Sequins, Survival, and Selfhood: An Emergent Theory of Drag as a Lifelong Identity Process Among Older LGBTQ+ Drag Performers

Older LGBTQ+ drag performers remain largely understudied within gerontology and LGBTQ+ aging scholarship. This qualitative study explored how older LGBTQ+ drag performers make meaning of drag expression across the life course. In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 participants aged 50 to 90 residing in the United States. Analysis revealed seven themes related to drag identity, embodied aging, resilience, marginalization, generativity, and intergenerational relationships. Findings informed an emergent theory of drag as a lifelong identity process. Participants described drag not merely as performance, but as an evolving meaning-making system through which they negotiated identity. Narratives illuminated the coexistence of resilience and vulnerability as participants navigated ageism, dragism, HIV/AIDS survivorship, bodily change, and shifting community dynamics. Findings expand our understanding of LGBTQ+ aging by positioning drag as a relational, adaptive, and culturally situated life-course practice that sustains continuity of self while resisting marginalization and preserving queer cultural memory.