Austin International Drag Festival

Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera threw bricks at cops so we could be who we are. Divine ate dog shit and made it clear there's no such thing as taking your art too far. Crystal LaBeija started a new Black pageant system to fight the racism of white queens and judges and brought about the foundation of the Ballroom scene. Hibiscus and the Cockettes started a drag commune and created chaotic performances that showed drag was not all about being a woman. Leigh Bowery used drag to question the human shape and form, grotesquing the body beyond imaginable limits and birthing a generation of club kid drag. These are but a few in an endless list of drag performers who have revolutionized drag and the outside world using the tools of transformation inherent to our art form. This class will explore how drag has been used as a tool for resistance, revolution, and chaotic upending of norms to question the status quo and bring about change. Come learn about drag's powerful and massive history of fighting oppression and let's have a conversation about how we as artists can bring about change in our own communities.