The Diary of Uncertainties

Brainstorm of the topic – 16^th of Jan, 2024

I was reminded of a personal experience when I was thinking about my uncertainties. Last summer, my friend took me to an underground club where a drag race was performing. The performance impressed me deeply, and since then, I have been struggling with doubts and thoughts about gender identity.

The findings of drag book – 17^th /21st of Jan, 2024

I borrowed a book titled “Girlfriend – Men, Women, and Drag” by Holly Brubach from the library today. The book explores the impact of drag on the fashion industry, highlighting how designers use clothing to challenge traditional gender roles and promote equality between men and women. It features diverse perspectives from individuals of various genders and sexual orientations and encourages readers to critically reflect on their understanding of gender.

My thoughts:

I believe that people’s perception of gender is shaped by the concepts that they have been taught since childhood. Some individuals may not be able to accept drag culture or drag queens because it contradicts their original worldview, making them feel betrayed. However, for others, their love for drag provides a sense of freedom and liberation, whether it be physical or psychological. Drag culture teaches people the value of tolerance and acceptance towards those who are different.

Media artwork findings in Tate Modern Museum – 18^th of Jan, 2024

Today, I went to the Tate Museum with my classmates after class, and stumbled upon a visually stunning digital exhibition called “Life of Imitation”. 

The exhibition is presented in the form of a short film and is created by a Singaporean artist named Ming Wong. Wong uses costume and performance to explore the construction of race, nationality, and gender. The production features three men of different races who take turns playing the roles of a black mother and a “white” daughter. They represent the Chinese, Malays, and Indians who make up the majority of Singapore’s population. The actors’ identities change with each shot, making for a dynamic and thought-provoking experience.

My thoughts: 

The author of this creative work intends to communicate the struggle of self-perception that arises due to external factors such as skin color. These factors can often classify people as either superior or inferior. In this work, the author has utilized the performance form of drag and has employed men to portray female roles. This approach creates the impression that women are not depicted as a vulnerable group and that both genders are equal in terms of race and nationality.

Life of Imitation 2009 – Tate

Ming Wong Life of Imitation 2009, video still – Tate

Curiosity of Lady Gaga – 19^th /20^th of Jan, 2024

I browsed the previous videos in the club and recalled that the song played in the entire party theme originated from Lady Gaga. 

I started thinking about why she is so popular in LGBTQ communities.

“I am a supporter of the LGBTQ+ community but I do not speak for them. They do not need me to speak for them, and without the LGBTQ+ community, I would not be who I am.” – Lady Gaga (O’flynn 2018)

Lady Gaga in Stonewall Concert Ahead of NYC – Kiefer, H. (2019)

Fans of Lady Gaga gather outside a concert in Manila in 2012 – Neary, L. (2019)

She is kind of a spiritual leader and mentor of the queer community. She changed the society where heterosexuality was the mainstream and fought for the space for the LGBTQ+ community to survive and develop. She has been open about her bisexuality and has actively spoken out for them many times. Thousands of young gay people in different countries, especially small and barren places, gained their own identity through her actions, and effectively reduced the occurrence and spread of AIDS.

My thoughts:

She guides individuals who may feel ashamed to admit their different sexual orientation from societal norms, helping them to find and embrace their true identity. Her work has challenged modern society to view gender from a fresh perspective and to cultivate greater tolerance and understanding towards the diversity of sexual orientations.

The findings of RuPaul’s Drag Race and its book – 22^nd of Jan, 2024

RuPaul is widely recognized as one of the most famous drag queens in the world. The reality TV series, RuPaul’s Drag Race, is focused on casting queens who fight for LGBTQ rights and combat anti-drag laws. This show has played a crucial role in reshaping the visibility of drag culture. Recently, I stumbled upon a book called “RuPaul’s Drag Race and the Shifting Visibility of Drag Culture” by Niall Brennan and David Gudelunas, which documents the journey of this TV series and highlights how drag has grown into a significant aspect of the LGBTQ community. The book explores various lenses such as race, ethnicity, geographical origin, cultural identity, and physical and body image.

Halliwell (She/Her), S. (2021)

My thoughts:

In a sense, RuPaul has helped many people like him achieve their dreams of being a drag queen. Not only to individuals in their group but also to promote drag culture to a broad audience. It can be said that this is also a gender reform.

Reflections – 23^rd of Jan, 2024

What is drag?

Drag is about borrowing cultural references to construct a persona.

Why people do drag?

People who dress in drag are acting on behalf of us all.

What kinds of people do drag?

1. female impersonators, who do drag onstage
2. transsexuals, who believe that they were born the wrong sex.
3. cross-dressers, who dress in women’s clothes, usually underwear or in private.
4. practitioners (drag queens)

Why drag move to underground?

As I researched (Brubach 1999), drag was gradually displayed in an entertainment way, it seemed like a private joke among fashion designers, photographers, artists, filmmakers, and self-styled performers, even though these people performed roles in drag way before. Insiders argue that real drag is dying, to survive, it has gone underground.

References

1. Brubach, H. (1999). Girlfriend. Random House (NY). 
2. Anon, (n.d.). Video preview: Life of Imitation | Ming Wong. [online] Available at: http://www.mingwong.org/video-preview-life-of-imitation.
3. ‌O’Flynn, B. (2018). 10 years of Lady Gaga: how she queered mainstream pop forever. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/apr/10/10-years-of-lady-gaga-how-she-queered-mainstream-pop-forever.
4. ‌Tabberer, J. and jane (2021). Lady Gaga clarifies whether she ‘represents’ the LGBTQ community. [online] Attitude. Available at: https://www.attitude.co.uk/culture/film-tv/lady-gaga-clarifies-whether-she-represents-the-lgbtq-community-304241/.
5. ‌ Niall Brennan and Gudelunas, D. (2018). Rupaul’s Drag Race and the shifting visibility of drag culture : the boundaries of reality TV. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

‌

Picture references

1. Tate (n.d.). Ming Wong and Tseng Kwong Chi – Display at Tate Modern. [online] Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern/display/media-networks/ming-wong-and-tseng-kwong-chi.
2. Kiefer, H. (2019). Lady Gaga Reminds LGBTQ Community at Stonewall: ‘I Would Take a Bullet for You’. [online] Vulture. Available at: https://www.vulture.com/2019/06/lady-gaga-stops-by-stonewall-concert-ahead-of-nyc-pride-week.html.
3. ‌Neary, L. (2019). How ‘Born This Way’ Was Born: an LGBT Anthem’s Pedigree. [online] Npr.org. Available at: https://www.npr.org/2019/01/30/687683804/lady-gaga-born-this-way-lgbt-american-anthem.
4. Halliwell (She/Her), S. (2021). The Life of RuPaul Andre Charles – Drag Queen. [online] All Gay Long. Available at: https://www.allgaylong.com/blog/the-life-of-rupaul-andre-charles/.