It is no secret that South Africa has one of the most progressive Constitutions in the world. In 1996, the South African Constitution was the first to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. Almost three decades later, South African courts continue to boast their progressivity by allowing husbands to take their wives’ surnames if they wish to do so. South Africa is set to create LGBTQIA+ herstory once again by becoming the first African country to host RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise.

Queer in Africa

In many African countries, such as Uganda, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Niger, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Ghana, the LGBTQIA+ community still faces persecution thanks to religious indoctrination and colonial law. Consensual same-sex sexual activity is illegal in these and 23 other African countries with some going as far as to punish the act with a death sentence. Though some countries, like Botswana and Gabon, are passing more progressive laws, there seems to be a regressive trend floating in Africa.

Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah, explains that “Across Africa, LGBTI persons find themselves contending with a disturbing regression of progress, facing relentless protests against their identities, and confronting formidable obstacles to their legal and social rights.” It is my hope that the Drag Race franchise coming to Africa will shift the trend in the opposite direction.

The art of drag

The history or herstory of drag is argued to go all the way back to the times of Cleopatra as a relief image of her dressed as a male was found carved on a stone slab, but a less disputed fact is that modern-day drag can be traced to Ancient Greece where women were not allowed to act in plays, so men had to play the roles of women if they were written into the scene. Of course, the tradition of not allowing women to act continued to Shakespeare's time, the Renaissance, as well as Victorian Theatre. Some women were able to get around the rules, but women were only legally allowed on stage after the end of the English Civil War in 1660. Even then, actresses were not widely accepted or treated fairly when they were.

The origins of the name ‘drag’ are unclear, but oral history suggests that the name was born from male theatre actors observing how their dresses would drag along the floor as they would typically design overly-long dresses for comedic purposes. Although drag started as ensemble performances, it shifted to individual performances in the 20s with the advent of live entertainment shows known as vaudeville which lasted until the 30s.

In the 70s, drag balls began to emerge in New York where contestants competed based on runway walks and drag outfits. Thanks to these drag balls, seasoned drag queens started taking younger queens under their wings and not only helping them with their drag but also in their personal lives. For example, many LTBTQIA+ members have difficult relationships with family members due to homophobic and/or transphobic beliefs, so many drag mothers have had to physically take in their mentees and give them their couch for a few months (or more). Drag mothers also ensure they educate the young about safe sex and how to build their own careers.

Drag is more than female impersonation. These queens can design and create their own garments (though these days many of them can afford to buy their gorgeous gowns now), they lip-sync, dance, and do comedy skits. It’s like the olympics of creative talents. Drag is just another type of entertainment and self-expression that allows one to break free from the societal limitations of identity and expectation. As famous Drag Queen and mother of Rupaul’s Drag Race explains, drag is about laughing at ourselves and being free to be who we want to be.

RuPaul’s Drag Race

American show RuPaul's Drag Race is arguably the best reality competition television series of our time. Contestants must be multi-talented and multi-skilled if they have any chance of competing in the variety of unique challenges presented to them throughout the show. It's more than a modelling or design or performance competition; to become the next “Drag (Queen) Superstar”, you must tick all the boxes because this competition is a hybrid of all three. A tribrid, if you will, and just like the Original tribrid, Hope Mikaelson, this show is pretty badass.

Spanning over 16 seasons (and counting), and several franchises across the globe (Canada, UK, Thailand, Philippines, etc.), Drag Race has catapulted drag into the mainstream and continues to shift outdated narratives. This is why I am so excited to have this show in Africa. I expect it to ruffle many feathers, but I also expect it will educate those who are open to learning and empower those who need that extra bit of courage and hope that what they dream is not outside of reach.