Subcultures began to emerge in Britain after the Second World War, with the emergence of "Teddy Boys" and "Teddy girls"; this was the beginning of young people creating their own new cultural freedom (List of Subcultures, n.d.). According to Gelder (2005), subcultures are a collective of people who deviate from the mainstream in non-normative ways, by having specific interests, tastes, views and attitudes in their lives; Hebdige (1979) states that subcultures are “subordinate groups” within society. Williams (1965) also explains that people who are part of subcultures lead a common lifestyle; for example, they do not only share specific values, but an entire way of life. In more detail, Haenfler (2014) shows us the commonalities shared by most subcultures; they all share specific vocabulary, whether slang or codes; share interests in music and fashion (this is the easiest way to identify someone as part of a subculture); a shared history and values ​​that are not shared with the rest of society; they also provide a social support system for each other, providing a safe community space where someone feels cared for and valued. Within mainstream society, subcultures are very closely linked to other social groups, from social movements – animal rights and feminists to countercultures – hippies and queer cultures (Haenfler, 2014). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get an original essayModern youth subcultural society no longer appears as black and white as it once was, Petridis (2014) says that there are only two dominant subcultures recognizable to outsiders outside the culture; that is, “metalheads” and “emos” (Petridis, 2014). However, Barret (2017) argues that within the gay men's community there appear to be subcultures rather than a single individual subculture; some of the main ones are the Drag Queens, the Radical Faeries, the Bears, the Circuit Boys and the Leathermen. These subcultures mentioned (aside from drag queens) are known as sexual subcultures developed by Western homosexuals (Rubin, 2002). These social or sexual subcultures acted as a reclassification of the stigma that was attached to the homosexual community (due to the AIDS epidemic) by moving homosexuality from a medical problem to a social endorsement (Rubin, 2002 ). Additionally, gay subcultures can have their own subcultures, for example the drag queen subculture contains many diverse sub-subcultures. These are glam queens, trash queens, clown queens and street queens (Barret, 2017). Develop an understanding of drag culture from 1960 to 2017. The 1960s was the decade in which drag culture successfully established a concrete infrastructure as an art form. (Boyer, 2016). Racca (2017) explains that in the early 1960s, a man had to wear at least three masculine items of clothing to avoid being arrested for cross-dressing. It was not until the Stonewall Riots of 1969 that drag queens began to fight for their rights (Boyer, 2016). Barrett (2017) says that the Stonewall Riots were a symbolic time for gay culture and mark historic territory for the gay rights movement. During this period, drag culture was formed through Drag Balls; these events occurred when women, althoughpredominantly men, cross-dressed and participated in theatrical performances and fashion shows (Haggerty, 2000). Ball culture was composed of a limited number of categories; most of the queens posed as Las Vegas showgirls (Buckner, n.d.). Along with the Drag Ball events of the 1960s, the community acquired unique values ​​and social structures. Many of the queens involved were unable to freely express their gender identity or sexual orientation with their biological families and many had been thrown out onto the streets because of their sexuality (Paris Is Burning, 2009) . This is where the drag community formed its own families or “houses” (Herzog, Rollins, 2012). Many queer youth had to attend dances from a young age to gain access to a safe space and sometimes live in the houses. Drag houses were run by "mothers", either butch queens (gay men) or femme queens (transgender women), or "fathers" who are primarily butch queens or butches (transgender men); the house parent acted as guardian of their “children” (Bailey, 2011), they still go there today. In Paris Is Burning Pepper, LaBeija describes houses as “a group of human beings linked by a mutual bond” (Paris Is Burning, 2009). Drag and ball culture only really flourished in the 1980s and 1990s (Hash tag drag, 2013). . Paris is Burning is a documentary that explores, studies and describes all aspects of drag from the 60s to the 90s. In it, Pepper LaBejia, Doran Corey, Angie Xtravaganza and Willi Ninja are four legendary queens and “stay-at-home moms” who feature in the documentary. Doran Corey explains that the reason drag progressed was because of Drag Balls. As drag culture reached the 80s, the categories became so fluid that there was one category that everyone could fit into; some of the categories were: haute couture evening wear, city and country, feminine reality and many more. Willi Ninja also shares that the dance “Voguing” originated from ballroom culture; this came from the queens who cast shadow in the form of dancing, and the one with the best moves cast the best shadow. The name of the dance comes from Vogue magazine, because some of the movements were poses (Paris Is Burning, 2009). In 1989, Susanne Bartsch organized an event called Love Ball, which was the first major AIDS fundraiser (Maciejowska, 2017). As the Drag Ball era was flourishing, along came RuPaul. RuPaul Charles' career began in 1982 when he sent a photo of himself to The American Music Show - a television show he hoped to appear on-air; it didn't take long for him to frequently appear on the show with his band RuPaul and the U-Hauls (Biography, 2017). In 1989, RuPaul won the title and crown of “Queen of Manhattan”. He then gained worldwide fame with his first hit song, Supermodel (You Better Work); as well as reaching number 7 in the UK charts with his duet with Sir Elton John (RuPaul, nd). In 2009, RuPaul elevated drag by introducing "RuPaul's Drag Race" to society through television, followed by 11 seasons, three spinoff shows, and RuPaul's DragCon (Fernandez, 2017). The show even became the most effective LGBTQ reality television show ever made (Nichols, 2017). He also said in the second season of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars", "I marketed subversive drag to 100 million assholes in the world" (RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 2, 2016). To assess the way men are represented indrag cultureDrag culture tends to be dominated by gay men dressing in women's clothing, otherwise known as Drag Queens – the term "drag" has been present in the performing arts industry since centuries; It was not until the gay population adopted this culture that the term "queen" (which is an anti-slang word to describe an effeminate man) was added (Conger, n.d.). However, this has not always been the case, heterosexual men also participate in drag and refer to themselves as “female impersonators” or “female illusionists” (r, 2015). Within drag culture, gay men are heavily represented within the community. However, there is no clear representation, as drag queens absorb characteristics from both the LGBTQ+ and heterosexual communities in order to create their persona on stage (Greaf, 2015). Their performances in front of most of the audience tend to represent interrogations of their own opinions on stage. their personal gender identity (Rupp, Taylor, & Shapiro, 2010). Additionally, male Drag Queens are heavily represented on the show “RuPauls Drag Race.” Straight men within drag culture have existed longer than gay men during the 1600s and earlier. Thus, adolescents were chosen to play female characters (Anagnoson, 2011, this is still the case to this day with Kabuki theater in 2011).Japan; Kabuki theater consists of only male actors, in which female impersonation is considered an art form (Haggerty, 2000). While Kabuki theater has been around for 400 years, men still occupy dominant representation in this field (Martin, 2010). To generate a better understanding of women within drag culture, female performers have struggled to be accepted into drag culture; Scriver (2016) explains that a woman was told to “get the hell out of the club” after having a drink poured on her head simply because she was a cross-dresser. There have even been offensive names generated by a minority of the community, such as “Fake Queen” (Newell, 2017). The scene's "bio-queens" have even been accused of viewing drag as a "novelty" instead of appreciating its historical importance as a social tool for the good of the LGBTQ+ community. Controversially, within the community, some queens embrace the principle. makes women want to participate in this art form. Gander (2016) explains that Ms. Kasha Davis (a contestant on RuPaul's Drag race) invited her to re-enact a drag character and perform on stage at a show she was hosting. Lady Gaga represents women in drag culture; In Season 9, Episode 1 of "RuPauls Drag Race," she opens up about what drag means: "Drag for me was an opportunity to leave myself when I didn't want to be me, I didn't feel completely (RuPauls Drag Race season 9, 2017). Within this culture, there are also Drag kings; these performers are “exaggerated male characters” representing hyper-masculinity (Honan, 2017) argues that women's involvement in drag is classified as a “drag king”. drag rhetoric,” even though it is still a gender imitation that would have started when women's narratives were very captive (McMahon, 2008). is perceived today compared to the way it was perceived in the 60s and 90s, has progressed During this period of drag culture, the entire gay community did not accept it – even if the.two camps fought for the same equal rights within the heteronormative society. Gelder (2017) tells us in an interview with Andrew Lumsden what it was like for him at that time as a gay man; a gay-friendly pub in Notting Hill, London, had proposed a policy that cross-dressers would not be served, which it almost certainly knew had been put in place at the request of the police. He even explains that it was common to be targeted and intimidated by the police and the rest of society for talking about people you had met or liked, if it was about homosexuality you would be targeted - he even said the police were worse (Gelder, 2017). The 70s saw the opening of gender norms that appeared in films – “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, although this was shown through an antagonistic role (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 2006). In the 1980s, audiences could also see drag through popular films, in which drag was the protagonist. Tootsie and Mrs. Doubtfire began to have a thirst for drag that was bound to blossom in the public eye; Even though these versions of drag did not emphasize a sense of identity or break down gender, the fact that they were both deeply heterosexual and comical - this brought drag into a more positive light in the eyes of the public (Stone, 2016). In the modern world, drag is now something globally known and loved. It is still a platform for artists to express themselves freely through this art form, to challenge gender norms and political views. Now, with RuPaul and His Drag Race winning two Primetime Emmy Awards in 2016 and 2017 for Outstanding Host of a Reality or Reality Competition Program; an OFTA Television Award, a Gold Derby TV Award and the Critics' Choice Award for Best Reality TV Show Host yet again (IMDb, 2018), it's hard to say he didn't bring some representation positive of drag in society. The show also helps bring Drag Queen contestants onto the show, further into the mainstream, so they too can also help bring drag more into the public eye. The four RuPaul's Drag Race season 9 finalists echo each other in a 'Vice' article that drag is on the right track in terms of mainstream acceptance and adoption and the impacts that has on a straighter and younger audience. (as well as the LGBTQ+ audience) will have a positive impact on the future of drag culture (Sasson, 2017). Even terms such as “throwing shade” and “yaas” originated in drag culture and have become commonplace (Sasson, 2017). Representations of Gender Identity within Drag Culture Whether you are a Drag Queen or a King, drag culture approaches gender identity in a fairly fluid manner. , meaning there are no limits to what it means to be a man or a woman, masculine or feminine (Blodgett, n.d.). For example, Drag Queens or bio-queens represent hyper-femininity, that is, when they perform in a female gender character (Matschiner, Murnen, 1999); and Drag Kings or “bio-kings” adhere to hyper-masculinity when they interpret masculinity consistently as that of the “real man” (Bengtsson, 2015). Within drag culture, there are many different representations of gender identity, being part of the LGBTQ+ community. Different gender identifications include: homosexual, heterosexual, bigender, transgender (male or female), gender queer, butch, cisgender, gender fluid, agender, femme, intergender, and non-binary (Kelly, 2016). However, the culture of.