According to Masterclass, a drag queen is "a man who dresses in exaggerated women's clothing and makeup to assume female roles and presentation." However, a further look into the 21st-century representation of who a drag queen is, would expose you to the knowledge that although predominantly male-assigned, drag queens could also involve transgendered women, non-binary people, and even debatably, cis-gendered straight women. It is also important to note that drag strictly relates to aesthetics, not gender identity. For example, if a person who identifies as a man or a woman dresses as to look like a caricature of a woman, they're called drag queens. In the same vein, if either of them decides to dress up as a caricatured man, they're tagged as drag kings. For the sake of clarity, drag queens aren't only exclusive to men who dress up as women.
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Drag culture is believed to have originated in the theatres, and the term has dense Shakespearean roots. The practice of men dressing as women was also seen in Japanese, Chinese and Ancient Roman cultures. In the early 16th and 17th centuries, women were not allowed to publicly perform on stage, leaving men to act as both genders in plays. The etymology of the term "drag" relates to the physical dragging of the oversized attire across the stage, worn by male actors cosplaying women. As women became emancipated in the arts and broader aspects of society, the practice of men performing as women regressed from the dominant norm to an activity engaged in by those living in the margins. Drag culture, therefore, erupted as a counter-culture within queer life that emphasised femininity to its extreme. Though many consider drag as an encapsulating aspect of the LGBTQ+ liberation, there are sound counter-points from contemporary radical feminist camps that point to its history as being misogynistic, owing to the "caricaturing" of womanhood by the society's dominant sex/gender. These are two conflicting stances from two disparaged social strata that are yet to fully reconcile, as drag continues to be an essential avenue of authentic expression for some queer people. Coincidingly, the conversation about defining drag as men impersonating women has since evolved in the wake of drag activism, queer representation, and the disbanding rigid gender binaries.
The LGBTQIA+ community has always been met with resistance, often manifesting as physical violence. Although most drag queens in history first took on the culture of androgynous fashion to shield themselves from the violence that comes with being a visibly feminine man, the practice has gravitated into the realm of celebrating self-expression, acceptance, and community building. Hence, there is now greater visibility of the drag scene, along with ballroom culture, in mainstream media. For example, documentary series like Paris is Burning (1990) and The Queen (1968) have been used to highlight the challenges faced by drag practitioners and their relationship to queerness. Reality shows like RuPaul's Drag Race and Legendary provide a more light-hearted and comedic presentation of drag. Dramas like Pose, Sex Education and Orange Is The New Black, offer nuanced narratives concerning the practice, striking the balance between sobriety and surrealism.
Art imitates life, so the rise in media featuring references to drag is no surprise. In an African context, we can see how the scene operates. In South Africa, for instance, where homosexuality is legal, ballrooms and drag culture are reigning supreme. Manila Von Teez, a drag artist and designer from Elsies Rivier in Cape Town, spoke to IOL on the phenomenon, saying, "Drag has for many years been an art form that allows the individual to be unashamedly the persona they take on."
Unfortunately, South Africa is one of just 22 out 54 African countries where same-sex relationships are legal. In nations where they're prohibited, like Nigeria, the practice remains largely underground, though social media has provided an avenue for a new crop of artists, queens, and cross-dressers to express themselves more publicly.
In June 2014, former Nigerian president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, signed the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act. This law, popularly called the SSMPA, seeks to criminalise any "public show of same-sex amorous relationship", with a 10 to 14-year prison sentence for anyone who "registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies and organisation" or "supports" the activities of such organisations. Though drag is not explicitly mentioned, its ties to heterodivergent expression are inexplicable.
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On the 10th of December, 2020, Stephen Tayo, one of Nigeria's most prominent documentary photographers whose work has been highlighted in Vogue, The New York Times, i-D, and Dazed, showcased a four-month project at KO Gallery, Ikoyi - Lagos. Titled "What If", the photographs profile coll some of Nigeria's leading drag queens and social media sensations, like Onyx Godwin, Jay Boogie, Remilekun, and Naija Black Barbie. The photographer describes this work as a model towards furthering conversations of queer marginalisation in conservative countries like Nigeria, with the aim of contributing a more positive outlook to the term "drag queens". "The name 'What If' came up because I was thinking of a society that doesn't have toughness on drag queens: 'what if drag was a way of life?'", he says in an interview with Dazed.
Tayo goes on to contrast the reception masc-presenting men cosplaying drag receive, compared to men who authentically engage in cross-dressing as a lifestyle: "There've been a lot of comedians on Instagram and TikTok who will be playful with just dressing up, and they'll get numbers, comments, or followers. It's fun for them. Then you have people who, that's literally what they are. They derive joy from it but are getting terrible press."
Speaking to AMAKA, Onyx Godwin, a Nigerian non-binary queen who appeared in one of Stephen Tayo's exhibitions, says: "Oh, it's scary, very scary. I've been harassed and extorted by the police, area boys, social media etc. The scariest part of the law is that it legitimises these [instances of] harassment and extortion. Thankfully there's no law against drag, cross-dressing, etc. So, I'm not doing anything 'illegitimate'." Along with threats of physical violence, being a highly visible drag queen also comes with the risk of job insecurity and rejection from family and friends.
Godwin started doing drag after attending underground balls and pageantries in Lagos, Nigeria, before being offered a TV hosting gig. "One of my worst moments for being a drag queen is actually losing jobs. I lost my television show and a campaign shoot in Dubai, just because one or two were being homophobic", they say. Our local media do one of two things - they either give caricature imagery of the queer community, corrupting the minds of those looking to show support, or they totally shun the projection of queer voices. This is why the works of documentary photographers like Tayo are necessary. They give a different outlook to the community and push for a narrative that local media has intentionally kept away from the masses. "My best moments were when I did American Vogue with Stephen Tayo and Vogue Italia with Adedamola. Like who would have thought I'll ever be on Vogue? It's something I never imagined, and it happened twice. I think it made me realise with the right opportunities and people, anything is possible", says Godwin.
Overall, the culture of drag presents a deeply important means of self-expression within the LGBTQ+ community. Loudly and proudly documenting alternative gender expressions provides a platform to affirm this experience, especially in queer-hostile places like Nigeria, where queerphobia is written in law.