What Is a Drag King? Busting Myths About Drag King Performance (And Why It Matters)
Jan 22, 2026If you've ever watched a Drag King perform and felt mesmerised - maybe even curious about trying it yourself - you're not alone.
But then someone inevitably asks: "Why drag? Why would a woman want to dress up as a man?"
That question usually comes from misunderstanding. So let's clear things up with honesty, clarity, and a bit of joy.
Myth 1: Drag Kings Are Just "Playing Men"
Here's the truth: performing as a Drag King isn't about trying to be a man.
A Drag King performs masculinity - not the everyday binary male, but an exaggeration, exploration, and reinterpretation of what masculinity can be. It's theatrical. It's playful. It's subversive.
Drag Kings portray stylised masculine characters - from hyper-macho archetypes to gentle, queer masculinities - not because they want to be that person in real life, but because they're exploring what masculinity can look like outside its usual limits.
As Drag King KB puts it: "People are really locked into this idea of, because you're performing as a man, you have to make yourself look like a man - but then my question is, what does a man look like in the first place?" (ABC News Everyday, 2021)
You don't need to "become" a man to be a Drag King. You get to decide what masculinity means for you.
Myth 2: Masculinity Equals Toxic Masculinity
Another common misconception: that masculinity automatically means toxicity.
But Drag Kinging isn't about celebrating "toxic masculinity." It's about interrogating it, reimagining it, reclaiming it - and sometimes playfully poking at what it even means.
For many performers, gender expression in drag helps answer questions like:
- What does a man look like?
- What traits have been coded as masculine - and why?
- Can masculinity be tender, funny, queer, or expressive?
Drag Kinging lets you explore masculinity on your own terms - with softness, humour, power, and play.
Myth 3: Drag Kinging Is Just Costume and Lip-Sync
Yes, Drag Kinging can include lip-sync and performance. But it's also narrative, political commentary, theatre, comedy, and deeply personal expression.
Scholars studying Drag Kings describe it as a way of negotiating gender - a space where people test the boundaries of identity, performance, and societal norms. This isn't surface-level entertainment. It's a creative practice that reshapes how we understand gender roles and identity.
And you don't need to be a professional performer to start. Drag Kinging is for anyone curious about exploring masculinity through costume, movement, and character.
Myth 4: Drag Kings Are Only Women Playing Men
Not quite.
Drag Kings are often associated with people assigned female at birth, but the performance of masculinity through drag is open to any gender. Some Kings are cis women, others are trans men, trans women reclaiming masculinity on their own terms, non-binary, gender-diverse, or queer in ways that don't fit neat categories.
The point isn't about gender assigned at birth. It's about drag as performance, expression, and exploration.
If you're curious, you belong here.
So Why Drag Kinging - Really?
Because drag is a performance of possibility.
It's a chance to rewrite the script of gender. A way to embody power, softness, comedy, masculinity, tenderness, and camp all at once. An invitation to question assumptions about what masculinity should be.
It's a practice that can feel liberating, joyful, and transformative. A community where queer expression isn't just tolerated - it's celebrated.
Drag Kinging sits at the intersection of theatre, personal discovery, gender play, and community building. It invites us all to see identity not as fixed, but as a spectrum of artistry and expression.
And that's power.
Ready to Explore Drag Kinging For Yourself?
If you've been curious about Drag Kinging but don't know where to start, you're not alone - and you don't have to figure it out by yourself.
Kings of Joy is a welcoming Drag King community in Sydney, Australia that helps queer people explore masculinity, build performance skills, and find their place on stage. Whether you're brand new to drag or ready to take your King to the next level, there's a space here for you.
Want to see what Drag Kinging looks like in action? They Will Be Kings returns to Qtopia Loading Dock Theatre as part of Mardi Gras 2026 — 11 Feb to 21 Feb. Through four unique trans and gender-diverse lenses of Drag Kinging, this performance explores masculinity on our own terms — with joy, nuance, rebellion, and heart.
The performance doesn't just show drag. It teaches us to see why it matters.
Come celebrate, learn, and feel what's possible.
👑
Xx
Danica Lani
The King Coach
About Danica Lani, The King Coach
Hey you 👋 I’m Danica Lani—also known as The King Coach. I’ve mentored 150 first-time Drag Kings since 2020, and I’m here to say: if you’re feeling the pull to explore gender through performance, you’re not alone—and you’re not too late.
Whether you’re new to this world or quietly dreaming of stepping into your masculine side on stage, there’s space for you here.
✨ Ready to name your King? Download Step Into Your King—a free guide to choosing your Drag King name.
💫 Want to see what’s possible? Explore Kings of Joy and discover the queer community bringing masculine expression to life with joy, power, and heart.
📸 Featuring Maggot Banks
