My friend Larry didn’t know what to expect at April’s Follies. He, like so many others, was under the impression that it was some type of adult sex-based show and was really hesitant to go. But after it was all said and done, he was totally surprised that it was just another form of comedy. That’s what drag shows are – a unique and bizzarre blend of comedy that challenges the norms of sex, gender, and how we perceive our world and others in it.

At the Mad Myrna’s Divas Show on Friday, I tried, for the very first time, what is referred to as a “double drag.” Basically it’s a guy, dressed as a girl, dressed as a guy… or vice versa. I painted my face, did my hair, jewelry, perky 38 B’s, and still had my manicure from last weekend, but wore my typical guy t-shirt, jeans, cowboy boots and a dirty baseballl hat. The song I used was Toby Keith’s “I luv this bar,” with his deep male voice similar to mine.

At first the mic was ‘hot’ so I could talk with the audience. As the song began, I shut it off, sync’d it, then turned it on afterwards. The mix of live voice and sync creates the illusion that I can actually “sing” like Toby, with a voice identical to his, when in fact it’s just my lips moving. The attire gives a strongly mixed visual signal of gender identity, by enhancing my muscular male build with my female accessories, and heightens the words behind the song by reinforcing the theme that “anyone is welcome in this bar.” That’s what makes Mad Myrna’s such an incredible place: anyone is welcome at anytime without any judgement or prejuidice about who they are.

It was a huge stretch for me to try this, and the idea came basically at the last minute as I trounced around WalMart in drag looking for the CD, and of course, twisting people’s views of the world once again. I wanted to do something completely different, on the edge of what I’ve done in the past, and push the boundaries out a little further, as with everything I do. Diva’s is a really great show, and variety is a must if you expect folks to keep coming back. Now we have all types of folks showing up, and if for some reason I only do one song vs two, that is a good thing. We have more for folks to see. Not that doing one song is all I want to do every night…

My friend Felisha does double female drag a lot by dressing as a queen but she is actually a real female. She gives an illusion that makes one think about who and what she is. Loren [not her real name], who I thought for weeks was a real girl like Felisha, is actually an incredibly gorgeous guy, although few people could tell based on her size, hair, and other very feminine features, including her typical day attire which is very “fishy” (close to or what one would expect for the typical gender role).

One of the shows emcee’s, Daphne Do All, is very obvious when she dresses. She is very “campy” (exaggerated) in that she presents as your great aunt going to church or your Sunday School teacher in her big blonde hair, tailored business suits and mega-dollar heels. She and her counterpart Paige (a real girl or GG “genetic girl”) could rival Amelda Marcos with shoes. Ashley, Jovy, Maraquita, Raina, Sasha and others are what one would expect for drag queens: male performers accenting their female strengths like energetic dancing, killer legs, and really skimpy costumes that leave one wondering where they put it. When Kristara performs, she is in a class by herself. A vixen-ous mix of sexual energy, beauty, and an extensive wardrobe that encompasses all the great designers and more. Whether you’re male or female, straight, gay or bi, she can weave a spell around you that would leave even the most conservative leader of the Christian right following her home, despite the surpise he might get later.

Each of us is unique in our own views on life, gender, sex, and how we blend and present in the Friday night show, but yet are united in that we don’t see the world as many in the “mainstream” do. That’s the incredible thing about a drag show – it twists reality and leaves one thinking that “life” is not what we have been taught it “should be” but way more. Luckily we have that venue here in Alaska and can share it with anyone who cares to watch and listen.