A Comparative Analysis of Hijras and Drag Queens: The Subversive Possibilities and Limits of Parading Effeminacy and Negotiating Masculinity

Gender studies in general and queer studies in particular have stressed the notion of imitation, play, and performance of gender. In this essay I undertake a comparative analysis of the hijra and the drag queen in terms of the shared and disparate subversive possibilities and limits of the gendered...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of homosexuality 2004-01, Vol.46 (3-4), p.211-223
Main Author: Bakshi, Sandeep
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cross dressing
Crossgender behaviour
Cultural aspects
Culture
drag queens
effeminacy
Entertainment
Female
Femininity
Gender
gender as performance
Gender Identity
Hijras
Hindu culture
Hinduism
Hindus
Homosexuality
Homosexuality, Female
Homosexuality, Male
Humans
India
Male
Males
Masculinity
Men
Performativity
Performing artists
Religion
Religious Rituals
Sexuality
Transvestism
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Summary:Gender studies in general and queer studies in particular have stressed the notion of imitation, play, and performance of gender. In this essay I undertake a comparative analysis of the hijra and the drag queen in terms of the shared and disparate subversive possibilities and limits of the gendered performances they undertake. Studying the hijra alongside the drag queen will in no way mean conflating the two categories. Rather, I explore the cultural nuances involved in the hijra performance, including its ritualistic and religious aspects. While my analysis relies heavily on previously written works about hijras and drag queens, I have also had the opportunity to meet and visit with hijras during several marriage ceremonies of cousins and other relatives from 1992 to 1998 in New Delhi.
ISSN:0091-8369
1540-3602
DOI:10.1300/J082v46n03_13