Drag Queen Styles and Major References

Hello once again to you all, sweeties! Hope you are all doing great! In today’s article, we will discuss the different drag queen styles and their significant references. Whether you are looking for inspiration for your drag queen performance or just a fan of the scene, this will be a joy ride!

In later years, the drag queen scene rocketed thanks to the relevance of RuPaul’s Drag Race TV show. Because of it, the number of fans and drag queen debutants has increased to unimaginable numbers. This post serves as a resume of the significant referents of the main drag queen styles! Let’s get to it!

Tranimal Queens

A tranimal drag is a fairly recent occurrence in the history of this art. It is characterized by the animalistic representation of drag performance and a postmodern style. This style saw its first light in 2006 by Jer Ber Jones, who coined the term. Needless to say, also one of the significant referents in this category. Another artist we can thank for the popularity and establishment of this style is Austin Young shortly after his appearance.

She is not a drag artist, but this style gained relevance thanks to actress Ann Magnuson. Another big referent regarding tranimal drag is Patruni Sastry, who combined this style with his Indianism culture, bringing a batch of fresh air to it. This is only proof of the myriad interpretations this art can take. Other artists known for doing tranimal drag are Squeaky Blonde, Violet Blonde, Monikkie Shame, and Andrew Tran, among others.

Goth Queens

As the name implies, goth queens pay tribute with their style to gothic culture and iconic horror movies. Typically, they wear mostly black outfits with white and maybe one other color (commonly red) to add a dramatic touch. This drag style burst in popularity and was inspired by cult horror films during the 70s and 80s. Two of the biggest stars in this genre act together as the Boulet Brothers. These two drag performers are not only that but also have their own show in which they are the judges of other goth queens. If you run out of RuPaul’s seasons to binge on, check “The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula”! Another big star in this scene is Adore Delano, who has not only made a run in RuPaul’s show but on American Idol as well! Other renowned goth queens are Vander Von Odd, Sharon Needles, LILLITH,  and Biqtch Puddin.

Camp Queens

Camp queens can be hard to swallow for those not fond of brutally honest and edgy comedy. Inspired by clown humor and aesthetics, these flamboyant queens shows’ are filled with satire, and a sense of exaggeration rivaled by few. When discussing camp drag style, we should start with those defining the genre for modern artists to portray the flame. Names like Divine, Dame Edna, and Lady Bunny come to mind. If this is the first time you have heard about them, I suggest you look for some of their performances on YouTube. I’m sure you will become a big fan of theirs! It is partly thanks to them that we have Bianca Del Rio, Kim Chi, and Jinkx Monsoon nowadays. Other great performers in the scene include Trixie Mattel, Alaska Thunderfuck 5000, Pearl, and Miss Coco Peru, to name a few.

Genderfuck Queens

Even though drag is about bending the traditional gender roles, genderfuck queens take this to their own level. Combining masculine and feminine characteristics, they make quite an impression on spectators. This drag style originated in the ’90s, but now it seems a rare sight in the scene. Perhaps more closely related to crossdressing than to drag, this form tends to exaggerate masculine or feminine characteristics in their outfits, when not both at the same time. Along with goth queens, this is maybe the most recognizable style of drag at first glance. James St. James and Michael Alig are known for giving life to this category. I’d wish that these types of artists were more present in the scene today. I believe that they make an incredible and unique addition to drag and gender as a whole.

Fishy Queens

Fishy queens are known for a very feminine style which leads to doubts about their true gender. Hence the name fishy! Quite clever and funny don’t you think? Their refined style is something to look up to for every crossdresser and femboy out there! These queens could easily pass as biological women anytime and probably won’t be recognized as drag artists unless you see them on stage. They can also confuse the audience as a faux queen, a biological woman performing as any other drag queen would.

One of the most famous examples of this category is Manila, who starred on RuPaul’s TV show. This drag style is one of the most mesmerizing of them all. The makeup techniques, outfits, mannerisms, and the whole act makes them hard not to admire them! Other well-known queens that excel in this category are Plastique Tiara, Blair St. Clair, Aquaria, Farrah Moan, Valentina, April Carrión, and Courtney Act.

And that concludes our article for today! As you can see, the drag scene is filled with different interpretations of the scene. All of them have their unique sense of fashion and humor and something to admire. And, of course, every category has a bunch of equally impressive artists doing what they do best and fighting against traditional gender preconceptions. I hope you have enjoyed reading this article as much as I did writing it! Truth be told, I discovered many great queens of whom I was unaware! Now let’s all enjoy some of the best performances of these incredible artists!