Privilege and Marginalization in Drag Communities in the United States

Author

Dustin SatterfieldFollow

Year of Award

2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Department or School/College

Department of Sociology

Committee Chair

Kathy Kuipers

Commitee Members

Daisy Rooks, Elizabeth Hubble

Keywords

drag, lgbt, male privilege, gender

Publisher

University of Montana

Subject Categories

Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | Gender and Sexuality | Inequality and Stratification | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies | Sociology | Women's Studies

Abstract

Within the gay and lesbian community, there is a smaller community of drag performers. These entertainers make a performance of gender stereotypes. Non-male performers have observed that male privilege is reproduced in this community despite a hyper awareness of oppressions and gender status. Using an online questionnaire I examined male privilege and non-male marginalization in United States drag communities. I asked drag performers about their perceptions of themselves and their perceptions of other performers within their local drag communities. I find that self-perceptions of privilege are highest for male performers and self-perceptions of marginalization are higher for non-male performers. I also find that, overall, perceptions of privilege are highest for drag queens and that perceptions of marginalization are lowest for drag queens.

Recommended Citation

Satterfield, Dustin, "Privilege and Marginalization in Drag Communities in the United States" (2015). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 4514.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/4514