(Wow, that’s a sequence of words that would never have entered my mind a few years ago)

“Regular woman performs masculinity poorly.” That’s a sentence that describes my entire life upto this point - and also a specific kind of drag I’ve seen in media twice so far.

I first noticed it when I saw She’s the Man (2006), and it instantly became one of my favorite movies. Then I stumbled onto this video, and I think it finally clicked for me.

There’s so many aspects of these performances that feel so deeply relatable to my life in the closet. The way the womens’ personalities seem to strain against the gender roles they’re performing, as any impulse of gentleness or caring is immediately masked with exaggerated aggression and bravado. The way their male characters seem to be naked displays of the most toxic parts of themselves. The way it feels like such an obvious ruse, but nobody seems to notice and they’re treated like men anyway. The absolute ridiculous farce of it all.

I realize I may have made it all sound pretty nasty, but rest assured that I find this stuff absolutely hilarious, and it’s so nice to feel seen in this way. It’s rare for me to find media that speaks directly to the closeted transfem experience.

My first post on this site was me asking for media recommendations for closeted trans women, so I guess I might as well continue the trend. Does anyone know any other examples of this rather specific thing?