Exposé
One wonders what truly makes up a drag performer. The art form, which has recently received an increase in mainstream attention thanks to shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race, is primarily known for its comical impersonations, extravagant costumes and make-up, and bold dance moves.
However, beyond the unique glamor of drag lies an art form that reflects and critiques the social and political state of today’s society. As part of this year’s Talakayang Alay sa Bayan series, Ateneans got the chance to experience and understand drag through “Ilusyonada: The Transformative Power of Drag” held last October 8 at Faura AVR. The bombastic event was organized by Camp Queer and the Philosophy Department.
Breaking the artificial
As a way for the audience to understand drag, the program featured a panel discussion with members and advocates of the LGBTQ+ community. The panel discussion focused on giving context to the nuances of drag and its importance towards the local queer scene. According to the panelists, drag is meant to be playful yet earnest in expressing one’s gender identity.
University of the Philippines Diliman Sociology assistant professor Andoy Evangelista, stated how drag is not only a performance of aspirations for the community, but a critique of the gender binary. “[Drag] exposes the artificiality of masculinity and femininity…As a political tool, it is important in terms of…trying to reveal that the things that we know about gender…are creations of our own history,” Evangelista says.
Evangelista also shares a personal preference for the pronoun siya because it is both “anti-patriarchal [and] anti-colonial.”
Furthermore, Camp Queer Coordinator Ivanka Custodio, also known on stage as and drag performer “Ivanka the Drag Kwan,” emphasizes how drag provides a space where one can explore the possibilities of gender. They note that “Drag…opens up the spaces that were once barred…because of society’s strict imposition of…gender roles.”
The panelists’ insights were also portrayed to the audience with drag performances such as Mrs. Tan’s moving rendition of Whitney Houston’s “It’s Not Right, But It’s Okay” (1998) and Custodio’s melancholic performance of Regina Spektor’s “Dear Theodosia” from Lin Manuel-Miranda’s hit musical Hamilton (2015).
Crossing of times and places
The panelists also emphasized the intersectionality of drag. Filipino Department assistant professor Jaya Jacobo, PhD, a transgender woman, says “[d]rag is a category of empathy…not just as a way…of crossing of genders, but also as a crossing of places and times [such as] race, ethnicity, religion.”
The lip sync numbers of drag queens Luka and Garlic Longganisa featured references to religious imagery and quotes from queer icons respectively, highlighting the various intersections between drag and social issues.
Delving into the politics of drag, filmmaker and former president of the University of the Philippines Babaylan Rod Singh notes how cisgender heterosexual people may reduce drag to its mere entertainment value, especially when there is a lack of distinction between cross-dressing and drag. He cites that Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, a staunch critic of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression Bill, “capitalized on the idea of being gay…[as] he performed [in] drag technically [in his films].” This is clearly seen in his role as the flamboyant beautician Helen in Bilibid Gays (1981).
With the commodification of queer culture, Evangelista states that drag in its current state cannot transform the world alone. “We need to augment drag performance and queer imagination with other existing progressive ideas…such as social justice,” Evangelista adds.
A radical form of joy
Camp Queer member and Philosophy Department instructor Luther Aquino adds that “what we as queers have to offer is queer joy—radical, revolutionary joy.” Through colorful performances, drag allows members of the LGBTQ+ community to express their visions of a better, more open-minded world.
At the end of the program, the hosts announced a four-way lip sync performance among the drag artists involved. The performers were to highlight their own style of drag, but they eventually came together as a unified act. Hand in hand, these performers reminded audiences of their expressive camaraderie while continuing to shed light on the stories and struggles of their community.
Editors’ note: A previous version of this article cited Jaya Jacobo, PhD as the Filipino Department Chair instead of Associate Chair, and Luther Aquino as Professor and not Instructor. This article has been edited to reflect these changes. We apologize for the oversight.
Photos by Kathleen U. Yap and Yanna Estrellado
