A CommentaryA Commentary

Timothy Kincaid

Drag is fun. It is a cultural entertainment, a social commentary, a challenge to presumptions, and a cherished tradition within the gay community. It’s been around for a very long time, and likely is here to stay.

And, if crafted carefully, drag can be a unique tool to transmit a message addressing issues surrounding gender assumptions and social expectations (though this needs to be well thought out, lest it contradict or diminish the goals of transgender people).

But drag has nothing to do with marriage or our community’s quest for marriage equality. In fact, when it comes to marriage, the last thing we want is for those who are listening to our legitimate grievances to start thinking that gay people are just ‘men who like to parade around in women’s clothes’ or that we don’t take our own inequalities and indignities seriously.

Which is why it was really incredibly stupid and counterproductive for Queer Rising – an organization of queer activists and “drag queen activists” – to block the intersection of Manhattan’s 42nd Street and Sixth Avenue this morning with a banner protesting marriage inequality in fright wigs and faux fur. This protest was a lot less about marriage than it was about “look at me!”

And now our community has to deal with news stories like “Drag Queens’ Gay Marriage Rally Halts Midtown Traffic.”

Was that what the message supposed to be? Because that’s exactly what happened and I can hardly fault a newsource for being accurate.

Upper West Side drag queen Honey LaBronx, who wore a curled auburn wig and sparkly purple eye shadow, said she was nervous about the prospect of being arrested for the first time. LaBronx, whose real name is Ben Strothmann, said this was one concrete action she could take in support of the gay marriage cause. “I’m hoping they can see how serious we are about this,” LaBronx said, before the group marched from Grand Central Terminal.

Serious? Really? You want morning commuters to take you serious in your purple eye-shadow and stiletto heels?

Instead, perhaps it is you who should be taking our community and our rights seriously.