my mom is coming out here in a few weeks..she wants to go to a drag restaurant/lounge :)

That's cool. My cousin and I are going to a drag show called "Carly's Angels" on July 5th!

Thanks everyone for the replies! I'm hearing what you all are saying about intention, but I still don't get it.

For whatever reason, I find men dressing in drag for entertainment purposes extremely offensive. I'm really trying to understand why, and I'm having a hard time figuring out how to put it into words. Maybe it's just that it's such a characature -- like oh, slap on a skirt, some tacky make up and fake boobs and you're a woman! There is so much more to being a woman than that, and I guess it just pisses me off.

I don't know, but I've had gay male friends who felt the same way I do. I guess it's just a personal thing.

It's kind of hard to put into words, but these guys aren't trying to be women. If they wanted to be women, they would go get the operation.

I think it is more of just reclaiming an aspect of gay culture that is extreme and often stereotyped, and flaunting it. Does that make sense? It is sort of liberating I guess. I really can't say with certainty because I am not a drag queen, lol. But this is just the impression I get.

For me, the difference is that Drag Queens are not being misogynistic - they don't hate women, if anything they are celebrating the women that they are impersonating (though if they are gay, they don't want to sleep with them - LOL)

The doing Whiteface/Blackface - I already commented on earlier.

Have fun!! My best friend and I went to a drag show a couple of weeks ago. We had sooo much fun!! I would love to go again. The drag show was in a gay bar-- we were a little hesitant going in-- but I would go again in a second!!!

Enjoy!!!
-wendi

How do you know the motives of someone you don't know?

Three guys get dressed up an go to a costume party. They don't have masks so they use makeup. The first guy dresses up as Judge Lance Ito. The second guy goes as OJ. The third guy goes as Saddam Hussein. What are the motives of each?
I think the motives of all 3 are to just to to a costume party. I doubt if anyone will say anything about #1 or #3 but # 2 will be accused of being a racist.

I know a couple of drag queens (from theatre stints) and I swear their makeup always looks a LOT better than many women I know (including mine sometimes!!)

MoxieGrrl has psychic powers.

Damn straight :)