Even though women dressing as men is ingrained in American history, society is still unsettled by it, McGee says. People have come to accept drag queens, but still don’t welcome their female counterparts.

Angela stands with PRIDE! Kent programming director Autum Piller. Piller performs as Tyler Nordstrom. The two friends are watching Miss Kent State University Nastasha Nordstrom perform a sensual rendition of a diva ballad.

“I think it’s about societal power structure,” she says. “It has to do with patriarchal roles. Even though men part with the role, the man is still holding the power. So when a man subverts his own role, it’s more accepted in society. For a woman, it’s not OK because women don’t hold the power.”

Wicks thinks drag kings aren’t popular because they don’t get the attention of the public as much as drag queens.

“It’s a lot more shocking for people to see a man dressed as a woman in our society where there’s such a unisex dress code,” she says. “Girls dress in guys clothing now whether they’re straight or gay, and it’s not much of a culture shock. You see a guy in women’s clothing, and it’s definitely much more of a culture shock. That is why it gets a lot more attention.”

Angela performs as AJ on Oct. 26 at PRIDE! Kent's College Night Out fund raiser at the Interbelt Nite Club in Akron. The group holds a fund raiser at the club each semester.

But for Wicks, drag is about more than being shocking. It’s more than putting on a ruse. It’s about slipping into another identity.

“It’s fun for me because I get to be a character,” she says. “It’s like acting. I step into another person’s personality. For the five minutes you’re out there, you’re a different person.”

Even though drag kings haven’t become as mainstream as drag queens, Wick says audiences’ response keeps her hopeful that it will gain acceptance.

“Every time I’ve performed, I’ve gotten good remarks,” she says. “People really like seeing it. It’s just something different than the same old drag queen performance.”

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