Occupying Spaces and Disintegrating Bodies

Drag has been a target of both positive and negative attention as a primal example of LGBTQ+ culture globally, but especially in the Western European and Anglophone countries that make up “the West”. There has been enormous international exposure for drag queens, and it is becoming easier for them to achieve recognition and financial success as drag performers. There has also been a pronounced movement to make drag a symbol and a representation of LGBTQ+ communities. At the same time, there have been political movements to prohibit drag performances in public spaces, claiming that these performers are “paedophiles” or “groomers”. In both political positions, drag is considered a part of queerness, which has also been a shared narrative in previous research.