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Allah Bless The Queens: A Dive into Gender Bending & Survival of Orientale Danse

  • Writer: Fanoos Magazine Oriana
    Fanoos Magazine Oriana
  • 1 day ago
  • 7 min read

By Columbia Fawaala Ibrahim Did you know Female Impersonators and Drag Queens saved Orientale Danse from getting totally lost? Many do not realize this, but it is true. Men dressing up as women dancing is nothing new. When I do it, people think it is something modern, and I always explain that it is an old tradition that dates back centuries around the globe, including the Middle East. Homophobia and Transphobia never used to be an issue until Colonizers took over Egypt and other Arab countries. Bringing their “Western Values” to places where they didn’t belong is how many countries changed for good. I will be discussing the history of female impersonation and how it saved women from being killed or jailed for going against the law. 

There’s not much evidence found pre-dating the 19th century documentation-wise. The earliest account is by Edward D. Lane, who claims that Khawals were preferred over Ghawazi for entertainment (Lane, 389). This custom was done partly due to society's views on the Ghwawzi dancer's reputation. This was made worse in 1834 when Mohammad Ali Pasha (1769-1849) banned the Ghawazi dancers from performing in public (Lane, 384). When the women couldn’t fulfill what was needed for events, men had to step in to take their place. Sadly, the Khawal weren’t taken very seriously by many since they were men, not women. Sadly, that has fallen under a comedy routine as it makes Egyptians comfortable with their homophobic and transphobic views on being gay and transgender post-colonization. Please note that not all Egyptians have the same views on the subject, but are often afraid to speak publicly.

One Albanian Ottoman sultan did not work on making it difficult alone. I hate to say this, but this article will get very dark quickly. After Mohammad Ali died, things could get a bit rambunctious again for a while, leading into WWI. Prostitution was done for a short time to keep military men satisfied, and Khawals became a comedic performance instead of a female impersonation. This change in the late 19th century and early 20th century would prove that Egyptians were comfortable with some of the social changes. Dancers, however, would struggle more after the dance ban was lifted in the 1920’s. Dancers like Husein Foad would continue his impersonation of women, and the first Egyptian female impersonator to be written about in high regard.  

Don't be fooled by Foad’s rocks that he got. He would dress beautifully as a woman and didn’t care about what Egyptians thought of him (McPhearson, p.84). Not much is really known about him. McPhearson says that the last time he saw him was possibly at a New Year’s party in Zeitoun (McPhearson, p. 84). It was common to have female impersonators entertain while it was still safe. He even inspired dancer Zouba el-Klobatiyya (1915-1972) to start dancing with the shamadan (nisaasaintlouis). As time went on, things would darken for female impersonators and queer people of Egypt. 

In 1961, Egypt changed its stance towards homosexuality. The Court of Cassation in Egypt decided to add same-sex relations between men as debauchery (U.G. Law). This would create a hellscape for not only drag performers, but also gay men who also did the profession. Even though, according to the U.G. Law website, homosexuality is not explicitly explained, it is still snuck in under prostitution laws. Egyptians wonder why many won’t visit there, well, this regulation is used whenever Egyptians authorities want to use it. Even cavity searches are legal for men suspected of homosexual behaviors. This is why we have LGBTQIA+ travel agents who assist the community members with their Egyptian experience. It is safe to say that many modern Egyptians do not agree with this law, but cannot go against their government to change it. We hope it is changed someday so dancers like me can be accepted without feeling worried about being imprisoned.  

Turkey has a huge history of men dancing in women’s attire. Köçek are Turkish male dancers who some regard as feminine. Early Islamic accounts are very interesting regarding these men who danced as feminine beings. Like the Khawal of Egypt, they wore feminine attire but looked like men rather than trying to imitate women. BEŞİROĞLU, in their article entitled “MUSIC, IDENTITY, GENDER: ÇENGİS, KÖÇEKS, ÇÖÇEKS.” describes the culture that introduced much gender fluidity. The word itself derives from the word kuckak, which is Persian for young child or animal (BEŞİROĞLU, p.2). Early dancers of this profession would dress like their female counterparts, doing a total impersonation of them (BEŞİROĞLU, p.5). With the revival of this art in modern-day Turkey, they dress like men with vests and skirts. They tend to mimic monkeys with their sounds and ways of speech. This in Turkish society, is seen as funny and playful.   

Moroccans have also held long traditions of female impersonation. Modern dancers can be found in Marrakesh’s Jamaa al-Fnaa. Many would mistake them as female dancers due to the niqab they wear and the padding (Babas). Many times, these men would dance in brothels and cafes before colonization, according to Babas’s article. Just like the Egyptian and Turkish female impersonators, the colonization by Westerners of the region forced the closure of working spots (Babas). Babas indicates that they were created due to the crackdown on female dancers. That sounds like what Mohammad Ali Pasha did in 1834 in Egypt. Some modern dancers pad exaggeratedly to make the female appear fat in appearance. This reflects the fatphobia that many find humor in and comes off as misogynistic to many women.  

In Iranian culture, drag queens are a fringe group. Miss Salaam details her experience in IranWire’s article. She gives a bit of history and acknowledges that female impersonation and drag are synonymous. Also, Miss Salaam discusses the public’s misperceptions of Drag Queens versus Transgender Women. Oftentimes, Arab societies think Drag Queens want to be women, which is not true. It is important to educate the Arab World that Drag Queens are entertainers and Transgender people live the experience of the opposite gender than what was marked at birth. Amir Vashtani was a drag performer who dances as a woman. He saw the Iranian regime change from being Westernized to Islamized (Farda). This took a toll on the drag entertainer’s life. The documentary entitled “Gracefully”, which was screened as “Khoraman” in Iran, tells the tale of Amir’s life as a drag performer and got rave reviews (Farda). The 2019 documentary explores the life of Amir as a Female Impersonator that dances for traditional events in Iranian villages. It may be banned now, but Amir never stopped dancing even though Iranian Muslims forbade the practice. This shows the resilience of the LGBTQIA+ community in Iran. I often ponder if Hussain Foad had to face similar things when Egypt started to become more conservative.   

Afghanistan has its Queer culture as well. Najib Faizi is an Afghan drag performer who lives in Hamburg, Germany as a refugee. According to the International Refugee Committee’s interview of Faizi, Germany does not have full equality for queer-identifying people. She had to escape Afghanistan due to the fear of being killed. Also, she does state that in Afghanistan, queer people do not make a living wage due to society’s stigma. Faizi says they are working to get a nursing degree and funding their education themselves.  

The questions I get a lot are: when will I visit Egypt or the Middle East? Will I ever perform there? The answer to those two questions is that I would have to pay for very special accommodation and travel with someone who can assist me on the journey. There are travel agencies that assist LGBTQIA+ people in Egypt, so they do not get hassled or arrested, according to Egypt Adventures Travel on YouTube. As far as other Arab countries, that all depends on what leaders are in place. Authorities do not arrest foreigners often due to the money they bring. Enticing traps can be set up by locals, so keep your hook-up apps off your phone completely. Also, any nude photos or queer content must be removed, as police are known to use anything they can to arrest people if they are not protected. That goes as well for other parts of the Middle East and Mediterranean. Some parts are friendly to LGBTQIA+ societies, and others are not. A good tip I got from many is to make sure contracts are legal and solid. Never rely on a Facebook or Instagram offer, because you could fall into entrapment. There are many gangs and scams in Egypt and the Middle East. One thing I have learned is that most entertainers have no issues with queer people. Many accept us as artists and embrace us as they would a family member.   

These are just a few histories to express to the world. Drag Queens and Female Impersonators are everywhere that civilization is found. Many people of the MENAHT and SWANA regions of the world suffer if they identify as queer or something different than a cis-hetero person. We see it today being reflected in America with Donald Trump’s administration. As we always have as a community, we will always rise against adversity. To all of my American performers, you are amazing. To all of my MENAHT and SWANA region extended family, you are heard and valued. Never let this world tell you that you are not worthy of acceptance. You are the storytellers who are still telling the stories of women that no one has given a voice to.   Is Egypt safe for gay and lesbian travelers? - YouTube

 

 References: 

-Lane, E. D. (1923). The Manners & Customs of the Modern Egyptians (3rd ed.). J.M Dent & Sons, LTD. 

- McPhearson, J. W. (1941). The Moulids of Egypt (Egyptian Saints Day) (pp. 84-85). N.M. Press, Cairo. https://archive.org/details/the-moulids-of-egypt-egyptian-saints-days 

- [Egypt Adventures Travel]. (2022, April 9). Is Egypt safe for gay and lesbian travelers? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuCTNVWWjgs&list=WL&index=2 

- BEŞİROĞLU , Ş. B. Ş. MUSIC, IDENTITY, GENDER: ÇENGİS, KÖÇEKS, ÇÖÇEKS. https://www.academia.edu/9113643/MUSIC_IDENTITY_GENDER_%C3%87ENG%C4%B0S_K%C3%96%C3%87EKS_%C3%87%C3%96%C3%87EKS_?auto=download 

- (2016, April 16). Miss Salaam, Iranian Drag Queen. IranWire. https://iranwire.com/en/features/61213/ 

- Farda, R. (1978 [1399]). Iranian Drag Queen Amir Vashtani’s Life Gets Documentary Treatment. Iran In-Depth. https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iranian-drag-queen-amir-vashtani-s-life-gets-documentary-treatment/30921730.html 


 
 
 

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