Drag Herrrrrrrr: Queens still reign at West Hollywood bar

The interior design of West Hollywood bar and grill Hamburger Mary’s appears as if the performers there designed it themselves. Pictures of drag queens cover the walls, a “free condoms here” box awaits at the entrance, and pride flags, glitter and diamonds are everywhere.

On this night, Dani Kay dances and lip syncs to “God is a Woman” by Ariana Grande and Trinna Modele dresses as a bunny and dances to “Love Again” by Dua Lipa.

Sparkle Stone dances and sings “California Gurls” by Katy Perry while wearing a giant curly blue wig and a rainbow dress covered in glitter. She then rips off the dress to reveal a cupcake bikini top much like the one that was worn by Perry in the song’s music video.

Drag shows and events like these have become politically threatened due to the recent wave of anti-LGBTQ+ bills that target drag performers and transgender people.

Specifically coming under fire is the organization Drag Story Hour, who host story hours for drag queens to read to and engage in learning activities with children at public libraries nationally.

“You have to back up and ask yourself a very important question: Why do grown men want to dress up as women and read to young children?” Arizona Republican state senator Justine Wadsack said of the story hours. “Why not just dress in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and read to the children if it’s not so bad?”

Drag, the art of dressing and acting exaggeratedly as another gender for entertainment such as comedy, singing, dancing, and lip-syncing, asks that their performers cover themselves in anything that is sure to grab the attention of the audience.

Diamonds and glitter cover the bodies of drag artists, big and colorful wigs adorn their heads, and breathtaking makeup covers their faces as a part of their art.

The idea of drag is to wear more, not less, and their apparel is part of the entertainment factor.

Simply, a pair of jeans and a t-shirt will not grab attention as well as what drag queens typically wear.

Wadsack continued, “To say that these performers are not targeting children is an absolute lie because if they weren’t targeting children, they would make their shows 18 and over.”

Hamburger Mary’s, as in many places that host drag shows, are 18+ only.

This type of rhetoric resulted in Tennessee becoming the first state in the country to ban drag performances in public spaces on Mar. 2.

The ban, officially titled the Tennessee Senate Bill 3, bans public adult cabaret performances in front of minors, but vaguely defines such performances as “a male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to an prurient interest” that can be used for drag performers.

A first offense would be classified as a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to nearly one year in jail and a fine of $2,500.

“I know trans men and women who are servers at restaurants,” Jordan Allen, a trans man and drag king in Nashville, Tennessee said to PBS on the ban. “If they go up to a table to serve a table and there’s a child there, there’s a possibility that they can literally be charged with a crime for doing their jobs.”

In Los Angeles, California, Hamburger Mary’s hostess and drag queen Allusia jokes, “Now if there’s something you see today that you don’t like, tip her extra.”

Members of the audience wave dollar bills for their favorite drag queen.

Hamburger Mary’s hosts a “Legendary Bingo” night benefitting local and national charities every Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m. at their West Hollywood location.