Joy, Body Image, Suicide, and Suicide Prevention Among Drag Performers

Background and Purpose: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other gender and sexual minority (LGBTQ+) individuals already have increased odds for suicide and other mental health challenges. Political attacks against drag are forms of discrimination that may exacerbate these disparities, especially for LGBTQ+ people who perform in drag. Yet, little research has been done to understand the mental health of drag performers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the mental health of drag performers in the current sociocultural context.

Methods: Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit drag kings and queens (n = 31) across the US and Canada. Participants were 22-53 years old. Slightly more than half of the participants identified as White while others identified as Black, Hispanic, Filipino, Indigenous, and/or Arab. Most participants were cisgender gay men, but several identified as transgender, non-binary, genderfluid, women, bisexual, queer, and/or pansexual. They completed interviews via Zoom between December 2025 and March 2026. The interviews ranged from about 45 minutes to 2 hours. A semi-structured interview guide was used throughout the interviews and contained questions about joy (e.g., “What are some moments that have brought you joy as a drag performer?”) and mental health (e.g., “How, if at all, has being a drag performer influenced your mental health and well-being?”).

Data were coded and analyzed by two independent coders via the six steps outlined in thematic analysis. This included familiarization, inductive coding, theme generation, theme review, theme naming and defining, and selecting exemplar quotes for dissemination. Auditing, memo writing, member checking, and peer debriefing were used to strengthen the trustworthiness of this study.

Results: Four themes were identified: (1) queer joy through self-expression and community; (2) influence of drag on body image; (3) experiences of and exposure to suicide attempts; and (4) acceptability of a suicide prevention training program. Generally, results suggest drag provides opportunities for LGBTQ+ people to experience joy through self-expression, art, and community-building. Meanwhile, some participants reported patrons and other performers made them feel ashamed of their body size. Nonetheless, most participants expressed that drag helped them learn how to love and appreciate their body, regardless of societal expectations. Moreover, some participants said pressures from within the LGBTQ+ community led them to contemplate suicide while others had friends who have died by suicide. Many drag performers also noted that they often adopt the role of a confidant for LGBTQ+ patrons experiencing hardships. Finally, participants indicated interest in completing suicide prevention training and shared their feedback on how suicide prevention training could be tailored for drag performers.

Conclusions and Implications: The freedoms of drag performers are under attack, yet very little research has been conducted with drag performers. This study highlights several future directions for social work research, practice, and advocacy related to advancing the common good, particularly related to improving the mental health and well-being of drag performers. Future research should adopt, implement, and evaluate suicide prevention training with drag performers.