I read the Summit Daily on April 21 in which the title “Drag Queen combines performance, health” was on the front page. On Page 3, there were two photos of the drag queen, who would be talking to raise awareness about addiction. I too would like to bring a subject to your awareness and that is how drag queens degrade women. 

The following thoughts were inspired by my talks with a transsexual that goes by the name of Tired Transsexual on Twitter and has a website titled TiredTranssexual.com. Drag shows, with their hypersexualized, cartoonish stereotypes of femininity, often play into misogynistic tropes that women have long fought. After they are done with their performances, they go back to a life of male privilege. I think drag shows are akin to minstrel shows, which degrade black people. If you support the caricatures, you’re a part of the problem.

As a woman, I am offended that Summit Daily News featured a drag queen so prominently in the paper, even if the cause is a good one. I would like to kindly ask Summit Daily to balance its reporting with a discussion in a separate piece of how drag queens also cause damage to women (and even transsexuals) and offend many others.