While the United States has had a long history with drag shows, earlier in 2023, Tennessee became the first state to place an explicit ban on drag shows in public spaces. And as drag has been thrust into the spotlight more and more over the years, the art form has found itself at the forefront of conservative criticism. Due to increased political violence and legal action being taken, drag performers and the art of drag are at risk. But drag has long been a source of entertainment for generations of moviegoers, with drag being featured in Academy Award-winning films.
So why is this art form that has been a staple in movies for quite some time now a problem? The conservatives' platform of hate toward drag ignores the abundance of entertainment drag has brought to audiences around the world. This performance art and the performers are at stake. But drag's long history throughout cinema must be recognized.
From Some Like It Hot to Mrs. Doubtfire, Drag Has Been in Film for Decades
The art of drag has for a long time been included in cinema and was especially prevalent in the 1990s and early 2000s. There were even films that were completely centered around a drag queen or an actor in drag -- one of the most prominent being the Academy Award-winning Mrs. Doubtfire, which features Robin Williams in drag as Euphegenia Doubtfire. From heartfelt tales to dramas to comedies and horror, drag has had a presence in the art of making movies. There is even a popular franchise of movies that centers around Tyler Perry dressed in drag as the infamous Madea. Hollywood's history of drag includes many key actors: Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, Marlon and Shawn Wayans, Eddie Murphy and so many more. But in today's political climate, these performances would be highly criticized and potentially damaging to these individuals' careers; perhaps these projects may not have even gotten made.
So why deprive the world of drag when it has entertained so many? At one point in time, a movie that centered around three drag queens road-tripping across the country grossed over $47 million worldwide and earned No. 1 at the box office for its first two weeks. In 1995, To Wong Foo: Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, featuring Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo, became a cult classic. Two of its stars were even nominated for Golden Globe Awards. In short, drag is an art form that has been seen favorably by the masses for years and has been an embraced form of entertainment, even though many may not have even known what drag was.
Bans on Drag Are a Chilling Attack on Art
Through the fake guise of wanting to "protect children," bills banning drag shows have been sweeping the nation. Since the beginning of the year, 30+ bills have been filed within states targeting drag performances, and more are on their way. As more unabashedly queer representation takes the stage in both TV, with shows like RuPaul's Drag Race, and film, with storylines prominently featuring queer characters like Stephanie Hsu's Joy in Everything Everywhere All at Once, support for these bills has been driven by the conservative right's discomfort with artistic expression that defies traditional gender norms. So despite drag's long history and cultural role within society, drag has become the target of legal action and outright violent attacks.
Anti-drag legislation is a part of an even wider backlash against increased queer visibility, especially for transgender individuals and those with non-binary identities. It targets both an art form and an already marginalized community. But even more, the legislation attacks something at the core of artistic expression: the ability to dress up and play characters outside oneself, to step out into something new, to escape from the world, to find community and acceptance, to make the world better for someone else.