

Centlivre raised topics like politics as well as women’s roles in society in her works. She was regarded as a masculine woman because of her outspoken and largely political writing.Ĭentlivre started performing in breeches roles in 1685. Centlivre was known as the second woman on the English stage after Aphra Behn. Her works were popular during her lifetime and well into the 19th century. She was a cisgender woman, an actress, and a playwright. One of the most influential women in terms of drag king history is Susanna Centlivre. In fact, opera traditionally has a history of breeches and roles en travesti. They played the roles of scholars, warriors, and emperors.

Somewhere between 618-907 CE, women began impersonating men in Chinese opera. Male impersonators date back to the Tang dynasty in China. There were many female performance artists who wore male clothes, personified men, and were essentially drag kings of their era. The term drag kind originated in 1972, but historically speaking drag kings have always been here. Their stage persona is an integral part of their identity but it does not mean that it is their gender identity. This does not mean that a drag king is transgender, but there are some drag kings who are.ĭrag kings are entertainers and artists. They may want to be referred to by a different name and pronouns while in drag. The persona looks acts and sounds different. Many drag kings have a separate drag persona in addition to the self they live as.

Bisexual and lesbian women who express their identity in a masculine way are not considered to be drag kings. It is important to note that many people may have a masculine gender expression. That said, not all performers in drag are lesbians, some may have other sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions. Drag kings typically perform at bars, clubs, and festivals. There are also some transgender male performers that may identify themselves as drag kings.ĭrag king shows are phenomena mostly linked to lesbian women. Drag kings may also be afab people who have a masculine gender expression. This means it is used to include women who may temporarily attempt to pass as men. The term drag king may also include female-bodied people who dress in masculine clothing for other reasons. “a person and especially a woman who dresses as a man and performs as an entertainer in male drag. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, the term drag king is a noun that can be defined as:
