Reply To: I Think My Life Is A Bit Of A Drag

[Astrid Lenore]

I relate to this so much it’s not even funny.

I view my life as one of contradictory extremes.  When I dress as a male (which is most of the time) I’m all man, all business, get my hands dirty blue collar kind of vibe.  Now I’ve lived with the feminine side of it for most of my life but I can probably still count on one hand (maybe two) how many people know about it.

Thing is, it’s never been my goal to pass, per se.  Do I want to be feminine and beautiful?  Of course!  Do I want to dress like most of the cis women and even trans girls I see out there?  Honestly, hard pass.  But do I want to present myself as a drag queen?  Again, I have to say hard pass.

There’s just something about the drag mentality (and please, I mean no offense to the community, believe me I of all people appreciate the hard work and artistry that goes into it, and I certainly have enjoyed quite a few performances) that strikes me as a bit cartoonish and attention-seeking.  Camp, as you said it, probably hits the nail on the head.

So where does that leave the rest of us?  Well, to a large extent forging our own paths.  In many cases, we borrow from the beauty icons of the past and present, and I think you’re doing a good job there.  But I guess the best advice that I have to give, trite as it may sound, is “just be yourself”.  It’s easy to lean on others, to copy their style.  And certainly one can take inspiration from such things.  But when you’re fully dressed you should feel like you, that’s the important thing.

But then, there’s probably a reason I’m still in the closet. ;P