What is a male drag king called?

A male drag king is still called a drag king. Drag kings are typically women dressing as men for entertainment purposes. That can be any gender or sexual orientation.

The term Drag originated in 19th-century British theatre slang and was used to describe men wearing women’s clothing. In the United States, early examples of drag clothing can be found in gold rush saloons in California.

In the early 20th century, drag began to flourish with minstrel shows and vaudeville. William Dorsey Swann was the first person to call himself the “queen of drag”.

Drag is used to challenge traditional gender norms whilst exploring one’s own gender identity. RuPaul’s Drag Race which first premiered in 2009 as a television show in the United States has exposed multiple generations of audiences to drag culture.

Drag is also a subculture in the LGBTQ+ community. It may involve wearing clothes normally worn by the opposite sex, including wigs and makeup.

On stage and screen, the actor-playwright-screenwriter-producer Tyler Perry has also included his drag character of Madea in some of his most noted productions.