On a Gender Bender: One Woman's Night in London as a Man

Thanks to RuPaul and his amazing Drag Race, most people now know what a drag queen is — but there’s a new underground scene popping up in London that’s threatening to steal the crown … the drag king movement. Just as drag queens are men with women’s clothing and makeup, drag kings are women … cross-dressing as men. And there are a lot of them.

All dragged out: On the left, me in my normal life, on the right, Sheriff Paul, the drag king

In London the scene took off last year when, for the first time ever, a (biological) woman won the popular Drag Idol UK contest. The winner, Drag King LoUis CYfer (real name: Lucy Jane Parkinson), has been performing as a man for several years, since leaving college.

I met up with Lucy at the bar She Soho in London. Not yet in drag, Lucy explained how she got into the scene.

“I’m a performer … and I had gender identity issues,” she said. She also didn’t have much guidance — at home or from the medical community. At one point, a doctor told her she had “two weeks” to decide whether or not she wanted to be a biological man. (She doesn’t.)

“So I started exploring,” Lucy said. Despite dating a woman and working primarily out of lesbian spot She Soho, Lucy doesn’t identify as gay. “I’ve dated men before,” she said. “It’s about the person, not the gender.”

Then it was my turn. Lucy offered to make me over, and I figured, “Why not?”

I didn’t expect to feel so… awkward. It was weird pretending to be another gender — feeling like me, kind of, but looking in the mirror to see “Sheriff Paul,” my male alter ego. The way I know myself was not reflected in the mirror: I was a pretty convincing guy in low light — even more so after a couple of Scotches.

It made me think, this is what people with gender dysphoria go through. Every day. But in real life. It was enlightening and uncomfortable. I realized how lucky I am to be able to look in the mirror and truly identify and feel comfortable with who and what I am … and to not have been born with the wrong body or have been forced into a gender role that doesn’t fit.

True respect for drag queens and kings and transgender people everywhere.

Watch the video and let me know how you feel on Twitter or Facebook.

Thanks to Visit Britain and Visit London.

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