The Library of Congress > Linked Data Service > LC Subject Headings (LCSH)

Male impersonators


  • Here are entered works on women who dress as men for the purpose of playing a theatrical role, as a disguise, or as a humorous or political statement. Works on entertainers, especially women, who perform with over-the-top male clothing and exaggerated mannerisms are entered under [Drag kings.] Works on persons who assume a dress and manner not generally associated with their gender for psychological gratification are entered under [Cross-dressers.]
  • URI(s)

  • Variants

    • Cross-dressers (Male impersonators)
    • Crossdressers (Male impersonators)
    • Impersonators, Male
    • Impersonators of men
  • Broader Terms

  • Exact Matching Concepts from Other Schemes

  • Closely Matching Concepts from Other Schemes

  • Earlier Established Forms

    • Impersonators, Male
  • Sources

    • found: Wikipedia, Feb. 8, 2006("Drag kings are female bodied or identified performance artists - usually lesbians or transmen - who dress in masculine 'drag' as part of their routine ... The term drag king is sometimes used in a broader sense, to include female-bodied people who dress in traditionally masculine clothing for other reasons. This usage includes women temporarily attempting to pass as men and women who wish to present themselves in a masculine gender role without identifying as a man.")
    • found: Trans Student Educational Resources, WWW site, Apr. 2, 2017:(Drag performers are cross-dressing performers who take on stylized, exaggerated gender presentations (although not all drag performers identify as cross-dressers). Cross-dressing and drag are forms of gender expression and are not necessarily tied to erotic activity, nor are they indicative of one's sexual orientation or gender identity. Do NOT use these terms to describe someone who has transitioned or intends to do so in the future.) - http://www.transstudent.org/definitions
    • found: Williams, Holly. Man up: The world of the 'drag king', 2013, Independent, WWW site, Apr. 2, 2017:(She's a drag king - a woman who performs masculinity ... All of the drag kings I speak to explain that, for them, it's firmly about performance, whereas identifying as a trans man is to actually be male. Adam All speaks eloquently on the subject: "Drag, either male or female, is taking a gender stereotype and exaggerating it for comic purposes. Whereas transitioning, transsexuals or transgender people are not like that - at all - it's who they are.) - http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/man-up-the-world-of-the-drag-king-8513984.html
  • General Notes

    • Here are entered works on women who dress as men for the purpose of playing a theatrical role, as a disguise, or as a humorous or political statement. Works on entertainers, especially women, who perform with over-the-top male clothing and exaggerated mannerisms are entered under [Drag kings.] Works on persons who assume a dress and manner not generally associated with their gender for psychological gratification are entered under [Cross-dressers.]
  • Example Notes

    • Notes under [Drag kings; Cross-dressers]
  • Instance Of

  • Scheme Membership(s)

  • Collection Membership(s)

  • Change Notes

    • 2006-02-08: new
    • 2021-03-05: revised
  • Alternate Formats