CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2024
| Author | Kunwar, Anugya |
|---|---|
| Title | (De)colonial Drag: Gendered Analysis of the Drag Scene in Kathmandu (2001 - 2024) |
| Summary | The current drag scene in Kathmandu is steadily emerging, however, no scholarly study has been done on the topic. Much of the broader scholarship on drag, highlights its subversive nature whereby the performance is viewed as a challenge to the naturalized status of everyday gender (Butler, 1999; Litwiller, 2020). However, critiques have pointed out that contemporary drag has been co-opted by the neo-liberal market to reproduce normative gender binaries, whiteness, and profit-making (Khubchandani, 2023, p. 28). Moving beyond the binary view of drag as either gender subversive or reinforcing the binary, for my thesis, I plan to look into the emerging drag scene in Kathmandu. For my research, I map the different drag shows that have been organized in Kathmandu until May 2024. Using Butler’s (1999) concept of gender performativity and Khubchandani’s (2023) decolonial approach to drag, I analyze the roles of the different organizers of these drag shows in shaping the drag scene in Kathmandu. Through the study, I show that the drag scene in Kathmandu has three main organizers, namely, Queermandu, the Blue Diamond Society and Queer Honky Tonk. I further argue that even though the drag shows in Kathmandu have performers of diverse gender identities and sexualities, they are still boxed into the neo-colonial, euro-western construction of the gender binaries of ‘drag king’ and ‘drag queen’. There is also the persistence of neo-liberal rhetoric of professionalism, inspired by Western frameworks of drag, in the drag scene in Kathmandu which displaces drag performances that do not or cannot fit into its curated polished model. While the drag scene has drag shows, such as the ones organized by Queer HonkyTonk that focus on the fun and comfort of the performers, such spaces are limited. Despite these critiques, the drag scene in Nepal has created spaces and opportunities for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. However, the question of inclusivity still remains. |
| Supervisor | Erzsebet Barat |
| Department | Gender Studies MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2024/kunwar_anugya.pdf |
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