Notable Members of the Drag Industry
The drag industry has become big business over the past few years. As part of the entertainment industry overall, it consists of individuals who use dress and make-up of a sex different than their own along with a flamboyant exaggeration to their imitated personality. Drag shows usually include lip-syncing and dancing to popular music as well as stand-up comedy.
Many members of the LGBTQ community participate in the drag industry. In addition to drag queens and kings on stage and television, there are producers, club owners, writers, artists, and choreographers. In Mexico, there are professional wrestlers who perform in drag known as Lucha Libre ("free wrestling").
Perhaps the most famous and widely know drag star today is American RuPaul. He is the creator and host of the reality television show RuPaul's Drag Race and its spinoff shows. To date he has received eleven Emmy Awards.
Popular drag stars are active in the LGBTQ community. They are prominent AIDS activists and rights advocates. Many have written books about their personal history, are active in social media, and have moved on to modelling.
Australia
- Trevor Ashley, drag performer
Austria
- Conchita Wurst, singer
Cameroon
- BeBe Zahara Benet, drag performer and television host
Canada
- Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, television host
- Kent Monkman, artist
- Diane Torr, academic and performance artist
Germany
- Charlotte Von Mahlsdorf, drag performer
Great Britain
- Eddie Izzard, musician
- Asifa Lahore, drag performer
- Paul O'Grady, drag performer
India
- Sakshi Juneja, drag show producer
Ireland
- Danny La Rue, drag performer
- Panti, drag performer
Mexico
- Saul Armendariz, wrestler
Puerto Rico
- Mayra Santos-Febres, author
Romania
- Lucian Dunareanu, musician and singer
Spain
- Jose Perez Ocana, drag performer and activist
Sweden
- Lars-Ake Wilhelmsson, drag performer
United States
- Joey Arias, drag performer
- Fenton Bailey, television producer
- Randy Barbato, television producer
- Mykki Blanco, drag rapper
- Carmen Carrera, television host
- Candis Cayne, drag performer
- Storme DeLarverie, drag performer and activist
- Divine, drag performer
- Jim Flint, drag club owner
- Big Freedia, drag singer
- Julie Goldman, television personality
- Todrick Hall, singer and choreographer
- Murray Hill, drag king
- Carson Kressley, television personality
- Kelly Mantle, drag performer
- Mario Montez, drag performer
- Sharon Needles, drag performer
- Tracey Norman, model and drag performer
- Santino Rice, judge
- Freddie Ross, drag singer
- Mike Ruiz, celebrity photographer
- RuPaul, drag performer and television host
- Tyra Sanchez, drag performer
- Jose Sarria, drag performer
- Jeffrey Schwarz, filmmaker
- Sasha Velour, drag performer
