Being an Autistic and Anxious Drag King
Hey All!
Something that a lot of people may not know about me is that I perform as a drag king at my university, essentially meaning that every couple of months or so I adorn a suit and mustache and lip sync to my heart's content. What I wanted to talk about today is the relationship between my performance and my autism and my anxiety and how being a drag king has helped me. I thought that now would be a good time to talk about this part of my life and how it intertwines with some of my struggles because I have a show tonight, so wish me luck!
I perform as Lord Edwards at my university, a dapper and fabulous man who loves to dance and perform (often in purple glitter!) I don't know if I could say that Lord Edwards isn't autistic because ultimately he shares a lot of my quirkiness and eccentricity, parts of myself which may be difficult to separate from my autistic identity. This isn't to say that autism is my personality, but rather that the two can be difficult to completely distinguish. However, I would say that Lord Edwards isn't as anxious as Freya and that he is a opportunity for me to experience heightened confidence and reduced anxiety. Ultimately, Lord Edwards is a character which I have created for myself and therefore I get to define him. I am able to place upon characteristics of confidence and calmness, he is my creation. His nature as a character also acts as a bit of a shield when I am performing. I love to dance and sing but would mostly likely struggle to do so publicly as Freya. When I am performing as a drag king I am Lord Edwards and therefore am able to let go of some of that baggage.
For me drag has become a special interest. I immediately became obsessed with drag and performing as a drag king. I have collected suits and hats and make up and glitter. I have watched countless videos about drag king performance and have found personal heroes. I even got to meet one of my drag heroes, Adam All, one of the kings responsible for creating the modern London drag king scene, who subsequently performed at one of our shows. Like many of my special interests it has become something which gives me great joy and an opportunity to switch off, to simply enjoy myself. Unlike many of my own interests though, it has a public outcome which I get to show the world and enjoy sharing. For me personally the majority of my special interests have been very private. They've been books or shows or Lego, things which I primarily do on my own. It's been great to find a special interest which I am able to share and use to connect to others.
So, for me drag is a far more social special interest. This doesn't just extend to performing to an audience, this also extends to making friends and finding a social space that fits me. As an activity in which I participate within a university society, drag has greatly enabled me socially. I have a small group of friends but I don't really go on nights out that often. What I love about performing drag at my university is that it is a really fun night out with some of my favourite people which I have been able to prepare for and where I feel incredibly comfortable! The mixture of being with really good friends who I have connected with on a shared interest and being in a character which boasts my confidence, makes for an amazing night for me. I also get to enjoy a great amount of support for a creative activity which I greatly enjoy! It's awesome!
I would like to thank all my friends who support me in drag and anyone who has ever watched me perform! As someone who doesn't feel naturally confident or socially enabled you have no idea how much it means to me!
If you wish to follow Lord Edwards his instagram is @LordEdwards <3 Hope you are all well! See you later Alligators! Freya/Lord Edwards x
Something that a lot of people may not know about me is that I perform as a drag king at my university, essentially meaning that every couple of months or so I adorn a suit and mustache and lip sync to my heart's content. What I wanted to talk about today is the relationship between my performance and my autism and my anxiety and how being a drag king has helped me. I thought that now would be a good time to talk about this part of my life and how it intertwines with some of my struggles because I have a show tonight, so wish me luck!
I perform as Lord Edwards at my university, a dapper and fabulous man who loves to dance and perform (often in purple glitter!) I don't know if I could say that Lord Edwards isn't autistic because ultimately he shares a lot of my quirkiness and eccentricity, parts of myself which may be difficult to separate from my autistic identity. This isn't to say that autism is my personality, but rather that the two can be difficult to completely distinguish. However, I would say that Lord Edwards isn't as anxious as Freya and that he is a opportunity for me to experience heightened confidence and reduced anxiety. Ultimately, Lord Edwards is a character which I have created for myself and therefore I get to define him. I am able to place upon characteristics of confidence and calmness, he is my creation. His nature as a character also acts as a bit of a shield when I am performing. I love to dance and sing but would mostly likely struggle to do so publicly as Freya. When I am performing as a drag king I am Lord Edwards and therefore am able to let go of some of that baggage.
For me drag has become a special interest. I immediately became obsessed with drag and performing as a drag king. I have collected suits and hats and make up and glitter. I have watched countless videos about drag king performance and have found personal heroes. I even got to meet one of my drag heroes, Adam All, one of the kings responsible for creating the modern London drag king scene, who subsequently performed at one of our shows. Like many of my special interests it has become something which gives me great joy and an opportunity to switch off, to simply enjoy myself. Unlike many of my own interests though, it has a public outcome which I get to show the world and enjoy sharing. For me personally the majority of my special interests have been very private. They've been books or shows or Lego, things which I primarily do on my own. It's been great to find a special interest which I am able to share and use to connect to others.
So, for me drag is a far more social special interest. This doesn't just extend to performing to an audience, this also extends to making friends and finding a social space that fits me. As an activity in which I participate within a university society, drag has greatly enabled me socially. I have a small group of friends but I don't really go on nights out that often. What I love about performing drag at my university is that it is a really fun night out with some of my favourite people which I have been able to prepare for and where I feel incredibly comfortable! The mixture of being with really good friends who I have connected with on a shared interest and being in a character which boasts my confidence, makes for an amazing night for me. I also get to enjoy a great amount of support for a creative activity which I greatly enjoy! It's awesome!
I would like to thank all my friends who support me in drag and anyone who has ever watched me perform! As someone who doesn't feel naturally confident or socially enabled you have no idea how much it means to me!
If you wish to follow Lord Edwards his instagram is @LordEdwards <3 Hope you are all well! See you later Alligators! Freya/Lord Edwards x
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