By Hollis Taylor

I have been spending a lot of time thinking about Drag and Male impersonation. With Drag Queens there are tons of queens that impersonate women and if they pass well enough they are often called “Fishy”. Which essentially means people wonder about her genitalia.  This could also be a Transwoman, I realize this. But not all transwomen are willing to perform on stage. A transwoman is more of a personal identification, meaning they are on or intend to be on hormones. Sometimes genderqueers also fall into the “trans” community, but mostly cause we don’t have a home.

But as performers if someone lives as a man, regardless of his orientation, but performs as a woman… she is a female impersonator. She could also be a Fishy Drag Queen. Well it appears as though I am a male impersonator. I have been explaining what I do to conservative people this way and the more I thought about it the more it made sense.

This weekend I was honorably adopted by Jade De’Vere into her family. So now she is my mamma, I think I am a momma’s boi! *smiles* In drag typically an experienced drag person will offer to help guide you as a parent, since your new or inexperienced with drag. Also its nice to have friends in the drag community. I also got to spend some quality time with Whitley Nycole DeAire – whom is my very young grandmother! Both of these entertainers to me are just amazing. When I get to watch them I am always impressed at their own creativity and the way I find myself grinning and mesmerized. When you walk away from any kind of entertainment with a smile you know that entertainer did a great job! It is great to have two well seasoned Drag Queens to guide me through the drag world. During our first family gathering they both pointed out what I had been thinking about – I am a male impersonator.

I fool people. They think I am a man when they get close to me. It takes a lot to change their ideas about what genitalia I might have. Once people are thinking about your genitalia and curious it is endlessly amusing to me, simply because I have fooled them. I like to come out to them and make them embarrassed about getting confused…. because I want them to question gender roles. I want to push boundaries for gender and the roles they play in our life. Facial hair and tits, that’s how we guess someone’s genitalia – why is it so hard to not think about someone’s genitalia. Why does it matter? Unless we are going to be intimate, why does it matter?

One way to bridge the gap for all my trans-sisters, trans-brothers, and genderqueer people is to challenge gender roles. To make fun of them, to push them in people’s minds. To help them understand that genitalia really has nothing to do with whats sexy, whats masculine, and whats feminine. Androgynous leads us to understand, it really just doesn’t matter. Gender and Sex organs are different things, I promise.

So out of this drag weekend I emerged wondering what to call a Drag King that is “fishy” like the queens. I could be “dicky” or something else? Or “limpy” based on how it feels no matter how much you rub my package! ha ha! I am sure we will emerge with a proper label but for now I am sure I am a male impersonator and I love it!