Is Drag Culture Appropriation or Appreciation?

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Kassandra Jara

Professor Riley

WGST 370-1 LEC (2585)

16 February 2021

Annotated Bibliography: References

Art Matters Inc. (1990). Paris is burning. Netflix. United States. netflix.com.

Paris is Burning is a documentary that dives into the history of drag, vogue, and the

overall history of ball culture. The documentary gives good insight on the topic,

providing imagery of the past and what goes on during balls and performances. It

explains the significance it has on the LGBTQ+ community and the safe haven it

creates.

Bracia, L. D. (2017, August 30). CULTURAL APPROPRIATION AND DRAG. INDIE

Magazine. https://indie-mag.com/2017/08/cultural-appropriation-and-drag/.

This article focuses on what cultural appropriation and appreciation means to people,

and whether people that participate in drag should get a pass of whether they are

appropriating one’s culture. What’s unique about this article is that the author goes

around asking people in NYC that are a part of the LGBTQ+ community and getting

their opinion on the matter. The article provides opinions from both sides of the

arguments.

Gallineaux, P. (2018, December 7). Ballroom Realness: a Ball Culture Interview with Kiki

Scene Star Mother Eve Unbothered Cartier. Gloss Magazine.

https://glossmagazine.net/2018/12/ballroom-realness-a-ball-culture-interview-with-ki

ki-scene-star-mother-eve-unbothered-cartier/.

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This article by Gallineaux takes the time to interview with Mother Eve

UnbotheredCartier, who is a part of the recently released show POSE. The show

focuses on underground ball culture, and during the interview Mother Eve answers

questions that people may have about underground ball culture and its impact on

transgender lives and the rest of the LGBTQ+ community. Mother Eve discusses how

she became involved in underground ball culture and what she has experienced.

Hisayasu, L. (2013, July 16). "'Listen, and You Will Hear all the Houses that Walked There

Before': A History of Drag Balls, Houses and the Culture of Voguing". London: Soul

Jazz, 2011. tim lawrence.

http://www.timlawrence.info/articles2/2013/7/16/listen-and-you-will-hear-all-the-hou

ses-that-walked-there-before-a-history-of-drag-balls-houses-and-the-culture-of-vogui

ng.

This article goes into further detail about the history of drag, ball culture and vogue. It

brings you back in time of when ball culture first began to flourish in New York, what

people that were part of the LGBTQ+ community were experiencing around that

time, the climate of that decade, and further explains the lingo that is used in ball

culture to get a better understanding. It educates those who do not know much about

underground ball culture.

Lison, S. (2015, April 10). Appropriation (?) of the Month: Drag Queens and Femininity.

Intellectual Property Issues in Cultural Heritage.

https://www.sfu.ca/ipinch/outputs/blog/aotm-drag-queens-and-femininity/.

The article by Lison focuses on the argument of whether drag and ball culture can be

culture appropriation. It discusses the complexity of drag and how much of a fine line

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there is between appropriation and appreciation, providing examples of such issues

such as Madonna and her music video for Vogue. It talks about the influences ball

culture and drag may have on mainstream media, and the issues that rise with it.

Meyers, S. (2019, August 16). Mj Rodriguez Explains Underground Ballroom Culture.

Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvsi6vJtXtQ.

This video is an interview of MJ Rodriguez, a star from the show POSE. She talks

about her experience on the show and her understanding about ball culture. She also

discusses her experience as a housemother on the show, and her experience in

participating in balls and being part of a house herself. This interview gives insight

from first perspective of ball culture.

Murphy, M., & White, P. (2019, July 2). Why has drag escaped critique from feminists and

the LGBTQ community? Feminist Current.

https://www.feministcurrent.com/2014/04/25/why-has-drag-escaped-critique-from-fe

minists-and-the-lgbtq-community/.

This article by Murphy talks about how drag has become very popular in mainstream

media. It discusses how in drag, for performances women usually do their makeup

that people would consider to be black-face or yellow-face and talks about other

critiques that are usually given a pass. It ponders the question whether it is culture

appropriation and/or racist.

Murray, R. (2019, January 4). Ballroom Culture: the Language of Vogue | Ronald Murray |

TEDxColumbus. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS5j7PCSdtg.

This Ted Talk by Murphy discusses underground ball culture, and how it has

influenced mainstream pop and the media. It discusses how mainstream shows and

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music has paid homage and appreciation for those that began ball culture. He talks,

from his experience, the history of underground ball culture, and the language of

vogue that was created.

Shepherd, J. E. (2015, January 13). Nah, Rihanna: A History of 'Vogue' Exploiting Queer

People of Color. Culture.

https://themuse.jezebel.com/nah-rihanna-a-history-of-vogue-exploiting-queer-peopl-1

679218615.

The article touches on the history of vogue and ball culture and provides a different

angle in the argument about whether or not mainstream media and pop today is

exploiting queer people of color or if it is more of appreciation than appropriation. It

demonstrates examples of the issue and includes explanations as to how the media

may be exploiting the LGBTQ+ community, particularly people of color.

Speta, T. Bitch, I’m From New York!: Race and Class within Contemporary Drag Culture.

Sarah Lawrence College .

https://www.sarahlawrence.edu/faculty/media/Speta_Drag.pdf.

This is an academic paper that was written by faculty in Sarah Lawrence College

which provides a first perspective of someone that participates in drag and ball

culture in NYC within the LGBTQ+ community. It is a paper that interviews someone

who participates in drag and gives insight on their experience with drag and how it

may have impacted their life. It also talks about issues with race and class within drag

culture.