Last Wednesday I had the privilege of being sweet-talked over ice cream by the notorious Jim Klass, a drag king who began his performance career as a member of the 716 Red Carpet Kings. A student at the University at?Buffalo, Jim is now involved with “Damsels in Disguise,” a show featuring both drag and burlesque performers. “Damsels in Disguise” happens every other Friday night at Miss Kitty’s, starting February 8.
MS: When and how did you first become interested in drag?
JK: In eleventh grade, at the Rochester “ImageOut,” a gay film festival. I saw a movie called Venus Boyz, a documentary about drag kings in NYC. Then, when I was 18, I started going to a bar called Muthers, where there was a weekly drag show featuring both queens and kings. At that time performing in drag was something I definitely wanted to be involved with, but I could only think of myself doing that in the future, in college.
MS: I’ve noticed that in mainstream society, drag queen performance is a much more recognized art form than king performance, be that for better or for worse. Why do you think this is?
JK: Yes, drag queens have always had more of a presence, and kings are still fighting for the spotlight. I think this is because of the extravagance factor; queens are typically very showy; they have dance routines. Kings take on a persona and a costume which is less extravagant, more “cool.” In this way, they’re usually less shocking. Also, queens don’t look like your average woman. Kings often seek that “average Jo” aesthetic.
MS: How do you define your gender/sexual orientation?
JK: Okay, this is a big subject for me! As for my gender, I define myself as queer. Because…I was straight. Then, I was bi. Then I was a lesbian, then a dyke…and now I’ve realized that the whole time, I’ve just been attracted to everyone. Natal women, natal men, trans-women, trans-bois. Especially trans-bois.
MS: So, what is the difference between a lesbian and a dyke?
JK: I started identifying as a dyke once I became part of a community. It is a reclaimed word; most people feel you shouldn’t use it unless you are one. I stopped being proud of my sexual orientation in a rebellious way and I began to identify with a community.
As for the gender issue, I’ve debated transitioning for the last couple of years, and decided not to because it would be such a big change. And I don’t identify as a man 100 percent of the time. I often think of myself as a boi. Because of my gender fluidity I’m very perceptive of the pronouns people use to describe me. I’m starting to ask for gender neutral pronouns, instead of he/him/hers or she/her/hers, these are ze/hir/hirs. In the queer/trans community, when you meet someone you ask them what their pronoun preference is.
MS: And so what does the term “boi” mean?
JK: “Boi” refers to one who is “almost boy.” Again, something common in the queer/trans community.
MS: What are your favorite aspects of drag performance?
JK: Oh, I love it all! Dress up is my favorite game ever, and drag is just one big dress up game. I’m an attention whore. You can’t get me to stop singing and dancing. Women put money in my pants. It is a fun atmosphere for people to talk about gender. And frankly, I love being known for it. You know, fame in the gayborhood.
MS: How has being a drag king changed your life?
JK: Well, in the biggest way, I now have a dual identity. Some people know me as Kelly; some as Jimmy; others, both. It has been an interesting journey publically messing with gender. Over time I have changed my appearance to match my Jim identity and in public people often don’t know how to react. I get nervous using the girls bathroom because someone will inevitably ask me if I’m in the wrong one. I’m not sure where I’m supposed to be.
But anyway, drag performance has definitely made me more confident.
MS: So, do you think we should consider implementing gender neutral bathrooms at UB?
JK: Gender neutral bathrooms are needed! The Student Assembly passed a resolution in support of them last year, and now there is a committee working on this issue. For me, the lack of gender neutral bathrooms has been a form of anxiety. I find myself planning what bathrooms usually don’t have lots of people in them; I’ll walk out of my way to go to specific bathrooms. For Trans people it’s even more of an issue. And there are definitely Trans people on the UB campus, whether they are visible or not.
MS: Is drag king performance a form of social activism?
JK: Well, that depends on who you ask. Many kings do it to celebrate identity. Or to entertain the lesbian scene. In some ways, it reinforces the gender binary-the concept that there are only two genders. Because instead of blurring gender lines you try to imitate one convincingly. But many of us do blur gender lines in our daily lives; we just exaggerate masculinity for the show. And there are different types of kings. There are andro kings, for example, who might perform with a mustache and show cleavage at the same time. Even if I am reinforcing the gender binary concept, it is empowering that by putting on a costume I can assume a masculine role and take away men’s “exclusive” right to that masculinity.
MS: Does being a king help you get hot dates?
JK: Yeah, it helps. It also helps in that people know me before I hit on them. It makes for a great pick-up line: “Hey, remember me? I was just on stage…”
Gender-Bender Glossary
Drag king: typically, a female-bodied or identified performance artist who dresses in masculine drag and personifies male gender stereotypes as part of their performance
Natal: refers to a person who gender identifies with the sex they were born with
Transitioning: the process of ceasing to live in one gender role and starting to live in another
Andro (Androgynous): having an ambiguous sexual identity
