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Entity explains common misconceptions about drag.

In the BuzzFeed video of The Try Guys trying drag for the first time, four mothers were tasked with turning “hairy Sasquatch” sons into “beautiful [women].” Ned, Zach, Keith and Eugene all ended up looking absolutely fabulous – but, of course, not as fabulous as the mothers who trained them. The four rocked the body con skirts, stiletto heels, glitter and voluminous wigs. Who knew Keith even had those curves?

Recently, drag is more and more popular and enjoyed by wider audiences. Drag performers are people who dress in clothing opposite their gender. As the term implies, these individuals focus on the performance, the fun and the character. More specifically, a drag queen is a man who dresses and typically acts like a caricature of a woman. A drag king, on the other hand, is a woman who dresses like a man.

In order to put on a good show, drag artists often exaggerate and intentionally make their characters dramatic. Drag shows can include lip-synching, dancing, pageants and even cabarets.

READ MORE: #MakeupIsGenderless: Confronting the Stigma Behind Male Beauty

Now that you’ve got the basics, here are some common (and incorrect) things people assume about drag artists and performances.

1 Being a drag artist means you are gay.

While drag queens (or kings) can be gay, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are. In fact, there are even some drag folk who are successful and are also in straight relationships with kids. Drag is an art form that requires participants to play specific roles.

Actors and actresses who play gay characters on-screen, for instance, aren’t necessarily gay off-screen. A good example would be the talented Shay Mitchell who plays Emily, a lesbian character, on “Pretty Little Liars.” While she has no problem playing gay characters, she’s not gay outside of that role.

2 Drag queens want to be women and drag kings want to be men.

This common belief is also often inaccurate. As previously stated, drag is an art form; it’s not a way of life. And just as art allows for creativity, drag is simply another outlet for expression.

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For example, most women don’t wear the same amount of makeup worn on a drag stage. The characters that people play are personas they’ve created. Nicki Minaj, for example, has a whole collection of different personas and each persona allows her to execute different types of performances. In the same way, drag queens or kings are simply assuming a persona while on stage.

3 Anyone can be a drag artist.

Despite how fun it may look, The Try Guys would most likely tell you that performing drag is not easy. For one, it takes confidence to perform in front of large crowds. Second, wearing drag and putting on the costumes can be a long, painful and expensive process. And most importantly, it takes talent to embody a different person. If you think all you have to do to be a drag queen is act a little flamboyant, then think again.

That’s why putting on a dress doesn’t make you a drag queen. You need to keep the audience engaged and constantly deliver energy, entertainment and personality. Not everyone is up to the challenge.

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4 Drag queens only do drag for the money.

Although some drag artists do make their living from drag, most performers have other full-time jobs. As previously stated, drag is incredibly expensive and so people are rarely able to make it a living. Instead, people may do drag as a hobby because they enjoy playing other characters.

5 All drag performers (particularly queens) are alike.

Nobody in this world is exactly the same as another person. Even just watching The Try Guys’ drag video is enough to tell you that each drag artist has a specific personality.

Although the performance style may be similar (because the characters are often exaggerated), each person has different nuances to their characters and looks. Some drag queens, for instance, may seek to exude more wildness and sexual appeal than others.

READ MORE: Ellen DeGeneres, Robin Roberts and More Inspiring Stories of Women Who Came Out

Overall, it takes work and talent to do drag well. So let’s applaud drag artists who are constantly #slaying.

Edited by Ellena Kilgallon
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