Children, however, do not fully understand this dynamic, nor should they have to. One key aspect of drag culture is its over-the-top, sexualized nature, which is usually performed comedically and would be fine in the context of adults interacting with an adult audience. Both involve minors, in many cases, pouting and gyrating while wearing little clothing. You may wonder how is this any different from child beauty pageants. But skeptics have the right to raise an eyebrow when children and their families are being rewarded with public validation and more in exchange for this attention and acceptance. In a best-case scenario, parents are merely supporting a child in his creative endeavors.
Some boys will naturally gravitate toward the campy caricature of femininity because they are gender-nonconforming (this is likely due to their being exposed to lower levels of testosterone in the prenatal environment). But the trendiness of drag culture today is yet another way in which gender ideology and the transitioning of gay children are being glorified as forward-thinking. And as someone who spent many of my formative years in drag clubs, I am fully on board with adults doing as they wish. I certainly made some questionable decisions in my youth. I’m all for supporting childrens' self-expression and letting them experiment with different outfits and outlandish makeup.
Last week, it was announced that Discovery Plus will be launching a new show called Generation Drag, centered on the stories of five teenagers and their families as they prepare for a performance in Denver, Colorado, celebrating "teen queens, kings, and non-binary performers ages 8 to 18." In the trailer (embedded at the bottom of this article), we see the kids primping and posing in brightly colored wigs, skimpy outfits, and winged eyeliner.