Before it was coopted by the right to mean “child predator” or “deadly threat to everything holy” it was just a style of burlesque show, a whole niche cultural thing that never bothered anyone, open to anyone who wanted to take part.
They had problems with the fact that most performers are males or assigned male at birth, and the whole thing is basically parody of gender norms and style, but embraced rather than hated, and it was just a generally fun time. (Never mind that it’s kinda what stage performance has been like across the globe for hundreds or even thousands of years when it comes to gender-bending performances.)
Speaking as a CIS straight male, I have been to a couple shows and don’t really get it, it’s not my thing, but everyone is having fun and they’re being welcoming and happy and sharing a thing together, and it’s far more harmless than a million other silly things people do for fun as social groups.
Before it was coopted by the right to mean “child predator” or “deadly threat to everything holy” it was just a style of burlesque show, a whole niche cultural thing that never bothered anyone, open to anyone who wanted to take part.
They had problems with the fact that most performers are males or assigned male at birth, and the whole thing is basically parody of gender norms and style, but embraced rather than hated, and it was just a generally fun time. (Never mind that it’s kinda what stage performance has been like across the globe for hundreds or even thousands of years when it comes to gender-bending performances.)
Speaking as a CIS straight male, I have been to a couple shows and don’t really get it, it’s not my thing, but everyone is having fun and they’re being welcoming and happy and sharing a thing together, and it’s far more harmless than a million other silly things people do for fun as social groups.