The Texas Christian University (TCU) will provide a course that tackles different theories regarding sexuality. It was titled 'The Queer Art of Drag' and scheduled to be offered during the spring semester of 2023.
'The Queer Art of Drag' Course at Christian University
The art form known as drag has a long and illustrious history of subverting established social standards while challenging oppressive social structures, all in the name of fostering the LGBT community. It also experiences joy despite the challenging environment it lives in. However, drag has also been used to further the cause of opposing ideologies and can sometimes play a part in damaging normative logic. The Texan News reported that students could enroll in a class entitled "The Queer Art of Drag" at TCU during the spring semester of 2023. This class will be taught with the Department of Women and Gender Studies, the Gender Resource Office, and other "community partners."
The objective of this class is to investigate the concept of "critical drag" and how it relates to "social critique" and "queer world-making." The emphasis placed on the words "critical" and "critique" is a reminder of using a subject-oriented viewpoint on society as a preferred technique of knowing instead of an objective examination. In addition, to seek the disruption of existing cultural and political frameworks and to actively reject those systems through action is what is meant by the terms "critical" and "critique." As per Fox News, every person enrolled in the program is expected to create a one-to-two-minute-long individual drag performance that will be videotaped, edited, and presented to a public audience during TCU's Annual Night of Drag on April 21.
Students will read materials such as "How Drag Villains Became the Far Right's Ultimate Villains" by Colleen Hamilton and "The Gender Binary is a Tool of White Supremacy" by Kravitz Marshall during the second week of their educational experiences. Moreover, Harper Keenan and Lil Miss Hot Mess's "Drag Pedagogy: The playful practice of queer imagination in early childhood," Drag Kids, and Mary Zaborskis' "Queer Childhoods and Drag Race" are some additional texts and videos for the program.
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Content Warning on Racism
A report from Daily Mail stated that students in the critical drag course are cautioned to be "especially mindful" of how their actions could be understood and distributed. This is because "drag can be controversial and provocative," according to the school's description. The introduction to this class at TUC reportedly indicates that drag is "available to all people," and it "enthusiastically welcomes the participation of straight and cisgender students." However, no one is required to label themselves unless they choose to do so on their own will.
As mentioned, the emergence of this course takes place amid cultural warfare concerning drag performances in areas frequented by youngsters. At the same time, gender identity has been contentious in Texas. Thus, participants also receive a content warning for readings that may contain scenarios of anti-queerness, racism, misogyny, and other forms of violence. Moreover, a law recently handed to Republican Governor Greg Abbott of Texas, who has authorized child welfare officials to look into such treatment as abuse, made Texas the most recent state in the United States to outlaw gender-affirming care for minors. Following a final vote in the Senate, the Republican-controlled Assembly gave the bill the green light despite objections from Democrats. Additionally, recent months of confrontations between opposing factions have also occurred outside of drag queen tale events for children worldwide.
