Multiple bars, restaurants, and lounges across the Dallas-Fort Worth area hosted drag shows over the weekend.
Venues such as The Trove, The Rose Room, and Revelers Hall, among others, featured drag performers at various times of the day.
Drag shows have previously drawn criticism for allegedly being misogynistic due to how male performers often depict women in an exaggerated manner. Michelle Evans, a Republican activist in Williamson County, spoke with The Dallas Express back in February. She described the normalizing of such shows when it comes to children as “insidious.”
DX reported on all-ages drag shows that spurred protests last year, but even drag shows intended for adults have drawn consternation from the likes of people like Walter Wendler, president of West Texas A&M University, who claims drag is “derisive, divisive, and demoralizing misogyny, no matter the stated intent.”
The Peppersmash cocktail kitchen in Plano held another iteration of its Sass and Smash Drag Brunch on Sunday afternoon. The Dallas Express had previously visited drag shows at the venue, witnessing adult guests enjoying performances and passing cash tips to the performers.
John Kilburn, the owner of Peppersmash, said in a phone interview that he was not a misogynist, asserting that drag shows are meant for entertainment. He also condemned those who believe that such performances are demeaning to women.
“The whole point of drag is expressing one’s inner self as they see themselves. Period,” said Kilburn.
“The truth of the matter is that I don’t host drag brunches for anything more than two reasons: one is to make money, and two, these people have a great time. If you’ve never been to a drag show, you don’t have the right to say you don’t like it,” he added.
Monkey King Noodle Company in Deep Ellum also hosted its regular Wake Up and Makeup drag brunch show over the weekend. Eric Saldana-Lopez, the organizer of the event, had told The Dallas Express on a previous visit that he was not misogynist as well, also noting that the shows held at Monkey King Noodle Company were just for entertainment.
The Dallas Express attempted to catch up with Saldana-Lopez on Sunday but did not hear back from him by publication.
Red Goose Saloon in Fort Worth also hosted its weekly Moondance Drag Brunch on Sunday afternoon. The venue’s shows are open to children ages 16 and up, however, they must be accompanied by a parent.
Shows at Red Goose Saloon are marketed as having suggestive humor but no explicit content. The Dallas Express attempted to reach out to Chris Hutchinson, the owner of the Red Goose Saloon, to ask if he was a misogynist, but he did not respond before publication.