Ever since I first laid eyes on the wispy, long-haired bishounen (beautiful boys) of anime, I have been entranced by the aesthetically daring mystique of the androgynous and gender-benders alike. This is especially true when embodied by models, musicians and drag performers who have the bravura and poise to become larger than life.

This is why I live for “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” the weekly reality TV competition in which drag queens battle to become the “next drag superstar” through runway and lip-syncing challenges.

Not only do I enjoy the gorgeous and unique looks the queens and those who came before them cultivate, but on another level I appreciate the way gender-bending reveals the performative aspects of gender while giving the finger to heteronormativity. I usually don’t dwell on the sociological aspects of drag while enjoying “Drag Race,” but this week’s episode, in which the remaining queens were tasked with dressing up straight male athletes as their drag sisters, really brought these issues to light.

Here’s a quick sociology 101: When people are born into the male or female sex, they are expected to put on the “matching” gender persona of masculine or feminine. In our sexist, patriarchal society, those who do not perform the gender role deemed appropriate for their sex are often chastised and punished. As masculine is considered superior and feminine inferior, men who take on feminine qualities are despised more so than women who take on masculine qualities (within arbitrary limits, of course).

This is likely why the athletes put up so much resistance initially. The five straight men who participated in tonight’s show were game to varying degrees; one European guy was more open to the experience perhaps because gender roles are less rigid where he is from.  By the end they mostly came around yet did not hesitate to discuss their revulsion with the practice of “tucking.”

Most interestingly, this episode highlighted the privileges men experience when it comes to appearance and dress. The men griped throughout about wearing high heels, having mascara applied, and having bobby pins stuck in their hair. One of the men talked about how he never considered before what a pain it is for his female friends to walk a few blocks in high heels. The European man was wearing fake latex breasts and, when the other men gaped at his chest instead of listening to him speak, remarked something like “so this is what it’s like for women” (paraphrasing here). This is a once in a lifetime experience for them, yet women are expected to wear high heels, make-up and revealing clothes on regular basis. Men experience freedom from the expectation of putting on such contraptions, and that is a pretty fucking big privilege. I almost fell out of my chair when they patted themselves on the back for being so cool for participating in the show during the behind-the-scenes segment; oh you brave, sensitive, special men!

Some people might think drag is disgusting or makes a mockery of women, but it is a powerful tool of self-expression and rebellion. These queens are carrying on the tradition of early gay activists; yet it remains to be seen if they will remain in their counterculture bubble or burst through to the mainstream as RuPaul did in the early 90s. Anyone who questions the gender binary while looking that fierce is okay in my book.