#trans performance artist

[ardnek52]

Trans and nonbinary artists

Hey peeps, if you are trans or nonbinary professionally quality or trained actor, musician, singer, performance artist, private message me! Reblog please! Thank you

[oleandro-drag]

saint sebastian tended by saint irene but they're both drag artists

felt like this might be something this site would enjoy

on stage: oleandro & delfi oraakel, photographer: peroksiid (on ig as oleandro_drag, delfi_oraakel and peroksiid)

[gor3sigil]

One day, I'll talk in depth about how it felt to be the only trans drag king in my local scene surrounded by radfem cis kings who only wanted to make fun of masculinity and how it led to me giving up because I faced more transphobia and misgendering in the few nights I performed, by cis queers, than ever in my life.

It was AWFUL. I just never wanted to perform anymore because the TOXICITY of it all was disgusting.

And I love drag with all my heart, but when you get she/her'd IN DRAG KING, spend your time being belittled because you're a drag king (because let's face it drag kings don't get the credit they deserve) by other performers or because you're transmasc by cis drag kings and you can't find any place in the scene if you do anything else than mocking masculinity, fuck it. I hope I can perform in the future but it won't be in this scene.

[genderqueerdykes]

"drag kings are boring, they just look like normal guys." this is not true for all drag kings, but it is only boring to you because you have failed to realize that manhood and masculinity also require constant over-performance around the clock, especially with strangers you don't even plan on getting to know.

these things look "normal and dull" to certain folks because they haven't had to live through what it's like to have to literally perform manhood for every single person you meet, because it's expected of you to be stoic, strong, and "manly," and a lot of that is reflected in clothing and personal grooming as well. our society has such a rigid view of manhood that there is basically no wiggle room for personal expression in interests and activities that are not traditionally "manly". men are told they are not men if they do not uphold these traits.

this is a performance.

gender is a performance no matter what you identify as. men and mascs have to over-perform manhood as well, just as women have to, trans or cis.

[cclowneryy]

is there a specific genre for this and if so it’s my favorite

[justdavina]

I just love this picture of this sexy transgender woman! I guess I love dark green or something?

[yourdailyqueer]

Mehrub Moiz Awan

Gender: Transgender woman

Sexuality: Queer

DOB: N/A

Ethnicity: Pakistani

Occupation: Activist, performance artist, drag artist, researcher

[gagmedrag]

Angel Au, 2022

[transsexualfiend]

If you're trans and you think drag "makes fun of trans people" I need you to take a good hard look into what drag is and understand why that makes absolutely no sense.

[haystarlight]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lei (@_ina.pickle_)

I figured Tumblr would appreciate this video of a drag king looking sexy af as Puss in Boots

[gr00vyvampiregrrrl]

Vogue Nights Club Silver 06/14

[oleandro-drag]

Saint Sebastian tended by Saint Irene but they're both in drag, Siinpool Sood 2024

photographed by @ peroksiid (on ig), edited by me

[gor3sigil]

Trans drag performers deserve better.

Okay so since y'all seem interested, here we go.

[This is about MY experience as a “former” transmasc drag king, in my local scene. This isn't representative of the drag scene as a whole because drag is a wide, huge scene with pretty much any type of people in it. I have never done paid gig. I only performed a couple of times before deciding to stop.]

I discovered drag with RuPaul like a lot of people, and for a long time, I only knew about drag queens. It’s when I learned about an initiation to drag king happening in my town that I decided to try it. I did a bit of research before the event took place and that's how I learned that drag king is widely undocumented, compared to drag queen. A bit disheartening but I was excited to do something new and especially to get back in my local queer community after 2 years or so of “no contact” with it because trauma (see my post about my first T4T relationship to understand why).

First surprise when I got there, I was the only transmasc present as an attendee. The organiser and person who teached us is agender and go by he/him, and his at the time SO is a transmasc enby but appart from them, I was the only trans person. Most of the others were cis lesbian women. Makes sense. The initiation weekend went really well and we ended up performing in an open scene at the end. I can't count the amount of times I got misgendered by other kings during this weekend and I have to say, it pissed me off so fucking bad because I was the only one getting consistantly misgendered. But I brushed it off and had a blast.

My drag persona is more of a dragula king, really goth, and I did a lipsync performance on a Black Dresses song. I loved it and had a blast. A year or so later, we decided with other drag kings to do a little group to perform together.

Once again, I'm the only trans person.

And that's when the shitshow kinda happened. From all the drag kings present, I was also the only one who wasn't already part of a collective. So the group we had was composed of people from 2 collectives who would basically cheer each other out at every show, and it's great !! But I wasn't being integrated into the group, and I felt defeated. One of the main reasons why I didn't go to drag shows was because I was FLAT BROKE. I couldn't attend these events as they were always or in a bar so you have to at least buy a drink, or had a fee, and I couldn't afford that.

We started doing rehearsals and I set up a discord server for us all to use and organize the said rehearsals. It soon became apparent that they weren't really serious about this group, that they were more involved in their own collectives and it was HELL to have at least one rehearsal a month. But we had a show scheduled for september, and half of the kings weren't ready, didn't know their texts nor songs. I knew it was going to be bad. Also we were confirmed that the gig was going to actually happen 3 days only before, because the people who said they were going to do the visuals NEVER DID and we had to fumble something quick so the event was promoted very fucking late and we weren't sure we could even afford to do it, because not many tickets were sold.

During the rehearsals I got singled out for everything. My voice was dropping because of the T (I had started 8 months prior) and I tried to do my best with the singing parts but got told a few times that my low voice would sound “weird” amongst the sopranos. Also, one of the solo part a king was going to perform was on a very upbeat music and he said we could join IF WE WANTED.

I said I'd pass since it wasn't my style at all.

And when we got to the venue, the venue didn't have any backstage and I had my solo part just after that, so I couldn't just stand there on stage and do nothing. The others in my group KNEW IT as they had performed in this venue BEFORE but just told me “oh, too bad, improvise something” when they were the same ones who told me that taking part in the number was not mandatory.

Regarding the other artists, man, I hated everything. I got misgendered constantly IN KING LIKE - I'M A DRAG KING FFS. Even by others in my group.

When I corrected another performer, a cis gay dude, he laughed at my FACE and told me “but you're trans aren't you like, against gender or something ?”. As I was pre op and still early in my transition I was basically outing myself everytime I told my pronouns and I got so many cis performers ask me invasive questions about my sex life, or being like “yeah I have a trans friend who goes by X but I knew them as Y so it's Y to me but it's not in a disrespectful way you see”.

So yeah, I didn't have a great night. :)

The cis kings called me “girl” or “sis” because “I'm one of them” even after telling them time and time again that I wasn't comfortable with that.

And after this quite disastrous experience, the same ones who called me “girl” and me got into an argument because they wanted to change a song about forced toxic masculinity which is an INCREDIBLY POWERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL SONG into lyrics to talk about femininity. I said that we could use another song then, because there's so few cis men singers who sing about being forced into toxic masculinity and virility that I found that a bit disrespectful to take this important message and make it about women and femininity. There's plenty of songs about that that we could use.

And now guess what ? I was a MEAN MAN who wanted women to NOT TALK ABOUT THEIR ISSUES because I was a very MANLY DUDE DISGUSTING MALE.

The same people who couldn't gender me correctly and called me “sis” a WEEK BEFORE.

So yeah, I got the fuck out and gave up.

I really wish I can perform again one day, but it'll be in another scene.

So PSA: book drag kings, because they are so underrepresented it's disheartening, RESPECT trans drag performers, don't but bioessentialism in drag for the LOVE OF GOD IT'S DRAG. Like imagine being transphobic as a DRAG PERFORMER. Learn the history. And fucking do better.

[genderqueerdykes]

anyone of any identity can do drag as any type of performer they want. you don't have to be a man to be a drag queen, or a woman to be a drag king. you can do whatever you want, drag is an art form about expression, freedom, satire, creativity, joy, fun, and provoking thought. do what makes your little heart sing

[thornestar]

My first trans rights sticker return!

I’ve given dozens of free stickers away for my trans rights project. This is the first person to complete it and send me a picture. I am so touched by her message!

By putting the sticker on the mirror she invites you to look yourself in the eye and say trans rights! I find it especially powerful because she was struggling to allow herself to be at the time. She found it healing to take part in this project.

I’m blown away by the amazing photos I’ve received so far for this project! Let’s keep it going. Help me, a sick crippled and strangely alluring transboi, send love to all the trans folk.

You:

Send me a message and address where I can send stickers

Me:

Send you rad stickers with original art by me including multiple trans rights speech bubbles.

You:

Put one sticker where a trans person might see it in the wild and send me a photo

[justdavina]

La grande dame! Is sooooo HOT!! This wonderful drag queen has nailed it when it comes to HOT! Her magical outfit will live with me forever! It's just incredible!