The Transition of Drag Ball Culture to Mainstream Popularity

The transition of Drag Ball Culture to Mainstream popularity
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Option 1: Discuss how changing notions of sex and gender have allowed for or influenced the transition of drag ball culture from a queer subculture to mainstream popularity.
Available evidence indicates that the societal view of gays and lesbians have undergone significant changes in recent decades. The changing notions of sex and gender have enabled people to accept the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) community and respect their rights. In some countries, attitudes toward sex and gender have become more dynamic and supportive of LGBT rights (Smith, Son, & Kim, 2014). This means that society has transformed from having negative views about LGBTI people to embracing their practices. In the United States, the mid-twentieth century was when homosexuals were discriminated against, denied opportunities in the job market, and imprisoned for indecent acts. It was believed that homosexuality was a personal choice, but people have begun to understand that sexual preference is biologically instigated. This understanding has motivated the US government to protect LGBTI people from discrimination, terming homosexuality an alterable aspect of their identity (Luksevica, 2019). LGBT now has the freedom to express their diversity. These changing notions have influenced the transition of drag ball culture from a queer subculture to mainstream popularity through the acceptance and integration of the LGBT into society.
The drag ball is an intriguing subculture that originated in New York in the twentieth century (Luksevica, 2019). It specifically expresses gender, race, and sexual orientation themes within society (Luksevica, 2019). Balls are competitions performed by drag queens to construct their identities and cope with society's negative views of them (Zaslow, 2022). In the past, society devalued drag queens and strived to expunge their presence. As a result, the mainstream popularity did not welcome this culture, and it existed to be an LGBT affair. Most heterosexuals developed hatred towards gays and lesbians, terming their behaviors disgusting. However, society began to understand these people and accept them. The gradual acceptance of LGBTI influenced the transition from queer culture to mainstream popularity. Balls became a safe place for young queer Blacks and Latinos to express themselves freely and find acceptance (Luksevica, 2019).
The changing notions also led to the drag culture representation in film and television. It is worth noting that many films have covered the drag ball culture, and these representations have given the culture recognition in the public arena. Movies such as Pink Flamingos by John Waters (1972), Pageant by Ron Davis (2008), and Paris is Burning by Jennie Livingston (1990) have helped expose drag culture to mainstream popularity (Luksevica, 2019). Most of these films have attracted public attention, making movie lovers glued to their television. The movies feature drag queens who use their talents to shape the drag culture and market it to the world. Today, most movies feature gay and lesbian practices regardless of the genre. It is a common observation that movie lovers would make, demonstrating how the world has accepted drag culture.
In the same context, the positive attitudes developed towards gender non-conformity have encouraged the airing of the ball culture on mainstream media outlets such as national television. For instance, the famous underground ball culture has found its way into the mainstream eye through drag clubs and TV shows. This process can be understood by examining RuPaul's career. The African American drag queen is popular for his esteemed show, RuPaul’s Drag race, a reality competition show seeking the next drag sensation (Luksevica, 2019). RuPaul started his career performing in the underground ball circuit in New York City (Zaslow, 2022). His breakthrough came in 1993 when his music video ‘‘Supermodel of the World’’ aired on Music Television (MTV), capturing mainstream attention (Luksevica, 2019).
The MTV performance changed drag behavior and style, increasing drag performance's popularity. With time, drag performance ceased to be just a queer subculture after receiving a wide accolade. The late 1990s saw RuPaul rising to the ranks of an international icon, enabling d...