Drag is a type of performance art in which a person dresses up extravagantly to express a specific gender. A person who dresses up as a woman is called a drag queen, while a person who dresses up as a man is called a drag king. However, some drag performers like Austin  drag queen Brigitte Bandit do not dress up as the opposite gender. 

Drag was named in the 1800s in reference to how women’s gowns would drag on the ground, though some say that drag can be traced  back  to ancient civilizations where  people would cross-dress or gender-bend for cultural or religious purposes. For example,  in ancient Greece,  young male actors would perform as women because women could not perform on stage. This practice also occurred during Shakespeare's time.

 Today, drag is prevalent in pop culture and media through  the popularity of TV shows like RuPaul's Drag Race and drag shows. Drag can also be seen in some libraries through drag storytime, in which a drag performer will read a book to children. According to the Huffington Post, drag storytime got its start in a bookstore in San Francisco and later became a popular library event after Michelle Tea, founder of the non-profit liberal arts organization RADAR Productions, started one at the San Francisco Public Library with Drag Queen Per Sia performing. 

Currently, some lawmakers have been trying to restrict drag performers freedom of expression. Some have drawn comparisons with an uptick in book bans or challenges due to certain subject matters.  In Texas, the case Spectrum WT vs. Wendler, which concerns whether students at a public university have a first amendment right to hold drag shows on campus, is currently pending review by a federal appeals court, demonstrating the hot-button controversy currently surrounding drag.

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