EXAMPLE OUTLINE

Odalys Argote

Topic:

Drag Queens

Speech goal:

I want to inform my audience about the drag queen culture.

Thesis:
Because drag show are directed for peoples amusement, drag queens are not
understood or taken seriously by society nor the LGBT community.

I.

Introduction

A.
Attention Getter:
When you hear about the LGBT community what do you think of?
Mostly likely what each letter stand for; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. right? How about drag
queens. They are also part of the LGBT community, but are often and are misunderstood.

B.

Credibility Statement:

I have been fascinated by the drag queen culture since I had the chance to see them performed and got
to socialize with them. I have read and studied about the drag community, shows and history.

1. Thesis:
Because I feel like drag queens are not respected or understood by most of society I
would like to share what I have learned about them. I will first discuss what it means to
be a drag queen. Second, I will talk about drag through out history and the stonewall
riots. Finally, I will discuss some the struggles drag queens face.

II.

Body of Speech

2. Drag queens can't all be labeled into a single LGBT category. They also have different
reasons for joining this form of entertaining business.

i. People often confuse drag queens with other LGBT members. Specifically with
transsexuals and transgender.

a.
According to GLAAD website definitions, drag queens can be males that don't cross-dress on
a daily bases, just for show. Also, they tend to exaggerate on the apparel and make up worn for
entertainment purposes.

b.
A Transgender can be male or female that cross-dresses regularly because they identify
themselves as the opposite sex.

c.

A transsexual is someone that surgically changes their biological sex.

ii. It is important to know the differences when it comes to identifying people of

the LGBT community. Otherwise it can cause conflict between these groups.

a.
Logos famous TV show, RuPaul's Drag Race, used the word "sheman". A term define by
GLAAD (an organization that focuses on LGBT equality) as a term that "dehumanizes transgender people
and should not be used" (Fords,2014)

b.
As editor Zach Fords (2014) states, viewer of the show may not distinguish between the two
and "might not appreciate the authenticity of identifying as a woman as a distinct experience from
dressing and acting like one". The problem is that drag queens can be transgender, but majority of
transgender people aren't and don't like to be associated with drag queens.

iii. There are many reasons why men are attracted to this form of entertainment.

a.
According to psychologist Eduardo Valdivia (personal communication October 18, 2014) two
factors that contribute are: feeling of acceptance and/ or a traumatic life experience.

b.
Some drag queens join the business because they can express who they truly are without
the fear of rejection. As performers they decide what the audience is going to laugh at. They have
control for once.

c.

Valdivia says that homes that lack a fatherly figure can lead to boys imitating their mothers.

d.
Mimi Casanova, drag queen performer, says she joined because he was born a boy, but s ince
she could remember she had always been attracted to the male sex and had always wanted to dress like
a girl. However, Mimi explains that some of her fellow co-stars have join just so they could make extra
cash, but other so they can relief the pain they held inside

Transition:
Now that Ive discussed what defines a drag queen, I will now discuss historic events
have impacted the LGBT community.

3. Drag queen are cross dressers that have worked through out history to be approved.

i. Cross-dressing is not a strange occurrence in the world..

a.
Different civilizations through out the globe have impersonated woman (Zervigon, 2003).
Some differ from their purpose, but majority are for entertainment reasons.

b.
In ancient roman literature and Chinese plays, women were not allowed to
participate.Therefore, man or boys would preform the female roles.

ii. Drag shows were not always an approved form of entertainment.

a.
Drag queen shows started taking place in the 1950s and 60's, although, they were under the
table (Fabulous, 2013).

b.
People that were found to be gay would be publicly humiliated by law enforcements
(Carter,2011).

iii. The Stonewall riot is a historic event that has helped shape gay ri ght activism .

a.
In New York, a group of gay costumers of a popular gay bar, called Stonewall Inn, got fed up
with the harassment they where receiving from the cops

b.
The gay community came together to stand up for each other for the first time in what is
known today as, the Stonewall Riots.

1. Starting the first LGBT movement by inspired gay communities around

the nation to start support groups to gain gay rights.

c.
After, the first year anniversary of the Stonewall riots, cities like Chicago, Los Angles, San
Francisco, and New York organized their first pride parade (Harlin, 2009).

Transition:
Now that we have learned about the history of drag shows, I will discuss oppositions the
drag queen community is faced with.

4. Drag queens like other LGBT groups are not approval by majority of the world.

i. Many have been rejected my their own blood.

a.
Mimi's family thought she was setting herself up for failure. Casanova states that what kept
her going was proving her family wrong

b.
To their disappointment Mimi has not only been preforming all over the U.S gaining a fan
base, but has even been offered a radio position in Minnesota.
1. That would make her the first transgender to be on the radio.

ii. Disapproval doesn't just come to them from their family, but from society and
the LGBT community as well.

a.
In the LGBT community drag queens are sometimes seen as freaks not equals because they
are seen as entertainers ( as cited in Bishop, 2014).

b.
Some even think drag queens are portraying women in a negative light. "Sustains the idea
that women are just sexual, tempting, and deficient creatures meant to be gaze d at" (Alexander, 2012).

c.
Disapproved by society because, man are seen as the stronger sex, the providers and
protectors. On the other hand women are the sensitive ones, the caregivers. So, when man dress to
impersonate a women they are challenging the social norms.

iii. The main argument made by the LGBT community is that it's not a choice they
were born that way.

a.

Scientific research has been done that shows that homosexuality is in the genes

(Knapton, 2014)

b.

Only 40% of somebodies genetic build up contributes to somebody being homosexual .

III.

Conclusion

In conclusion, drag queens are not treated or view as the rest of the LGBT community. However,
they are still categorized within the community. Drag queen challenge the norms of both the
homosexual and heterosexual values. Making them a on the most controversial groups of people.
Yet, as humans they shouldn't be treated as anything less than anyone else. Don't you agree?

References

Bishop, C. J., Kiss, M., Morrison, T. G., Rushe, D. M., & Specht, J. (January 01, 2014). The association
between gay men's stereotypic beliefs about drag queens and their endorsement of hypermasculinity.
Journal of Homosexuality, 61, 4, 554-67.
Fabulous History of Drag. (2013 February 23). Hashtagdrag. Retrieved from
http://hashtagdrag.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/fabulous-history-of-drag-part-one/
Ford, Z. (2014 June 25). The Quite Clash Between Transgender Women and Drag Queens. Think
Progress. Retrieved from http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2014/06/25/3449462/drag-queens-transwomen/
Greif, A. ( 2012 December 9). Filthy Drag is Divine [ Web Log post]. Retrieved from
http://dragqueensandgender.blogspot.com/
Harlin, K. (2011 August 24). Stonewall and Beyond: Lesbian and Gay Culture. Columbia.
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/eresources/exhibitions/sw25/case1.html
Knapton, C. (2014 February 13). Being Homosexual is Only Partly due to Gay Genes, Research Finds.
Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10637532/Being-homosexual-is-onlypartly-due-to-gay-gene-research-finds.html
Logo tv. (2014). http://www.logotv.com/about/
Martin, J. (2011 April 17). A Brief History of Drag Part 1. TQS Magazine.
http://www.tqsmagazine.co.uk/a-brief-history-of-drag-part-1/
The Leadership Conference. (2009 June 22) Stonewall Riots: the Beginning of the LGBT movement.
Civil rights. Retrieved from http://www.civilrights.org/archives/2009/06/449-stonewall.html
Zervigon, A. M. (2015 August 2005). Drag Shows: Drag Queens and Female Impersonators. glbtq.
Retrieved from http://www.glbtq.com/arts/drag_queens.html