Celebrating International Drag Day

July 16th is International Drag Day, a day set aside for celebrating the artistry of drag performances, that has yet to be extensively recorded. Still, it is steadily rising to become a significant event within the LGBTQIA community. The term drag is thought to have been a derivative of the expression “dressed like a girl”. In the 1800s, male performers put on vibrant feminine attire to entertain audiences with comedy, singing and dancing. 

From the 1960s to the 70s, drag culture transformed with the rise of the LGBTQI+ rights movements and the Stonewall riots. Drag queens became a symbol in this era, engaging in protests and embodying symbols of resilience and defiance. On International Drag Day, we celebrate the gorgeous drag kings and drag queens of the world. Through exuberantly exaggerated portrayals of gender norms, drag brings the truth of the distorted world to the audience as soothingly as one can, while also condemning the world’s imposition of gender as a binary concept. Drag performances go beyond traditional gender concepts, allowing individuals to truthfully express their identities. 

Drag is the art of celebration, protest and non-conformity all rolled into one fabulous performance. The history of drag performers is intertwined with that of the queer community of the world. It also has a vivid existence in the cultural history of India, uniting communities and castes. 

Folk arts like the Jatra and the Lavani have always had men performing as women. The Lok Rang Noor Art is a troupe of men who are committed to reviving the Giddha folk dance tradition. Crossdressing was a major part of India’s culture and art before colonialism swooped in with their conservative mindsets and turned drag into a taboo. However, India is bringing back its glorious non-conforming artistic minds, with drag returning to grace our streets with more colour and gusto than ever before. 

Tsu Rouge from Dergaon, Assam, is known as Glorious Luna, whose performance is the story of figuring out their identity as a non-binary person, with frequent shows in Mumbai and Bangalore. Delhi’s Lush Monsoon is a human rights lawyer inspired by RuPaul’s Drag Race, integrating queerness and Bollywood movies to embody exaggerated femininity with various surprises in store for the audience. Today, drag is marking its presence through not just performances and pride parades, but also through social media and Instagram reels. The internet has made everything all the more accessible and universal, so why not drag too?

Throughout the year, LGBTQ+ organisations around India collaborate with drag artists to bring to the community an event to remember. The Mobbera Foundation in Hyderabad, Telangana, has hosted more than a few glittery nights for the queer community in the city, organising everything from drag performances to queer speed dating. Pride celebrations in cities like Delhi, Pune and Chennai are seeing people come out to the streets with their funkiest outfits, embracing the bold expression style of drag and shouting out their stories for all the world to see. Gender is non-binary, it is fluid and it is so much more open than the world makes it out to be. Drag is now not something to be seen only in bars and nightclubs; it is becoming an art form suitable for all ages, welcoming everyone from all over the spectrum. Art was always meant to be everyone’s and not repressed by class, caste or privilege. And with drag, we have come so much closer to the vision of a fully united community. 

So this drag day, put on a smile, be your gayest, pick the outfit that screams you the most, and walk out with your head held high. 

Happy International Drag Day!

Articles for your perusal: 

• Lok Rang Noor Art- Vogue

Shows for your Binge-watching:

• RuPaul’s Drag Race (Obviously) 

• AJ and the Queen (Netflix)

• Lok Rang Noor Art Performance 

Bookies:

• The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

• Kings, Queens and In-Betweens by Tanya Boteju

• The Prince and the Dressmaker by `Jen Wang