RuPaul herself has stated “...drag is the antithesis of the matrix” and has often cited that the subculture of art and performance that is drag, could never go mainstream. For over 30 years now,when people think of drag or what a drag queen is, they think of RuPaul. And with the creation of her own TV show, RuPaul's Drag Race, which has broken its own viewing records for the last several seasons, it begs a question. Has her own show single handedly broken drag into the mainstream?

Since 2009, over 8 seasons and two ‘All Star’ seasons, the most popular show on the LOGO network has featured 100 drag queens competing in challenges of acting, design, and comedy to reign as ‘America's Next Drag Superstar’. Winners or not, the shows notable alumni such as Alaska, Bianca Del Rio, Adore Delano, and Katya Zamolochikova- to name a few, have gained hundreds of thousands of social media followers, collected millions of views on their own media content, and toured the world over. Though Drag Race may have brought the underground subculture into this decade of entertainment, the opportunity to entertain the masses has never been confined to the televised reality competition.

Dating back to the early 1960’s, when the entire LGBT social sphere was underground, it was the drag queens and trans women at the front of these movements, such as Marcia ‘Pay it No Mind’ Johnson, present during the Stonewall Riots. During the AIDS crisis and since, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have raised over $1 million to various AIDS charities. In the 1980’s and 90’s, various films (which have since gained a cult following) such as To Wong Foo and Starrbooty (both RuPaul features) have came out featuring drag as a main subject. Why at this point on society and entertainment are drag entertainers becoming the forefront of our fields of view?
It may have something to do with the advances we’ve made in being an accepting society. In all the years of recent history, with LGBT people being ridiculed socially and politically, men dressing in such a way for entertainment was seen as ridiculous or as a joke. Moving forward towards LGBT acceptance meant that drag could then be seen as a mainstream art form and that a show like Drag Race could survive.

As well, never has a show such as Drag Race been on the air to give the myriad of drag genres so much attention, or to hold the queens to such a high standard in what has been often regarded as ‘the Olympics of drag’. Pageantry, fashion and beauty are common drag genres, which showcase the craftsmanship and artistic ability of certain queens. Fashion girls such as Miss Fame and Violet Chachki have been featured in major magazines such as Paper Magazine and Vogue Italia. Campy, gothic, and ‘out of the box’ divergent thinkers from other subcultures may watch for girls such as Acid Betty, Sharon Needles, or Max, who prove just how diverse a cast of queens can be. Grungy music lovers may be enticed by the style of Adore Delano, whose punk attitude has had her climbing major charts for her albums. In short, there's a style and subcategory of the form for everyone similar to movies or musical faires.

I recall my own first exposure to drag. 12 year old me, nonsensically flipping through channels to get bored and stopping on LOGO. This was in 2012 when Season 4 was airing; I paid it little mind, only watching a mini challenge in which the contestants had only several minutes (as opposed to hours) to throw on dirty drag looks and take prison mugshots. The paint and the clothing enticed me but then I changed the television anyways. It wasn’t until 2 years later, hearing the name of a contestant I recognized, Willam, on the internet that the sphere of Drag Race influence finally reached me and the form breathed new perspective on my world.

Speaking from personal experience, the perpetual disposition of confidence and love presented at drag shows is captivating to all who attend, young and old, gay or straight. I’ve often taken the opportunity to go whenever a Drag Race alumni comes touring into town (a rare treat since most of them just go an hour away to DC). The responses are massive, people travel from hours to meet their television idols. I’ve always found it worth it to come early and be able to speak with the queens as well, sharing wonderful stories of art, the world, and the friendships that have been created because of the experience drag brought to all of us, even just for a few minutes. RuPaul stands by her mantra of “We, as gay people, get to choose our family.” and throughout the test of our movements time, it couldn’t be more true.

Local drag queen and Britney Spears enthusiast Siren Kelly states “I feel drag has become a lot more mainstream due to [Drag Race]. It really spread the world of drag to a lot of younger audiences and really has brought out the creativity in them.” Siren continues, “Definitely an attractive quality in drag is to just be yourself. Build your aesthetic around what you're passionate about and share it with the world.”

The opportunities the show has created caught the attention of many. Queens as young as 21 who started their careers watching the show now compete for the crown themselves. Industries such as costume and wig design have flourished because of the significance towards queens it holds. Several years ago the very successful ‘RuPauls Drag Con’, the first ever large scale drag convention, was hosted.

Many bits of slang have trickled over from the drag community into the mainstream over the years. Popular expressions such as ‘spilling tea’,’reading’ and ‘shade’ have stemmed into normal slang vernacular. Girls observe and copy drag makeup tricks and techniques into their own routines, and the style meant expressly to exaggerate and satirize the feminine form has caught the attention of females themselves.

I may have never been a fan of drag if it were not for the show, and I know others can say the same. Will drag ever be truly mainstream? It's as vague of a question as ‘Will society ever be truly tolerant to all’ but as we press forward towards acceptance for all, the tenacity for this group of artists and family grows. It appears the realm of drag and those who keep us entertained will stick around for a long time.