So I wandered into a gay bar the other night with some friends. It didn’t look like a gay bar from the outside, but we were pretty thirsty, and decided to stick around. They were having some kind of drag show; I believe that’s what you would call it at least.
Now as I understand it, this usually isn’t a sexual thing. That is, it’s more about showmanship and laughs and what not. A gay guy wouldn’t usually be attracted to a guy all dolled up as a lady, and the performers, usually wouldn’t dress like a gal in everyday life, just like a clown doesn’t don his clown suit to go to the dentist. If indeed gay, the performers would be attracted to “regular” gay guys. Do I have this part right?
Now, there were quite a few men in the crowd who were dressed like women, but without the flashy outfits and heavy make up like the performers. Some of them looked a little rough. Do you suppose it was a sexual thing for this group? Is there a certain type of gay man that goes for men dressed as woman? What is the term for this kind of guy, and what percent of gay males would you say falls into this group?
Also, I would bet that there is a percentage of gay guys who think all of this is downright stupid. They are gay because they like the looks of men right? What percentage of gay guys fall into this group? If this group indeed exists, do many think that the whole drag business makes gay people look downright weird to the rest of the folks and perhaps even makes gays less accepted in society?
An honest-to-goodness drag queen could probably tell you a little more, but I thought I’d take a stab at it.
Some (but not all) gay men are fond of camp (definition), which could explain the performers and how specific audiences like them. Drag shows are still a staple at some bars, not to mention Halloween (where guys that would generally never consider drag will dress up). They also can be great fundraisers - drag queens have been performing for AIDS benefits for years and years.
Sexual? Well, the drag queens I know more regarded getting into “face” as a performance; when they have sex, it’s as a man. Drag queens do have boyfriends - as to whether they have sex dressed in drag, I would suppose that depends on the two guys involved.
It’s interesting that the fascination with cross-dressing sexual partners seems to be more of a straight or bi thing (which I can’t claim to understand).
Personally, I enjoy a good drag show - particularly when the performer can do voices (although that starts getting into the realm of “female impersonator” rather than “drag queen”). I have friends that can’t stand them, but still respect them for the work they do in fundraising. Fortunately, in a big enough city, it’s not too hard to find bars where there are no drag shows (such as leather bars).
They could be really bad drag queens, they could be cross-dressers in it for a sexual thrill, they could be transsexuals. No way to know without asking them, I suppose. At my local watering hole during drag shows, DQs who aren’t in the show will often come to watch and often will be in drag. Show of support or solidarity, I suppose.