rearch.

KEV MAXEN BE FIRST MALE ACH A US MEN’S PROFSNAL SPORTS LEAGUE TO PUBLICLY E OUT AS GAY

The thors said their rearch showed bisexual men’s voic were perceived as beg more exclively attracted to women pared wh both gay and straight men’s voic.

Bisexual men’s voic were rated as more mascule than both gay and straight men’s voic. ‘Voice may unter visibily many bisexuals feel’An abstract of the study, tled Can listeners tect if a man is bisexual om his voice alone, reads: “The prent study examed whether bisexual men n be intified om their voic ak to how gay men n be intified on their voice alone. “The fdgs may also she light on whether bisexual male voic, like gay male voic, differ om straight voic terms of their genr non-nformy – a qutn that to date has not been examed.

”But amics noted the rearch was limed on the grounds all men who participated the study are Atralian, which may not be reflected among wir the thors nced the study did not ntrol for the rerdg environment or microphone-to-mouth distance, which uld have affected the qualy of the voice thors said the fdgs suggted that while the voic of bisexual men the sample were perceived as more mascule and attracted to femal, listeners did not associate this imprsn wh a rult, while bisexual men may appear to be at lower risk of facg voice-based intifitn and discrimatn than gay men, they may often be mistaken as beg study was published the Journal of Sex Rearch. He’s Barbie’s gay bt iend.

KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIEND

The film won’t say , but a post-creds punchle about Ken’s handwrg, plete wh hearts and stars surroundg his name, tells what we need to heavily implied nature of Ken’s gayns Toy Story 3 harkens back to Hollywood’s tradnal gay bt iend-type characters. In the Hays Co era, explic referenc to homosexualy weren’t allowed, so characters like Van Buren (Frankl Pangborn) 1937’s Easy Livg, Kip (David Wayne) 1949’s Adam’s Rib, or Addison (Gee Sanrs) 1950’s All About Eve stead were imbued wh effemate characteristics, offerg a glimpse outsi of heteronormativy whout explicly beg of the characters were the same—some were tty, others sweet.

But each of the gay bt iends was trsilly fed by their relatnships wh their straight iends. Des later, 2010, the gay bt iend was all the rage; Teen Vogue even went so far as to proclaim the GBF as the summer’s mt-have accsory.

JAGS' MAXEN IS FIRST MALE AMERIN PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY

But unlike the first half of the 20th century, today’s cema, the GBF is allowed to be openly gay. In movi like Mean Girls (2004), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Easy A (2010), No Strgs Attached (2011), and Isn’t It Romantic (2019), gay iends exist entirely the orb of their female iends.

” But Barbie do, and for Ken, that’s are plenty of reasons why the film wouldn’t outrightly state that Ken is homosexual. ), and of urse, and earrg the “gay ear”. ) Earrg Magic Ken turned Barbie’s boyiend to an out-and-proud homosexual raver.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT COACH KEV MAXEN MAK HISTORY AFTER COMG OUT AS GAY

Mattel, of urse, vehemently nied any claims that Ken was gay, let alone that he had somethg as prepostero as a ck rg around his neck.

As a rult, gay men bought the doll drov, and spe Mattel ultimately rellg the doll and wipg away any trace of Earrg Magic Ken, was near-impossible to see Ken as anythg but the glor homosexual he was born to be om then on. Though Mattel don’t seem to be willg to say Ken is actually gay, the Ken dolls of recent years seem to really lean to Ken’s queerns. While there is no way to “drs gay, ” there are several dolls that seem to suggt otherwise, such as:Fashnista Ken #193, who looks very exced to tell you about his new obssn, Troye Sivan;Travel Ken Doll, who has a satchel perfect for bathho and a purple overnight bag that lerally proclaims he’s “extra;”Ken Looks Doll, servg “I’m gonna give you a makeover”-type realns while sportg black pleather pants;This Ken, who wears the least heterosexual double nim I have a feelg the new Barbie movie will put the work to nvce that Ken is a hetero du who lov nothg life more than Barbie herself, the wrg’s already on the wall: Ken is, and always will be, Barbie’s gay bt obssg!

RECLAIMG THE F-WORD: ‘DRAG RACE’ CAST BREAKS DOWN USG QUEER SLURSHAVING A KIKIIT’S THE MAKEOVER CHALLENGE ON THIS WEEK’S “RUPL’S DRAG RACE ALL STARS,” WH THE QUEENS PUTTG LBIANS DRAG WHILE BATG THE RECLAIMG OF TRIGGERG QUEER SLURS.COLEMAN SPILENTERTAMENT CRICUPDATED JUL. 08, 2023 4:05AM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 07, 2023 1:34PM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY ER O’FLYNN/THE DAILY BEAST/PARAMOUNT+THGS ARE G DOWN TO THE WIRE ON RUPL’S DRAG RACE ALL STARS 8, WHICH MEANS THAT THE WORKROOM IS BEG MORE SPAC, AND THE PRODUCERS ARE LOOKG FOR WAYS TO FILL AN ENTIRE HOUR OF TELEVISN. ON DRAG RACE, THAT TYPILLY MEANS A DREAD MAKEOVER CHALLENGE, WHERE THE REMAG ST OF QUEENS WILL HAVE TO DRAG UP A SET OF RANDOM PEOPLE WH A FG SHARED TRA, ROPED OM SOME BAR SOMEWHERE THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY. NOT LERALLY, OF URSE, BUT JUDGG BY HOW HAPHAZARDLY THE GROUPS OF MAKEOVER PARTICIPANTS ARE PICKED, DO FEEL AS THOUGH A PRODUCER STUMBLED TO SOME WATERG HOLE AND ASKED, “WHO WANTS $1,000 AND A EE LUNCH?”THIS SEASON’S MAKEOVER SUBJECTS ARE—DMROLL PLEASE—LBIANS. TO WHICH YOU MIGHT ASK, “…LBIANS?” Y, JT GOOD OLD-FASHNED LBIANS. HELL, THEY’VE DONE ARMY VETS; THEY’VE DRAGGED UP UNRAPPRECIATED SCHOOL TEACHERS; THEY’VE EVEN TOUCHED UP THE ST OF LTLE WOMEN LA. ALL THAT’S LEFT IS LBIANS!EXPLAG THEIR CHOICE, HOST RUPL SAID, “FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF THE GAY LIBERATN MOVEMENT, TO THE AIDS CRISIS, TO TODAY, OUR QUEER SISTERS HAVE ALWAYS SHOWN UP WHEN THE LGBTQ MUNY NEED THEM THE MOST.” THAT’S VERY TE, BUT WAS A STATEMENT THAT LEFT ME SCRATCHG MY HEAD. RU MAK SOUND AS IF THE LBIANS WERE SHOWG UP AT THE MOMENTS QUEER HISTORY JT TO SUPPORT THE GS, BUT THE LS LGBTQ WERE JT AS IMPACTED AT THOSE TIM, TOO. RU DID, HOWEVER, MENTN THAT LBIANS OFTEN REMA THE SILENT HERO SUPPORTG THEIR ENTIRE MUNY, SO THIS WEEK WAS THE SHOW’S TRIBUTE TO THOSE CHAMPNS.MAKEOVER EPISOS ED TO PRENT A MORE FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE. CONTTANTS HAD TO DOLL UP A PARTICIPANT WHO WAS PLETELY UNFAIAR WH THE ART OF DRAG, AND DIDN’T KNOW WHERE TO BEG HELPG THE QUEENS THEY WERE PAIRED WH. NOW, EVERYONE WHO WALKS ONTO THE SET OF DRAG RACE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT THEY’RE GETTG TO, WHICH IS BOTH AN ADVANTAGE TO THE QUEENS, AND A SLIGHT DISADVANTAGE TO THE SHOW. THE MAKEOVERS ARE LS OF A CHALLENGE OF FDG THE RIGHT FORT LEVEL, AND MORE ABOUT PERFECTG A DRAG FAY REMBLANCE WHEN ALL IS SAID, DONE, PADD, AND BEATEN WH A MAKP BSH. THAT SAID, THE MAKEOVERS FUNCTN BETTER WHEN THE NTTANTS PERFORMG THEM FEEL SAFER. IN DRAG RACE SEASON 6, THE QUEENS HAD TO MAKEOVER STRAIGHT MEN WHO WERE ON THE SHOW AT THE BEHT OF THEIR SPO AND GIRLIENDS, LEAVG BOTH THE QUEENS AND THE STRAIGHT MEN UNFORTABLE. WH THE LBIANS PRENT, NONE OF THE REMAG QUEENS HAVE TO SPEND THEIR TIME GGG THEIR LEVEL OF SAFETY, WHICH IS A NICE FUNCTN OF THE LATER-SEASON MAKEOVER CHALLENG. YET, THEY STILL ONLY PRENT A FEW KERNELS OF TERTG NVERSATN.THIS WEEK, THAT ME OM THE QUEENS—ALL GAY MEN—CHATTG WH THEIR LBIAN FAY ABOUT THE PLITED SUBJECT OF RECLAIMG CERTA SLURS. ONE OF THE LBIANS, AMANDA, TOLD NTTANT JIMBO THAT SHE REFERS TO HERSELF AS A “SISSY DYKE,” PROMPTG FELLOW NTTANT JSI WILD TO ASK ABOUT THEIR RELATNSHIPS TO THE WORD.“FOR ME, ‘DYKE’ IS A RECLAMATN OF A WORD THAT WAS ED TO HURT , BUT REALLY MEANS BEG POWERFUL YOUR QUEER, WOMAN-LOVG SELF,” ANOTHER ONE OF THE LBIANS BEG MA OVER, ANGIE, SAID.“THERE’S AN ADD POLIL NNOTATN,” AMANDA CHIMED . “‘DYKE’ IS JT AN ENPSULATN OF MY POLICS, JT LIKE ‘QUEER.’” THE THIRD LBIAN THE ROOM, LISA, MENTNED THAT TOOK MUCH LONGER FOR HER TO BEE OKAY WH G THE WORD. “IT WAS A TERM THAT WAS ED AGAST ME WHEN I WAS BULLIED. BUT RECENTLY, ME AND MY MOTORCYCLE IENDS, WE DID THE QUEERS ON GEARS/DYK ON BIK, SO WAS REALLY NICE TO RECLAIM THE WORD WH A BUNCH OF OTHER QUEER WOMEN.” THEN, AMANDA POSED AN TERTG QUTN, WHICH REMAS A HOT-BUTTON ISSUE WH QUEER CIRCL (AND THE DRAG RACE FANDOM SELF): “DO YOU GUYS THK THAT LBIANS N SAY ‘FAG’ AND THAT GAY GUYS N SAY ‘DYKE,’ OR THAT SHOULD ONLY BE KEPT WH THOSE GROUPS TO SAY?” KANDY ME MENTNED THAT HER OWN MOTHER IS A BUTCH LBIAN, WHOM SHE REFERS TO AS A DYKE, BUT ALSO PLETELY UNRSTANDS WHY LBIANS WOULD NOT WANT A GAY MAN TO SAY . THE GAY EXPERIENCE AND THE LBIAN EXPERIENCE—THOUGH TRSILLY LKED BY QUEERNS—ARE HERENTLY DIFFERENT. JIMBO AGREED WH KANDY, ADDG, “I THK ’S ABOUT TENTN, DO TEND TO HURT ME, DO TEND TO BE FUNNY?”THERE’S ONE THG THAT’S FOR SURE: IF YOU’RE READG THIS, AND YOU’RE NOT A PART OF EHER OF THE MUNI, YOU SHOULDN’T BE SAYG ALL! BUT EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO SAY , YOU N STILL LEARN SOMETHG OM . THAT’S THE BETY OF DRAG RACE AMASSG SUCH A LARGE STRAIGHT DIENCE.THE TYP OF NVERSATNS ARE MUCH MORE TERTG THAN THE ON THAT WERE AFFORD TO ON PREV MAKEOVER CHALLENG. WE ED TO HAVE TO WATCH QUEENS BEAT THE FACE OF A STRANGER WHILE ANSWERG THE SAME OLD QUTNS ABOUT THEIR HISTORY WH DRAG AND HOW MUCH THEIR FAI DO OR DO NOT ACCEPT THEM. IT GOT TIRG! LIKE SO MANY ASPECTS OF DRAG RACE OVER THE YEARS, THE MAKEOVER CHALLENGE NEED A MAKEOVER SELF. THE MAKEOVERS MIGHT BE ON THEIR LAST LEGS, BUT THERE IS STILL SOME VALUE LEFT THE DISCSNS THAT THEY GENERATE—EVEN IF RUPL PROBABLY DID JT SP A BIG WHEEL THAT LAND ON “LBIANS.”KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK. COLEMAN SPIL

-- Jaguars assistant strength and ndng ach Kev Maxen has bee the first male ach major Amerin men's profsnal sports to publicly e out as gay, tellg he ma the cisn bee he didn't want to hi who he is any longer and to possibly spire others siar 's a cisn and move that drew praise and support om owner Shad Khan, who was a vol and emphatic supporter of a cy ordance that expand protectns on the grounds of sexual orientatn, genr inty and genr exprsn. Outsi lebacker Carl Nassib beme the first active NFL player to e out as gay and to play a game Associated Prs ntributed to this report. She transned to female prr to the fale of the show and beme the first transgenr nttant to until now, most of the nttants on the popular drag petn had been gay men who are cisgenr, meang their genr inty aligns wh their sex at birth.

THE 50 BT GAY SONGS TO CELEBRATE PRI ALL YEAR LONG

They are also exampl of how the larger lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, and queer muny (LGBTQ+) ntu to pneer Is Drag? The 1990 film “Paris Is Burng” documented the ball scene and portrayed many of those who walked balls as poor, gay, or transgenr mori stgglg to survive a “rich, whe world.

WHAT'S THE APPEAL OF DRAG QUEENS/KGS, OM A GAY STANDPOT?

Subject to tense rejectn and discrimatn, many gay and transgenr dividuals have had to rely on their w and bravado to diffe dangero suatns. Fay rejectn as a predictor of negative health out whe and Lato lbian, gay, and bisexual young adults. A Provir’s Introductn to Substance Abe Treatment for Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgenr Individuals.

And sce the 20th century, 's an activy that's bee closely associated wh gay culture. The mon misnceptn about drag is that only cis gay men do , Walsh said. Drag queens, otherwise known as “female impersonators, " are most typilly gay cisgenr men (though there are many drag queens of varyg sexual orientatns and genr inti) who perform and enterta on stage nightclubs and bars.

‘THERE IS A MOGRAPHIC OF GAY MEN THAT THK I SHOULD SHUT UP AND S DOWN’: MEET THE FEMALE DRAG QUEENS

Although ’s unclear exactly why, drag kgs are ls mon gay muni, and are also ls visible popular culture and rearch on drag.

That started to change the late 1960s and ’70s durg the sexual revolutn, when drag beme more proment wh gay male muni, and eventually, thanks part to RuPl, a part of popular culture. Moncrieff & Lienard relay that the gay muni which drag was born serve as a backdrop due to their exclive and protected nature that was once necsary for the survival of the muni.

In the study, Moncrieff & Lienard surveyed 133 gay men along wh a ntrol group of heterosexual men and women, about their perceptns of drag queens.

THE NIGHT I BEME A DRAG QUEEN—AND CHANGED MY ATTUS TO LGBT PRIFEELING MYSELFSARAH ROGERS/THE DAILY BEASTI THOUGHT WOULD BE FUN TO BE MA OVER TO A FABULO DRAG QUEEN, BUT STEAD FOUND MYSELF MULLG PRI, MASCULY, PRIVILEGE, AND SHAME. I STILL LOOKED PRETTY! ENJOY!KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED NOV. 20, 2019 11:58AM EST / PUBLISHED JUN. 17, 2019 4:55AM EDT FOR A FEW HOURS ON THURSDAY NIGHT, I LOOKED REALLY FUCKG BETIFUL. I HAVE TO SAY : I WAS STUNNG. IT WAS UNNIABLE. I WAS SO BETIFUL, FACT, THAT WAS TRMATIZG, EVEN A LTLE B HORRIFYG. I NEVER EXPECTED TO LOOK LIKE THIS. TTHFULLY, I ACTIVELY DIDN’T WANT TO. BUT THERE I WAS, LOOKG SO GODDAMN PRETTY, AND LOVG . WELL, HATG , TOO. HATG A LOT, REALLY, BUT STILL NFINT THE FACT THAT I WAS MORE GEO THAN I HAVE EVER BEEN MY ENTIRE LIFE.ONLY WASN’T ME. IT WASN’T REAL. AND WASN’T HOW I EVER WANTED TO BE SEEN OR THOUGHT OF. I’M SO GLAD I LOOKED SO BETIFUL ON THURSDAY NIGHT. WHAT I’M WORKG ON IS BEG PROUD OF . MEET ANA HELP. ANA HELP IS A DRAG QUEEN WHO WAS BORN AND DIED THE SAME FOUR-HOUR SPAN AT THE JAM HOTEL NEW YORK CY’S NOMAD NEIGHBORHOOD. HER PURPLE HAIR IS A HALF PONY THAT DRAP OVER SHOULRS, MATCHG THE KALEIDOSPE OF LAVENR HER SMOKEY EYE, A MASTERPIECE OF EYE MAKP SO OL AND GLAM-GOTH DRAMATIC YOU WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED IF TURNED TO A BUTTERFLY, FLEW RIGHT OFF HER FACE, AND WENT OUT THE BACK TO CHA-SMOKE HAND-ROLLED CIGARETT.SHE LIVED HER LIFE THE SPIR THAT SHE WAS CREATED, WHICH IS FABULOLY, WH LOVE, AND WH ENOUGH LIP GLOSS TO MAKE OUT FOR HOURS AND NOT HAVE TO REAPPLY BEFORE HTG THE CLUB. WHEN ME TIME FOR HER TO WALK THE NWAY, SHE WAS LIVG: FEELG HER FACE, FEELG HER HAIR, FEELG HER STT. THEN WAS TIME FOR ANA HELP TO SAY GOODBYE. HER TIME ON THIS EARTH WAS A BRIEF EXPERIMENT, AND A JOYO, WONRFUL ONE. BUT WAS ONE THAT WOULDN’T BE HAPPENG AGA.ANA HELP WAS A PRODUCT OF AN EVENT LLED LOVE & LIPLER. IT WAS A FABULO, SPIRATNAL, CLIVE EVENT WHICH FANS OF DRAG, BETY, AND THE “DRAG ILLN” ULD PARTICIPATE MI MAKP TUTORIALS, MGLE WH SOME OF NEW YORK CY’S BIGGT DRAG QUEENS, AND A FEW PEOPLE ULD RECEIVE FULL DRAG MAKEOVERS OM THOSE QUEENS. THE IA OF THE EVENT WAS TO CELEBRATE WORLD PRI AND THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STONEWALL RTS, RAISG MONEY FOR THE STONEWALL COMMUNY FOUNDATN.THAT IS HOW I FOUND MYSELF SPENDG THREE FULL HOURS A MAKP CHAIR BEG TRANSFORMED TO A DRAG QUEEN. STG STILL THE BEGNG STAG OF THE THREE-HOUR MAKEOVER. I VERY MUCH DID NOT WANT TO DO THIS. I AM ALSO A PHOVER WHO LIK ATTENTN AND EE DRKS, SO I SAID Y ANYWAY. THE ENTIRE PROCS SHOCKED ME, THOUGH NOTHG MORE THAN MY REACTN TO . ADVERTISEMENT WHAT STARTED AS A SILLY STORY PCH ABOUT “WOULDN’T BE FUNNY IF I GOT A DRAG MAKEOVER?!” EVOLVED OVER THE THREE HOURS TO SOMETHG STRANGE AND MORE MEANGFUL: WHAT TAK TO BE A DRAG QUEEN. IT’S NOT JT MAKP, HAIR, A BRASSY SENSE OF HUMOR, AND NICE FAKE BREASTS. THERE’S SOMETHG MUCH EPER AND MORE PROFOUND. I NEVER FOUND MYSELF, AND TTHFULLY MIGHT NOT EVER. BUT I DISVERED MORE PRI THAN I EVER EXPECTED THOSE WHO DO. SOON AFTER ARRIVG AT THE JAM, I MET JAN SPORT, THE DRAG QUEEN WHO WOULD BE TURNG ME TO A BETIFUL LADY.SHE WAS SO KD AND TENR, REPEATEDLY FSG OVER WHETHER I WAS DOG OK, EVEN THOUGH I WAS THE ONE ACTIVELY MAKG HER JOB HARR. I KEPT NERVOLY FIDGETG MY LEG AND BUMPG HER, WHEN SHE ALREADY HAD TO SPEND THREE HOURS SQUATTG AND HUNCHG OVER ORR TO MAKE ME OVER. I WOULD HAVE QU WH A BACKACHE AFTER 12 MUT.AND THEN THERE WAS THE TIME SHE HAD TO PUT EYELER ON MY BOTTOM EYELIDS. FUCKG HELL, GUYS. DID YOU KNOW THAT PEOPLE PUT EYELER, LIKE, SI THEIR EYELID? THIS IS MASOCHISTIC AND OUTRAGEO. IT ALSO MAK YOUR EYE LOOK 400 TIM MORE BETIFUL THAN DID BEFORE, SO I’M SOLD. POOR JAN SPORT HAD TO TALK ME THROUGH THIS PART LIKE A CHILD, AND SHE WAS SO PATIENT, BLS HER. ADVERTISEMENT I’M THE KD OF PERSON WHO N’T PUT HIS OWN EYE DROPS. MY BOYIEND HAS TO HOLD ME DOWN, PRY MY EY OPEN CLOCKWORK ORANGE-STYLE, AND DO THE UNTDOWN TRICK THAT DOCTORS E ON TODDLERS TO GIVE THEM SHOTS, PRICKG THEM ON “TWO” STEAD OF “THREE.” I THK WHEN WE STARTED DATG, HE THOUGHT THIS WAS A CUTE B, BEE WE BOTH LOVE THE SCENE FRIENDS WHERE MONI HAS TO DO THE SAME THG TO RACHEL BEE RACHEL IS BEG A WIMP. BUT SIX YEARS LATER AND UNTOLD LEVELS OF EXASPERATN OVER DROPS WASTED BEE I BLKED BEFORE THE SOLUTN H MY EYE, HE IS MORE THAN NVCED ’S NOT.WHAT I’M SAYG IS POOR JAN SPORT NEVER STOOD A CHANCE. MIRACULOLY, SHE PULLED OFF. AND, MY GOD, DID MY EY POP. THEY POPPED! I NEVER THOUGHT I’D HAVE EY THAT POPPED! JANSPORT CHECKS THE PROGRS OF THE DRAG TRANSFORMATN.SARAH ROGERS/THE DAILY BEAST THREE HOURS IS A LOT OF TIME TO SPEND FOUR CH OM A STRANGER’S FACE AS THEY STUDY EVERY PORE OF YOUR OWN, ANALYZG S SHAPE AND S ODDI AND BILY MAKG YOUR EYEBROWS DISAPPEAR WH A WAXY VER-UP PASTE. (“THIS IS WHAT WE LL THE UNCLE FTER PHASE.”) IT IS BOTH HILAR AND UPSETTG TO SEE YOURSELF WH A BASE LAYER OF PALE FOUNDATN AND NO EYEBROWS, SO RATHER THAN GIGGLE NERVOLY, JAN SPORT AND I CHATTED. A LOT. I REALLY LIKE HER.I LEARNED THAT SHE STARTED DOG DRAG TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS AGO. SHE’S A MIL THEATRE MAJOR AND DID A CISE NTRACT ON A ROYAL CARIBBEAN SHIP THAT PORTED DUBAI. IT WAS ILLEGAL TO “YOU KNOW, EXIST AS MYSELF THERE,” SHE TOLD ME, SO HER GIRLIENDS WOULD GO AND BUY HER MAKP TO PLAY AROUND WH BACK ON BOARD. ONE OF THEM NOTICED THAT SHE LOOKED A LTLE B LIKE KRIS JENNER WHEN SHE PUT ON MAKP. AROUND THE SAME TIME, SHE HAD JT SEEN THE EPISO OF KEEPG UP WH THE KARDASHIANS WHERE JENNER TALKS ABOUT WANTG TO JO THE BROADWAY ST OF CHIGO, AND MA A WHOLE B ABOUT . ADVERTISEMENT A KRIS JENNER DRAG QUEEN ORIG STORY? JAN SPORT AND I WERE SOULMAT. AS FOR HER NAME: “I WAS DNK AT A MCDONALD’S AND SAW A JANSPORT BACKPACK.” HONTLY, MIGHT HAVE BEEN TE LOVE.IN THE DRAG MUNY, THERE ARE DRAG FAI, WHICH AN EXPERIENCED PERFORMER, A DRAG MOTHER, WILL MENTOR AND HELP BREAK TO THE DTRY A YOUNGER PERFORMER, A DRAG DGHTER.JAN SPORT MET RUPL’S DRAG RACE ALUM ALEXIS MICHELLE AFTER SERVG TOGETHER AS JUDG FOR A PETN THAT JAN HAD WON THE YEAR BEFORE. SHE TOLD ALEXIS THE KRIS JENNER STORY. IF YOU’VE SEEN DRAG RACE, YOU KNOW THAT ONE OF THE GREATT MOMENTS THE SHOW’S HISTORY IS WHEN ALEXIS PLAYS JENNER A KARDASHIAN-SPIRED MIL. THE NNECTN SEALED THEIR BOND: JAN WAS NOW ALEXIS’S DRAG DGHTER. “SHE SHAR WH ME THE MAKP TIPS SHE LEARNED OM HER, CLUDG HOW TO BETTER BLEND THE NTOURG ON YOUR NOSE AND A SPECIAL TRICK WH HIGHLIGHTER. MY NOSE LOOKED VERY TH AND MY CHEEKS LERALLY GLISTENED” ALEXIS WAS ALSO AT THE LOVE & LIPLER EVENT THURSDAY PERFORMG A MAKEOVER. THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT, SHE’D POP OVER TO SEE HOW JAN AND I WERE DOG. “JT CHECKG ON THE FAY.” SHE LLED ME HER GRANDDGHTER. IT WAS ADORABLE.JAN TALKS TO ME ABOUT ALL THE WAYS ALEXIS HAS HELPED HER, GUIDG HER THROUGH HER EARLY YEARS THE MUNY AND HELPG HER LAND GIGS. SHE SHAR WH ME THE MAKP TIPS SHE LEARNED OM HER, CLUDG HOW TO BETTER BLEND THE NTOURG ON YOUR NOSE AND A SPECIAL TRICK WH HIGHLIGHTER. MY NOSE LOOKED VERY TH AND MY CHEEKS LERALLY GLISTENED. GRANNY ALEXIS KNOWS HER STUFF! ADVERTISEMENT JANSPORT PUTS THE FISHG TOUCH ON HER DRAG DGHTER, ANA HELP.SARAH ROGERS/THE DAILY BEAST EACH STEP OF THE MAKEOVER PROCS BLEW MY MD. THE WAY THE PURPLE EYHADOW STANTLY FEMIZED MY FACE. HOW A METRIC TON OF LIPLER AND GLOSS TURNED ME TO LISA RNA A MATTER OF MUT. HOW EACH LAYER AND STEP THE PROCS TRANSFORMED MY FACE DIFFERENTLY, UP UNTIL THE FAL ELEMENT—FAKE LASH THE SIZE OF BAT WGS—THAT MORPHED ME OVER ONCE AGA, ONE LAST TIME.THREE HOURS IS A LOT OF TIME TO SPEND STARG AT YOURSELF THE MIRROR, EVEN FOR A VA PERSON LIKE MYSELF. MORE, IS AN CREDIBLY STRANGE EXPERIENCE TO SPEND ALL THAT TIME ONT OF A MIRROR AND NOT REGNIZE THE REFLECTN LOOKG BACK. AND TTH, BEG AAID OF THE FACE YOU’RE SEEG. DRAG, CROSS-DRSG, GENR FLUIDY: ’S ALWAYS SOMETHG I OUTRIGHT REJECTED, THE WAY THAT GAY MEN STILL TERNALIZE HOMOPHOBIA AND EXPRS SOMETIM QUE VICLY THEIR MUNY. I NEVER WALKED AROUND MY MOM’S HEELS. I NEVER HAD A SIRE TO DO DRAG. I NEVER HAD AN CLATN TO WEAR MAKP, OR GO TO A PROVCETOWN TEA DANCE, OR ANYTHG LIKE THAT.DON’T GET ME WRONG, I LOVE THAT STUFF. I LOVE THE ART OF DRAG, GOG TO DRAG SHOWS, WATCHG RUPL’S DRAG RACE. THOSE QUEENS ARE FABULO. BILLY PORTER, KEIYNAN LONSDALE, NI TORTORELLA, AND ALL THE MEN AND GENR FLUID PEOPLE THEY’VE SPIRED WH THEIR FASHN ARE HERO TO ME. AND I LOVE WHEN MY GAY IENDS POST PHOTOS OM FIRE ISLAND STTTG AROUND THEIR PUMPS AND WIGS. I’M FORTABLE AROUND ALL THIS, CELEBRATE , AND ENURAGE . BUT I NEVER, EVER WANTED TO DO . ADVERTISEMENT INSECURY IS A BCH, PEOPLE. SHAME IS MAYBE EVEN MORE FEROC.PART OF WHY I SAID Y TO THIS IS BEE, THIS PRI MONTH, PECIALLY, I WANTED TO OBTA SOME GREATER GRASP ON WHO I AM AS A MEMBER OF THIS LGBTQ MUNY. WHAT PARTS OF MY INTY AM I ACTUALLY PROUD OF? WHAT STILL NEEDS WORK? WHAT IS, SADLY, HOPELS? I’M GETTG OLR, AND LIVG NEW YORK, BEG A MEMBER OF A MEDIA WHICH ABS, JAWL, AND YOUTH ARE PABLE, I’VE BEEN GRAPPLG WH A SORT OF EXISTENTIAL INTY CRISIS.THIS IS PERHAPS ENTIRELY BORG TO YOU. I AGREE! WHO WOULD GIVE A SH ABOUT ANYONE ELSE’S “JOURNEY”—I WANT TO SELF-FLAGELLATE JT FOR G THAT SUFFERABLE WORD—BIS THE PERSON ON ? EXCEPT MAYBE YOU SHOULD RE. SHARG OUR STORI IS THE ONLY WAY TO MOVE FORWARD. IT’S HOW ANY OF WILL EVER FEEL NORMAL ABOUT WHO WE ARE. THAT MUCH OF PRI MONTH, AT THE VERY LEAST, I UNRSTAND.DON’T GET ME WRONG, I REALIZE THE WORDS ARE BEG TYPED OM A RABOW TOWER, WHERE I WORK AS A POP CULTURE WRER, WHERE MY EXUBERANT VERAGE OF LGBTQ ISSU IS EMBRACED, AND AN UNRCURRENT OF UNABASHED HORNS IS ALLOWED TO MAKE S WAY TO PIEC WHOUT EDORS BLKG AN EYE. ADVERTISEMENT I REALIZE I THK THE THOUGHTS WHILE WAKG UP NEXT TO MY HANDSOME BOYIEND EACH MORNG, A BYPRODUCT OF A FAY WHO HAD A RECKONG WH THEIR ENTIRE FAH BEE OF MY INTY, A FATHER WHO TRAD WEEKENDS ACHG MY BROTHER’S BASEBALL TEAM AND BUILDG SETS FOR MY PRODUCTN OF SEVEN BRIS FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, AND A MOTHER WHO WATCHED ENDLS HOURS OF DIGNG WOMEN WH ME. I AM SO LUCKY.BUT THERE IS STILL SO MUCH ABOUT MY INTY THAT I HARBOR RENTMENT OVER.I RENT THAT G OUT IS A THG I HAD TO DO. I RENT THAT BEG GAY IS A “THG,” AND WILL ALWAYS BE A THG, EVEN TO PEOPLE WHO “DON’T RE”—BEE HAVG TO ARTICULATE THAT THOUGHT IS STILL A THG. I REMEMBER THE BULLYG OM WHEN I WAS YOUNGER. I REMEMBER THE SULTS. I REMEMBER NOT WANTG TO LOOK, TALK, OR ACT THE WAY I DID, BEE I HATED THAT THIS WAS HAPPENG.THIS IS NOT A LL FOR SYMPATHY, NOT BY A LONG SHOT, AND NOT WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER MEMBERS OF MY MUNY WHO ARE FIGHTG FOR THEIR LIV. BUT IS NDOR, FOR WHATEVER THAT’S WORTH. “BUT, STILL, 2019, BEG YOURSELF, PECIALLY IF YOU’RE LGBTQ, IS A POLIL ACT. IT’S NOT NORMAL, OR MUNDANE—SOMETHG I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE” MASCULY AND NORMATIVY AND PASSG AND DG ARE THGS THAT I—AND I WOULD VENTURE MANY GAY MEN—HAVE SPENT A LIFETIME THKG ABOUT, AND NSTANTLY. BUT TALKG ABOUT THOSE THGS ALSO SUGGTS SOME SORT OF FEMY, BEE MEANS TALKG ABOUT FEELGS AND SECURY. ADVERTISEMENT SO MANY BRAVE QUEER PEOPLE RPOND TO THIS BY BEG UNAPOLOGETILLY THEMSELV. BUT, STILL, 2019, BEG YOURSELF, PECIALLY IF YOU’RE LGBTQ, IS A POLIL ACT. IT’S NOT NORMAL, OR MUNDANE—SOMETHG I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE.SO THAT WAS MY OWN RECKONG THIS PRI MONTH, REFLECTG A NEW KD OF SHAME: THE REALIZATN THAT THIS IS HOW I FELT.THERE’S A QUOTE OM STONEWALL PATRON MICHAEL LEVE, WHO WAS AT THE RTS, THAT I’VE BEEN THKG ABOUT A LOT, PECIALLY LIGHT OF THE LOVE & LIPLER EVENT: “THE DRAG QUEENS, THEY ARE THE ON WHO SAID TO THE POLICE, ‘WE ARE NOT LEAVG.’ AND THEY FORMED A CHOS LE OUTSI, ONT OF THE BAR. AND THEY STOOD THERE, DANCG THE STREETS.” ANA HELP MAK HER NWAY BUT AT THE JAM HOTEL.SARAH ROGERS/THE DAILY BEAST I AM NOT IMAGG MYSELF AS ANY KD OF EQUAL OF THE QUEENS AT STONEWALL. MY GOD, ULD YOU IMAGE? HOW IDTIC, ME, DNK OFF VODKA SODAS THE BALLROOM OF A HOTEL WHERE THERE’S AN ACTUAL GALLERY THE LOBBY HOMAGE TO THE RTS. THIS WAS SILLY FUN, FULL-STOP.BUT WAS AN OCSN TO PUT TO PERSPECTIVE HOW FAR WE’VE E TO BE THERE, AND HOW FAR WE HAVE TO GO. THE UBER DRIVER SULTG THE DRAG QUEEN STANDG OUTSI THE HOTEL AS HE DROPPED ME OFF, FOR ONE, WAS A REMR OF THAT. MY OWN PERSONAL FEELGS ABOUT PUTTG ON THE DRAG MAKP AND BEG TORTURED OVER HOW WOULD FEEL IS CERTALY ANOTHER. ADVERTISEMENT THE THG IS, I DID LOOK BETIFUL. I DID KD OF HATE LOOKG LIKE THAT, AND I HATE THAT I FELT THAT WAY. BUT I LOOKED GEO, AND A SMALL WAY, THAT WAS HEALG.EVERYONE AT WORK KNEW THAT I DID THIS, AND THE NEXT DAY, AFTER SEEG THE PHOTOS, THEY ALL HAD THE SAME QUTN: HOW LONG DID TAKE TO REMOVE THE MAKP? THE TTH IS THAT WASN’T THAT BAD. I BURNED THROUGH ABOUT 20 MAKP REMOVAL WIP AND ABOUT 10 MUT HAD RETURNED MY FACE A MSY, EMO—BUT REGNIZABLE—VERSN OF MYSELF. ERRANT WIG GLUE MY HAIR, EYEBROW MAKP, AND PECIALLY THE EYELER WERE STUBBORN AND REQUIRED EXTRA SCBBG WHEN I GOT HOME. (THERE WAS STILL SOME RIDUAL EYELER THE NEXT MORNG. RIDUAL EYE POP!) MOSTLY, THOUGH, WASN’T ARDUO, THOUGH THE RAPID DISAPPEARANCE OF ANA WAS A LTLE JARRG. I WAS JT REALLY EXHSTED. WHAT TAK FOR ANYONE TO DO DRAG OR WEAR A DRS PUBLIC OR BE SEEN A WAY THAT RADILLY MAGNIFICENT REQUIR A FORTU THAT I DO NOT HAVE, THOUGH I NOW HAVE THE FANTASTIC PORTRAS TO REMD MYSELF THAT WAS THERE, AT LEAST SOME REGARD, AT SOME POT. MORE THAN THAT, THOUGH, THE PHOTOS WILL BE A REMR OF THE NECSY TO BE PROUD, AND PROUD OF EVERYTHG, OF ALL OF YOU.IT’S AMAZG WHAT A LTLE PURPLE EYHADOW N DO. KEV FALLON, BEFORE AND AFTER DRAG MAKP MAGIC.COURTY MATT MONATH KEV FALLON

It is thought that this part due to the donng of overtly feme attire and stereotypil behavrs which are seen as ls sirable tras among gay men. They also risk beg discrimated agast not only public, but also wh the gay muny.

The ma takeaway om the study is the hypothis that drag performers are motivated, spe the many sts, by how signalg, or performg wh the gay muny, promot “upward mobily” and stat wh a small, protected muny. The rearch fdgs scribed here shed some light on potential motivatg factors of those who perform drag, at least through the ey of some the gay muny.