How a New Generation of Drag Artists is Breaking Limits and Queering Video Games
In a celebration of the convergence of queer culture and gaming, we dive into the captivating world of drag artists who are reshaping the boundaries of video game representation. Today, James Croft delves into the innovative ways in which a new generation of drag performers combines their artistic prowess with a profound love for video games to explore and redefine the landscape of bolder, queerer gaming.
I was an avid gamer long before I fully embraced my identity as a gay individual. Back in 1989, when I was a mere six-year-old, my parents introduced me to the captivating realm of gaming through the Amiga 500. Despite its unremarkable appearance—a clunky beige box with a polygonal mouse and a chunky keyboard—, the Amiga served as a portal to alternate universes, transporting me to extraordinary adventures. I fondly recall spending countless hours watching my father conquer the ThunderCats side-scrolling platformer, the resounding “swoosh” of Lion-O’s sword etching itself into my memory. Meanwhile, I would peer over my mother’s shoulder as she stealthily navigated the treacherous corridors of Dungeon Master, listening intently for the faint shuffle of the mummies. And then there was Barbarian, an early fighting game where two loincloth-clad muscle-men battled each other ruthlessly.
While I’d love to attribute my sexual awakening to Barbarian and its pixelated physiques, the truth is that my realization came much later, around two decades thereafter. During my teenage years and early adulthood, I perceived gaming as a predominantly heterosexual pastime, with romance limited to heteronormative conventions, rigidly enforced gender stereotypes, and scarce sexual expression within games. Gaming, it seemed, was not inherently queer. However, the landscape has radically transformed since then, with gaming evolving from a niche hobby into a global obsession. Today, a fresh wave of fans is actively queering the gaming experience, weaving the art of drag into the fabric of gaming culture, and pushing the boundaries of what gaming can be.
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Unleashing the Queer Potential of Bayonetta
To gain insight into this burgeoning movement, I spoke with Velvet Caveat, the mastermind behind PlayStation, a London-based “drag video game cabaret” that fuses gaming and drag performance. Velvet illuminated the three primary approaches employed by drag artists to transform video game characters. Firstly, performers may select characters who already possess inherent queer traits. A prime example of this is Bayonetta—a statuesque woman who defies conventional norms, embraces her sexuality unabashedly, and frequently rescues her male sidekick, Luka. By subverting the tired “damsel in distress” trope, Bayonetta challenges societal constructs of sexuality and gender. Consequently, Bayonetta becomes an ideal candidate for drag performances, as she inherently challenges and reshapes traditional norms. With guns adorning her high heels, Bayonetta radiates queerness without any need for modification.
When Velvet Caveat graces the stage as the flawless embodiment of Bayonetta, brandishing the character’s iconic dual pistols and dancing to Charli XCX’s “Baby” with moves reminiscent of the game, it feels as though the character was tailor-made for drag.