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7/30/2019 A Man in a Dress
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A MAN
IN A DRESS
A MAN
IN A DRESS
A MAN
IN A DRESS
A MAN
IN A DRESS
FRANKIE
TOFTELAND
FRANKIE
TOFTELAND
FRANKIE
TOFTELAND
FRANKIE
TOFTELAND
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A
MAN
IN ADRESSWRITTEN,
DESIGNED,
AND
ILLUSTRATED
BY
FRANKIE
TOFTELAND1
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TABLE -OF-
CONTENTS
1 RUPAUL
2WILLAM
3 DIVINE
4 RAJA
5 SHARONNEEDLE
TABLE -OF-
CONTENTS
1 RUPAUL
2WILLAM
3 DIVINE
4 RAJA
5 SHARONNEEDLE
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His name is RuPaul andRe CHaRles and Hes gonna be a s
RuPaul is a drag queen
who also an actor, singer,
model, and author. RuPaul is
arguably the most famous drag
queen right now, if not of all
time. He has lead the way for
other queens and the LGBT
community alike. Working across
different mediums throughout
his career he has inltrated the
music, lm, television, radio, and
fashion industries.
RuPaul was born Novem-
ber 17, 1960. When asked what
she named her baby boy, his
mother replied, His name is
RuPaul Andre Charles and hes
gonna be a star! Cause aint
another mother fucker alive with
a name like that! He started his
career in the 80s after moving
from his home in San Diego to
Atlanta and later to New York
City. His was struggling musician
and lmmaker helping to create
the movie and soundtrack Star
Booty and other underground
lms made with a home video
camera. During this time he also
performed as a go-go boy and
with his band Wee Wee Pole at
bars around New York City. In
the 90s he worked in the Geor-
gia and New York club scenes
in a genderfuck style making a
name for himself within the drag
and larger LGBT communities.
For years he appeared at the
annual Wigstock drag festival
and appeared the documentary
of the festival, Wigstock: The
Movie.
In 1993 RuPaul released
his rst album, Supermodel of
the World, which contained the
hit Supermodel (You Better
Work). The music video played
on MTV at a time when rap and
grunge were popular becoming
an unexpected hit. The song was
popularized though its play on
MTV as well as its airplay on the
radio placing it on several Bill-
board charts. He then released
several other popular songs
afterwards from his rst album in-
cluding Back to My Roots and
A Shade Shady (Now Prance).
RuPaul signed a modelling
contract with MAC Cosmetics
becoming the rst drag super-
model. This was al
for him to release
raphy, Lettin It All
which he also prom
in a storyline on A
dren and the set of
talk-show The Cut
He then landed his
VH1 titled The RuP
co-host Michelle V
he interviewed cel
musical acts.
In 1996 RuPa
his second album F
1997 he released
album, Ho, Ho, Ho
he released his fou
Red Hot on his ow
Inc.
6 7
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After premiering his new
reality show he released his al-
bum Champion which had stand-
out hits such as Cover Girl
and Jealous of My Boogie,
both featured heavily on his
show. At the third season nale
of RuPauls Drag Race RuPaul
released his new album Glama-
zon with the albums singles also
featured heavily on the show.
In 2010 RuPaul made an-
other reality show, RuPauls Drag
U. In this show three women are
made over by drag queens from
past seasons of RuPauls Drag
Race incorporating straight peo-
ple into this area of LGBT culture.
In 2009 RuPaul debuted
RuPauls Drag Race, a reality
show in which drag queenscompete for the title of Amer-
icas Next Drag Superstar.
The show is a landmark cultural
achievement in that it brings the
world of drag into the public
eye. It also gives drag queens a
new platform for exposure that
was otherwise unavailable in the
past on such an immediate and
large scale. In the past, LGBT
gures, much less drag gures,
would be unheard of appearing
on television but RuPaul has
been a pioneer appearing as a
drag queen in the public eye and
creating a wildly popular televi-sion show featuring drag queens.
RuPauls Drag Race is currently
the Logo networks most popular
show and the most streamed on
their website, logotv.com.
8 9
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10 112 WILLAM
WILLAM
ILLAM WILLAM
WILLAM
WILLAM
WILLAM
WILLAM
WILLAM
WILLAM
WIL
WIL
M
WIL
WIL
M
ILLAM
ILLAM
M
M
ILLAM
ILLAM
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12
Willam Belli is an
actor, musician, and drag
performer who commonly
goes mononymously by
Willam. He is a muti-talented
performer who goes by
the motto, If youve got
a check, Ive got a talent.
Ill do anything for money
anything. He has been
in numerous feature lms,
the most notable being
Because I Said So and
American Wedding. He
also has extensive television
experience including
Southland, My Name is Earl,
Criminal Minds, CSI:NY, and
Boston Public. Despite his
vast acting experience he
is perhaps best known for
appearing on season 4 of
RuPauls Drag Race last year
where he stirred up quite a
bit of controversy for being
the only contestant to be
kicked off the program after
admitting to breaking several
of the rules in his contract for
the show. He says he doesnt
consider [himself] famous.
[He] considers [himself] a
novelty. Like a Crackerjack
prize.
The 30 year-old South
Philly native started dressing
up when he was only 11
in Florida because it was
so hot, and [his] thighs
chafed. It was just more
comfortable.When he was 13 he
was 53 and over 200
pounds, when he lost weight
through vegetarianism he
had gas for three years
straight. Due to these
circumstances he learned
how to be funny to make
friends. He says that
everyone liked him in school
because he was the funny
gay kid. His family has
always been very supportive
and his dad took him to The
Rocky Horror Picture Show
when he was 13. Willam tooknight courses and graduated
high school at the age of 16,
got emancipated and moved
to Los Angeles to start his
career.
I moved to L.A. to
famous ish. I didn
wanted to do. All
wanted to be in tab
came an actor. Iv
30 guest spots: na
in the last 10 year
Nip / Tuck was wh
known for, I did
that. And then I be
and then I became
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Willam contributes
to the LGBT community though
his visibility as a working drag queen on
tv, lm, and in music which not only increases
visibility for drag queens in general, but also for
other non-gender-conforming individuals whom are
often underrepresented in the media. He has also
become an accidental activist with his band,
Trans K, consisting of himself, current Drag
Race contestant Detox Icunt, and
Vicky Vox.
When the Chick-
-Fil-A people got real vocal
about the whole gay-hating thing we
made a video. We didnt know it would
be a big thing, but it was. At the Hollywood
Chick-Fil-A they show new employees the
video; probably to say watch out for
these bitches, they crazy! Youre
welcome, world.
The video is a parody of
Wilson Phillips Hold On titled
Chow Down (at Chick-l-A)
which Willam wrote, sang, and
starred in with the other mem-
bers of Trans K. The video cur-
rently has over 2.7 million views
on YouTube. Although it may
come across as an endorsement
at rst, the video description says
it all, If drag queens endorse
Christian-right owned Chick-l-
-A, is it still an endorsement?
NOPE. The feedback for the
video has also been extremely
positive both from the public and
from Wilson Phillips themselves,
We are lucky
gally and literally)
nie and Chynnas
approval on this. C
ed me saying that
harmonies but my
been better. Carni
RuPauls Drag Rac
so she instantly lov
Chick-l-A related
received on the ro
positive, and many
directly from the m
Chick-l-A employe
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16 17IVINIVINIVINIVINIVINIVINIVINIVINIVINIVINIVINIVIN
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Divine was a prolic drag
queen who has left a lasting
impact on the drag scene and
LGBT community as a whole. He
was an actor in numerous lms
and released many singles to
international success. Although
he died in 1988 he has remained
an important gure in the LGBT
community with a cult following.
Divine was born as Harris
Glenn Milstead on October 19,
1945 in Baltimore, Maryland. He
was raised in a conservative up -
per middle-class family. He was
bullied in high school because
of his effeminate behavior and
because he was overweight. He
had an interest in owers which
lead him to work part-time for a
orist at age 15. He later went
to beauty school and became a
hair stylist specializing in up-dos
such as beehives. He would go
on to quit his job and had his
parents pay the bill for lavish
parties where he would dress in
drag as Elizabeth Taylor.
Divine. Thats my name. Its the name John [Waters] gave me. I like it.
Thats what everybody calls me now, even my close friends. Not
many of them call me Glenn at all anymore, which I dont
mind. They can call me whatever they want. They call
me fatso, and they call me asshole, and I dont
care. You always change your name when
youre in the show business. Divine
has stuck as my name. Did you
ever look it up in the dic-
tionary? I wont even
go into it. Its
unbeliev-
able.
He then befriended, among many people, John Waters, who
his name. Divine would often appear in drag in Waters controve
derground lms with Waters other friends who later became k
The Dreamlanders. When Waters lms began getting pr
did Divine, with the Los Angeles Free Press commenting,
300-pound sex-symbol Divine is undoubtedly some so
of discovery. In Waters 1972 lm Pink Flamingos,
the nal scene involves Divines character
eating dog feces. This scene became a
standout in Divines acting career
and he later complained that
everyone thought he
was a coprophile.
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21
All of Divines underground
acting was kept secret from his
parents while they continued to
nancially support him and his
expensive parties. After charging
them for a major repair for his
car, they cut him off. Divine then
proceeded to cut off communica-
tion with his parents for the next
nine years with the exception of
postcards from around the world
excluding a return address.
In the early 70s Divine
and John Waters attended the
ball scene in the D.C. area
where Waters pushed Divine
into a more outrageous persona,
including an exposed stomach
and carrying weapons.
Throughout the 80s Divine
released a number of singles
written by composed Bobby
Orlando and later Barry Evan -
geli that proved to be popular in
discos internationally. He went
on a series of tours around the
world and made appearances
on shows such as Good Morn-
ing America to publicize his
music. Divine starred in Waters
1988 lm Hairspray in which
he played two roles, one as a
woman and one as a man. He
received much praise for his
acting in the lm and this was
considered his breakthrough into
mainstream cinema.
On March 7, 1988, three
weeks after the nationwide
release of Hairspray, Divine re-
turned to his room at the Regency
Plaza Suites Hotel in Los Angeles
after a full day of rehearsals and
a diner with friends. He died that
night in his sleep of an enlarged
heart at the age of 42.
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22
RAJARAJA
RAJA
RAJARAJA
RAJA
RAJA
RAJA
RAJA RAJA
RAJA
RAJA RAJA
RAJA
RAJA
RAJA
RAJA RAJA
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Raja rst came into the
public eye as a makeup artist
under his given name, Sutan
Amrull. He was rst known as
the makeup artist for Americas
Next Top Model for nine of the
shows cycles. Some of his more
notable clients include Dita von
Teese, Pamela Anderson, Paulina
Porizkova, Iman, Tyra Banks
and Twiggy. As a drag queen
Raja would go on to compete in
season 3 of RuPauls Drag Race
and win that season becoming
crowned Americas Next Drag
Superstar.
Sutan Amrul
better known as Ra
June 14, 1974 in C
When he was only
ily moved to Indon
back to California
suburb of LaPuente
nine. He grew up a
nate kid in a religi
recalling, It was s
had to really strug
As a child he woul
tumes of out bed s
els, I knew I shou
on a heel. You just
a desire that need
In the early 90s Raja got
his rst glimmer of notoriety as
an L.A. club kid. He received at -
tention for his outrageous outts
made of materials such as saran
wrap, duct tape, or wrapping
paper admitting, I was a kid
starved for attention. His rst
time in drag was when he was
16 at a talent show. He was timid
and shy as a kid and drag help
to pull him out of his shell. My
insecurities were hidden behind
makeup. Drag was a catalyst to
making me a secure person.
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Raja as a drag persona
is stylish. Raja is a vixen. Raja
is a villain ... Raja is an angel.
Raja, which means king in
Indonesian, got his name from
the tiger in the lm Aladdin when
he was 19. He claims to have
chosen it because of his ambigu-
ous drag style which plays with
androgyny, and draws heavily
from fashion, I have so many
inuences, Im a big follower of
fashion. I love fashion, because
designers really nd different
reference points and really study
up on different cultures.
Rajas time on RuPauls
Drag Race was intense and
grueling, as he expected from
his work on Americas Next Top
Model. He knew the time and
exhaustion that went into reality
tv competitions but he felt that
he needed to show the world his
type of drag.
After winningDrag Race Raja re
rst single, Diamo
Queen and relea
video for it. The so
electro-house beat
some rock inuenc
queens from RuPau
release music after
but many are brim
autotune. Raja isn
doesnt pretend to
the song, his style
kind of talk-singing
Cash or the more c
Ke$ha. When aske
music he says, I ju
make music that M
can be like, Oh m
the sickest song. C
use that for our run
I think as a drag queen, one of
things we do is pretend to be
beautiful. We paint ourselves up,
and we pad ourselves, and we
throw on a wig. We pile all these
things on ourselves to be more
beautiful. But the competition al-
lowed me to dig deeper into my
soul and what it is that calls me
as an artist and an entertainer. It
was a nice realization that what I
have within me is as powerful as
what Im presenting as a visual.
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28 29
ESSHARONNEEDLARON
NEEDLES
S
S
S
ARON
NEEDLES
SSHARO
NE
RONEEDLESON SHARON
RONNEEDLESDLES
SHARONEE
SHARONNEESHARON
NEEDLESSHA
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Sharon Needles describes
himself as a stupid genius, reviled
sweetheart, and PBR princess.
He rst came into prominence
when he won the fourth season of
RuPauls Drag Race. He was seen
as an underdog and a joke before
the competition and during by his
competitors; meanwhile during the
show he became a fan favorite for
his wit and aesthetic.
Sharon was born Aaron
Coady on November 28, 1981
in Newton Iowa. He was bullied
all through school for being gay
and weird. He consequent-
ly dropped out of high school
because of the harassment he
received.
In 2004 he moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he began work -
ing as a drag queen. He often talks about how he was frequently
booed off stage and received no respect because of his al-
ternative aesthetic. In Pittsburgh he formed the drag
troupe The Haus of Haunt with his group of
friends, including his boyfriend, which
Needles describes as one punk
rock, messy mash up of
very talented, fucked
up weirdos.
On January 30, 2012 the fourth season of RuPa
premiered and Needles was an instant fav
ghoulish look including pale white foundati
hair, and black clothing. Lady Gaga even
ed Sharon Needles looks FABULO
2night on drag race. Very Born Thi
Way outt/fame monster wig.
Any rentals for my tour?
#needthatbody-
suit.
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32
He then went on to
become a professor on RuPauls
show, RuPauls Drag U and was invited to be
part of RuPauls Drag Race All Stars but declined ashe was the reigning champion. In October 2012 he be-
came a horror host for Logos Fearce! presenting horror
and suspense lms. In January 2013 he released his
debut album, PG-13 with celebrity features includ-
ing Amanda Lepore and RuPaul. Recently, in
April 2013, he appeared in Willams
single RuPaulogize
W h i l e
Sharon was endeared
by the public, the other contestants
counted him out from day one, calling him a
weirdo and commenting that its just bad drag. Sha -
ron himself didnt think he could win with his past in Pitts -
burgh and with previous patterns in the show stating, being
a comedic, campy, shtick queen and seeing how far those
types of queens made it in past seasons, I would have been
shocked if I made it pas t the rst day. However Needles
continued to do well in the competition eventually
winning the title of Americas Next Drag
Superstar.
Sharon has also received a lot
of controversy for being a racist,
including an alleged Facebook
post of him using a racial slur.
He also has come into controver-
sy for his performances including
wearing a bathing suit with swas-
tikas on it and calling audience
members racial epithets. Sup-
porters say he is merely trying to
force dark issues into the light.
When asked about it Needles
responded, No. Thats not my
problem. Im an artist and I dont
fucking have to answer for my
work.
It dis-
heartens me to think
that anyone would think I have an
negative views on race, sex, creed, we
or any other label. I am too smart and
spired by all levels of pop culture to hate a
something as simple as race. To whomeve
this fabricated Facebook post, I applaud
serving social media realness, but I s
you spend your free time on someth
more productive.
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Its about drag queens; read it.