Liberating Repressed Male Femininities: A Psychological Framework for Understanding Drag Queens

Abstract

A wealth of knowledge about the psychological mechanisms involved with drag performance is lacking, and the majority of previous research on the topic has referred to drag performers as sexually deviant and mentally ill, without even properly differentiating them from transgendered or transsexual individuals. This study investigates male drag queens from a non-prejudiced perspective and adds both quantitative as well as qualitative data about drag performers to a field of study scant in such research. By directly comparing in- and out-of-drag personas quantitatively for the first time, the present study finds increased extroversion and confidence to be a direct result of getting into drag. Furthermore, the study’s qualitative component supports this finding and builds on ideas presented by previous research. Using theories of identity development and gender performativity, a psychological framework is proposed for understanding drag personas as the liberated expressions of otherwise repressed male femininities. Future directions for psychological drag research are discussed.