A Norwegian Drag King on Expressing Gender

There is a myth found in both transgender and cis circles, saying that crossdressing and drag performances has nothing to do with being transgender.

The reason for this is probably found in the fact that both drag performances and private crossdressing represent different cultures historically, and that many “crossdressers” identify with their assigned gender.

However, transgender is a broad umbrella term that encompasses all kinds of gender variance. Understood as such, the term includes all those who “crossdress” in order to express a genuine part of themselves, whether they identify with their assigned gender or not.

Some of those who “crossdress” do suffer from severe gender dysphoria, which motivates them to find ways of expressing their true gender. Many of them end up transitioning. Yet, many don’t.

It is better to look at crossdressing and drag performances as an exploration of gender expressions, gender experiences, masculinity and femininity. These activities do reflect different kinds of gender variance or different types of people. Crossdressing is something you do, not something you are.

Norwegian P3 gives us a good example of a person who uses drag performance to express gender variance, even if they identify with their assigned gender.

- There is definitely something “manly” in me, Åshild Livsdatter Brinchmann Løvvig (26) says in an interview with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.

She is one of very few drag kings in Norway.

She tells the story about childhood gender experimentation:

- During one period I tried to be more “boyish”. I cut my hair cut, used “boyish” T-shirts and actively avoided wearing dresses and make-up.

Her identity was and is female. But she needed to find a way of expressing this side of herself creatively.

- I love to explore masculinity, not as a counterpoint to femininity, but as the flip side of the same coin. In one way you might say that I parody masculinity, but I do so with love. I am not here to tell people what men are and masculinity truly is.

The article can be found here (in Norwegian). (Google translation here).

Photos: Helene Mariussen

Originally published at https://trans-express.lgbt.