Kings and Queens headed to Austin for annual drag extravaganza

Open your mind Austin, because a new breed of drag is coming to the capital. Oct. 19-22 the 8th International Drag King Community Extravaganza (IDKE) will take place in venues throughout Austin (and yes, we did say king). After receiving bids from cities all over the country, the Austin Dragsters won the right to host the annual festival.

IDKE started in Columbus, Ohio in 1999 with a group of people who wanted a non-competitive gathering of drag kings and other gender impersonators. The unique festival attracted performers, fans, and media from around the world and continues to do so in its 8th year running. Other host cities have included Chicago, Minneapolis and Winnipeg, Manitoba, this year brings a new addition to the history: Austin is the first southern U.S. city to host the conference.

The four-day event provides workshops, panels, presentations, an art exhibit, film screenings and, of course, performances. Venues include the University of Texas Union Theater, Emo's downtown, and Ararat Restaurant.

A major highlight is the presentation by well-known author and activist Leslie Feinberg for the Academic Conference. The speech will be held Saturday at the UT Union and is free to the public.

Another noted performance - the Dragdorn - is an all ages event that gives non-dragsters a chance to experience the King community first hand. Complete with a "transformation station" and an open-mike drag show, this is definitely an occasion everyone can enjoy. Best of all, it's only $7 for the whole night. The show is Friday, Oct. 20 at 9 and doors open at 7:30.

Aside from the art at Lyndon Event Space, elaborate, provocative, and stylish outfits worn by the dragsters offer additional eye candy to attendees and participants alike.Out of the many performances each year, this is the event that the Dragsters spend the most time preparing for. Themes and coordination make every act a feast for the eyes.

While drag is a performance just like any other, the message is strong and solid. The shows are a fun, sexy way to address issues from gender to race to politics freely and artistically. I spoke with Alison Stelly (also known as Cherry), performer and media representative for IDKE. Cherry tells me that even though IDKE is more like a reunion in the drag world, new faces in the audience are a thrill for the performers. She also says to anyone who wants to check out IDKE for the first time, "Our philosophy has always been that if you want to come and share that space with us even if your not a drag king, even if your not a gender bender- if you want to come and see what we do, we welcome everyone with open arms."

For more information visit www.idkeaustin.com.