If you were lucky enough to attend UMKC SAGA Council’s All Things Spooky Drag Show back in September, you know that drag kings and queens sure do have a love for all things Halloween. Professional performers Lana Luxx, Cynthia Doll, Victor Shawn, Kayaphosis, Princess Hadher and RiiRii delivered outstanding performances full of creepy, ghoulish and spooky themes. But the love of Halloween doesn’t stop there in the LGBT+ community. Dressing up in drag and letting your freak flag fly on Halloween night has been a tradition for decades lovingly referred to as “Gay Christmas.”
“Gay Christmas” is a time for anyone and everyone to come together and express themselves. Drag of all shapes and sizes flourishes as both professional and amateur performers show off their best and scariest looks. “Gay Christmas” has become one of the biggest LGBT+ events of the year outside of Pride, as it allows anyone to let loose and be whoever they want without feeling the societal pressures of gender norms.
So how did this tradition begin? According to Micheal Bronski, a professor of women and gender studies at Harvard, it gained popularity in the 1950s and 60s because Halloween was a safe haven for LGBT+ people, especially transgender individuals, because they could present how they felt most comfortable. “Cross-dressing,” as it was referred to at the time, was illegal in the United States. But during Halloween, it was possible to safely dress however you wanted.
“Gay Christmas” is rooted in Philadelphia’s LGBT+ community. Marc Stein, a history professor at San Francisco State University, says the community called their annual celebration “b*tches Christmas” in the 1950s and 60s, which led to its modern name. It was tradition for drag performers to dress up and perform bar-to-bar with spectators parading behind in support. In 1969, an underground gay bar in Greenwich Village, New York City, the Stonewall Inn, was raided by police which led to riots demanding rights for LGBT+ people. After Stonewall, queer Halloween parades became more and more common and in 1973 Greenwich Village officially hosted its annual Halloween parade for “Gay Christmas.” Similar celebrations in other cities around the country popped up within the next couple of decades spreading “Gay Christmas” cheer to all.
In 2022, the “Gay Christmas” spirit is still going strong. Just like with the All Things Spooky Drag Show, the kings and queens of Kansas City are ready to go all out for this year’s festivities. Local drag bars such as Hamburger Mary’s and Missie B’s already have stars rolling out their creepiest, “slayest” looks for the holiday and gay bars such as Woodys KC are repping Halloween themes.
Whether you’re a lover of “all things spooky” or an aspiring drag star, “Gay Christmas” is the perfect time to try out a new look or support your local kings and queens. “Gay Christmas” is truly about spreading holiday cheer and expressing yourself however you want to safely. So to all the kings, queens, and stars out there, have a very merry–and sickening– “Gay Christmas.”