15 Drag Kings You Should Definitely Know About
| 02/24/23
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The art of drag consumes so much more than just the love of the art from cis men. Drag kings don't get nearly the same amount of attention as their mainstream counterparts, but these performers still deserve some love and attention!
No matter what RuPaul says, there are plenty more people who love the art of drag than just cis men. Drag kings don't get nearly as much mainstream attention as their counterparts, and much like drag queens, these performers come from all over the gender spectrum!
There are so many drag kings out there who are slaying the game, and these 15 are real stand-outs that are totally worth seeing perform! (Note: we are using he pronouns only to refer to their drag king personas!)
Drag King extraordinaire K. James is heating up the nightlife in Brooklynn as part of the drag collective Switch n’ Play. The group’s mission is to span the gender spectrum with avant-garde performance and has been doing so in unique venues including the Brooklyn Museum and the New York Public Library. They have also brought their unique gender-bending talents to Sasha Velour’s Nightgown series.
Chicago-based drag artist Tenderoni once described his drag to the New York Times as a mash-up of Michael Jackson, Bobby Brown, Prince, George Michael, and Boy George” — and he’s not wrong. His talents earned him the title of Drag Queen of the Year — the pageant founded by Alaska Thunderfuck and Lola Le Croix — in 2021.
Elvis Herselvis is the stage name for singer Leigh Crow, who performs as a female Elvis Presley impersonator. This gender-bending cabaret singer has been on the scene since 1988 and still entertains us to this day.
Another king who is fighting for more inclusion is Dragula champ Landon Cider who has spoken out specifically about how much stronger RuPaul’s Drag Race would be with some king inclusion. You can check out this hottie who performs in the LA area.
Follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
Vico Suave is the stage name for non-binary Puerto Rican actor Vico Ortiz, who plays a gender nonconforming swashbuckler named Jim/Bonifacia on HBO’s Our Flag Means Death television show.
This UK king has been performing for 12 years, using art and humor in his performances. He currently runs a show in SoHo, helping new talent succeed.
Hugo Grrrl is a New Zealand drag king who’s best known for winning the inaugural season of House of Drag. His appearance on the show marked him the first drag king and first trans man to compete on a drag reality show.
Another performer deeply involved with helping the public know more about drag kings (he and several others on this list are involved with The Making of a King documentary), this Inland Empire king can be found on the LA scene.
The "hardest-working, middle-aged man in show business," this comedian and drag king has been working since 1995 and helped pioneer the art of male impersonation.
This classy Dallas king oozes easy sex appeal, and is often very outspoken about the drag king scene and gender politics.
Follow him on Facebook!
One of the most famous drag kings, Spikey Van Dykey has toured the country performing as an emcee to drag shows and as his own amazing act.
An LA drag king, Mo B. Dick is active in bringing awareness to the art!
The best Tim McGraw impersonator in the U.S. and a champion for the term "male illusionist," Gage is an amazing advocate for drag kings!
The first winner of the Master Male Illusionist award and an Arizona Entertainer of the Year, Gunner Gatlyn performs in the Phoenix area!