drag queen

noun

plural drag queens

: a person and especially a man who performs as an entertainer in usually female drag (see drag entry 1 sense 7b(1))

Drag queens, who are traditionally male, dress in "drag" as female characters.

—Laura Wavra

For the past decade, (basically since RuPaul started Drag Race) traditional drag queens (ie, cis men performing as female characters) have been blowing up in the popular zeitgeist …

—Brittany Knupper

Drag is not simply female impersonation, but involves drag queens exaggerating femininity and drag kings exaggerating masculinity.

—Shannon Kelly

[Victoria] Sin is a female-bodied non-binary drag queen, examining how Western ideals of femininity are produced and consumed.

—Amrou Al-Kadhi

They are a black, non-binary drag queen with a beard in a part of the country that has a reputation for being anti-LGBTQ+.

—Bailey Shelton

Examples of drag queen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Its current language could have implications not only for drag queens, who could face jail time for performing in public, but also for concerts, bachelorette parties, and pride parades in the state. —Joy Ashford, Dallas News, 17 Sep. 2023

Konstantine Anthony, the Democratic mayor of Burbank, California, was seen in a viral Libs of TikTok video being spanked by drag queen Foxxy Roxywood at a campaign event over the weekend. —Heather Hunter, Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2023

In March, the man’s group protested at a drag queen story hour in Ohio that resulted in arrests and scraps with counter-protesters. —Will Carless, USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2023

And yet, as a sort of personal artistic statement — and one where Shakespeare crosses paths with Marlene Dietrich, and deadly hounds with drag queens — Dogman is worth a look. —Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Aug. 2023

Advertisement For Roan, who recruits local drag queens as opening acts on her tour dates, that would be an ideal outcome. —August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2023

Odom said the efforts in Mobile are also an offshoot of opposition that sprung up during Pride Month in June over a drag queen show at Cathedral Square during a monthly Art Walk event. —John Sharp | [e-mail], al, 27 Aug. 2023

In June, the center sponsored one of the county’s Pride festivals, which included a drag queen reading books to children. —Greg Jaffe and Patrick Marley, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Aug. 2023

Hailing from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the cast of eleven drag queens includes Barbie Q, Kelly Heelton, LéLé Cocoon, Loreley Rivers, Metamorkid, Nikita Vegaz, Pandora Nox, Tessa Testicle, The Only Naomy, Victoria Shakespears and Yvonne Nightstand. —Jaden Thompson, Variety, 16 Aug. 2023

See More

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1941, in the meaning defined above