What's behind the increasing popularity of drag queens and drag shows in America? Why is half the audience of RuPaul's Drag Race now composed of young liberal women? How has the drag subculture, originally intended as a frivolous and self-consciously artificial deconstruction of masculinity, paradoxically become one of progressivism's most potent symbols of earnest and authentic self-expression?

Darel Paul, professor of political science at Williams College, joins the podcast to discuss his recent First Things essay "Drag Queens". Attempting to answer the questions above, he brings forth insights about the relation between the LGBT movement, "wokeness" and America's largely female-driven therapeutic culture.

Links

Darel Paul, "Drag Queens" https://www.firstthings.com/article/2023/02/drag-queens

Darel Paul, "Under the Rainbow Banner" https://www.firstthings.com/article/2020/06/under-the-rainbow-banner

Darel Paul, From Tolerance to Equality: How Elites Brought America to Same-Sex Marriage https://www.baylorpress.com/9781481306959/from-tolerance-to-equality/

Psychologist Dr. William Coulson on how he led many religious sisters away from their vocations https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/we-overcame-their-traditions-we-overcame-their-faith-11916

James L. Nolan Jr., The Therapeutic State: Justifying Government at Century's End https://nyupress.org/9780814757918/the-therapeutic-state/

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