I saw a drag show!!

I ended up deleting a previous post that I made because I realized how silly it was. This tends to happen when I blog, I get really pissed off and distraut about something and just run with it. I don't think I'm going to talk about yesterday, for a number of reasons. One is that I'd like to keep it on the DL until further notice.

Photo taken from the Out and About page on facebook.

I went to a drag show!!

I'm pretty sure I mentioned this in my last post, but I didn't know if I was actually going to go. I'm glad I did, it was a hell of an experience in itself because I've never seen anything like that. First of all, just in case this crosses anyone's mind, a drag show is NOT a strip show. It's more of a fashion show with music, dancing, and overall just self expression for the men that do this. It's meant to be a performance.

I went with Drew and JJ, these two guys in the drama program at CBC that were asked to bring two friends each to the show. JJ is in the plays, and me and Drew were his two guests. They're both really sweet to me, good guys. I met them just recently this last quarter at CBC. JJ actually came and picked me up from Kennewick and then we drove all the way to 4th in Pasco. I should of given him gas money for all the driving.. I spaced it and I feel bad about it now. I'm sure he enjoyed my company enough for it not to matter that much.

I saw some of Brenna's friends that I met at her party a long time ago. The party that I met Berry. None of them actually hang out with Berry anymore (I've refered to Berry as Zach in this blog for the most part, but his friends all call him my his last name, Berry). I was really excited to talk to Brenna's friends because they're all really smart and cool to be around. I snagged the number of this one guy, John, who said he was going up to Western at the same time I was. I wasn't trying to hit up on him or anything, but I was super stoked just to meet someone that's gonna be up there. It was only about halfway through talking to them that I realized, oh sh*t this is Brenna's ex. o____o

A long time ago in Japanese class, we had to put a small object in a bag, then everyone in class would draw a different object and  ask eachother if the object belonged to them. Very typical language class exercise. I actually got a photograph that Brenna randomly threw in from the summer of this guy John. I only realized it was him when we started talking about Brenna and the subject was changed rather quickly. She's the only reason they know me at all, so I thought it would break the ice if I brought her up when I saw them. It's not like they don't like Brenna, but it's still an ex situation so it was sort of putting my foot in my mouth to bring it up.

Anyway!! More about the show itself...

Basically, the show consisted of about five or six men wearing extremely extravagent outfits (shoes, hair, whole bit) and dancing. They took tips, but used them more as a dance prop than anything. Like it's obvious they're not in it for the money. I feel they more incoorporate the tips to interact with the audience.

It's funny though, when I see drag queens or transgender men/women my mind usually draws a blank. It doesn't try to categorize by gender, it more or less just thinks "Transgender" instead of "man in makeup" or "woman trying to look like a man.." I'm happy that my parents have somehow raised me so that I accept all kinds of subcultures/sexualities. The only real problem with this is addressing as "he" or "she" when talking about them. You wonder how many of them do it because they enjoy dressing up and/or just want to perform or if they do really identify more with women. I'm sure it varies a lot from person to person, and I don't see anything wrong with it either way. Live and let live, if a transgender man wants to go through all the primping, makeup, and wear uncomfortable shoes like the more glamourous women do, then let them.

It should probably also be noted that not all transgender men are as extreme as drag queens.

For instance, my friend QueenJasmineTagaholi on youtube. She is a transgender woman because she was honestly born the way she is. She dresses very feminine though subtle, and doesn't really parade what she does to the world but more just wants to be accepted in the gender that she identifies with. She's not a performer or goes to the extremes that a Drag queen would.

I've been around a lot of gender bending because of the very liberal Spokane community with cosplaying ("crossplaying," which can get VERY confusing), so nothing really surprised me about the drag show. I mean I knew what to expect outfit wise but I didn't expect I'd actually have a good time. I expected it to be hella awkward... But it wasn't, it was just really fun, nice people. I noticed there were actually quite a few more actual women than men there. Maybe because we have more of an appreciation for extreme makeup?

Alrighty, I'm gonna get going.

peace.