Dr. Scott Lyons, a clinical psychologist with a deep and unique personal perspective on drag, has a lot to say about the effect of the drag ban. Scott, who had to pay his grad school expenses, had to perform as a drag queen years back.
Back then, drag performance was an art form in Pride marches and gay bars. He performed globally, being good at what he does, but left it all behind after graduation.
He further describes one of his shows- Disney Titillations, which was scrubbed from the internet. In his experience, he says being a drag queen was enlightening and played a crucial part in exploring and understanding his identity. From drag queen performances, he was able to express himself.
Scott emphasizes that, in his view, drag is alluring because you get to experience the full scale of humanity, even if you don’t get to experience this every day. He equates the experience to how a singer takes lessons to perfect their vocals and identify their vocal range. It is similar to how a drag performer uses the role to dig deep into their layers and discover who they are.
Therefore, the drag ban puts a limit on queer people. It stands in the way of people discovering who they are. This is an art form under attack. Drag performers have always been on the bitter end of right attacks and hate from people, but the ban worsens this as it will affect their mental health.
Hindering their right to discover and express themselves is similar to having them breathe in and walk around, unable to express themselves. The effect will be suppressed emotions, with a negative psychological impact.
+ There are no comments
Add yours