Goldie Peacock, Drag King Glamdrogyne
You’ve said that “gender is a complex animal, part nature, part nurture, and part mystery.” Is there anything about your drag king self (and/or your gender journey) that has surprised you, mystified you?
I first chose to dress up in drag, in part, as a challenge to myself because of how femme-presenting I was at the time. I had always loved transforming and taking on different personas and I wanted to see if I could pass as a man for an evening. I knew that I loved dressing up in various guises, but I had no idea that I would become the androgynous genderbender that I am today. Drag empowered me to unlock my own full gender spectrum, and to honor all of it. Prior to my genderbending adventures I had tried to sweep my androgyny under the rug and had aspired to rule the feminine side of the spectrum, being the most successful woman I could — and now I identify outside of the binary. I’m not saying that performing drag will change everyone’s day-to-day gender, but it will change one’s perception of gender.
What is the state of drag king performance today? Performance trends, reception, etc?
Drag king performance, while not currently receiving the widespread recognition given to the queen scene, is steadily growing. I believe drag kings are on the brink of a renaissance. Certainly, plenty of people look completely befuddled when I tell them I’m a drag king, furrowing their brows and doing gender geometry in their heads — and some people I’ve encountered don’t know that FAAB (female-assigned at birth) people can even do drag, so we have a ways to go. However, the drag kings of today have social media on our side and because we’re driven and passionate about what we do, our enthusiasm catches on and our ranks grow daily. The art form is certainly flourishing all over the place and makeup, costumes, and concepts for performances are better than ever.
Describe your drag kingdom in 25 peacock-glorious words or less.
My drag kingdom is a gender-full domain of fierce, glittery glamdrogyny where all manner of magical creatures roam peacefully free.
Everything inspires me: living in Brooklyn and just walking down the street, working as a model for talented artists, and constantly happening upon art and shows are a few of my favorite things. Listening to my iPod on shuffle takes me places. I meditate, work out, and improvisationally dance a lot, which helps me to remain open to creative impulses. Also, my fans, friends, and students fuel me. I have to keep outdoing myself not only for me but also for them. It’s a cliché for a reason: I love connecting with people onstage.
Anything else you want to talk about?
I absolutely love teaching my drag king workshops and am excited about teaching some in Brooklyn in the fall. Speaking of that, I love traveling and both changing up my scenery and getting to share my work with new audiences, so if you live far away from Brooklyn and want me to come to your neck of the woods, know that it’s entirely possible (just taught a workshop in Minneapolis!). I am currently cooking up a one-peacock show, which I am excited to debut!
Follow the plumage on Facebook and twitter/instagram: @goldiepeacock. And tune in to what Goldie has to say about drag performance as a self-love tonic and makeup as genderplayground.
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