“United We Stand, Divided We Fall”: AIDS, Armorettes, and the Tactical Repertoires of Drag

Abstract

This essay focuses on the Armorettes, an Atlanta-based drag troupe that has played a critical role in combating HIV/AIDS in the South. While infection rates continue to rise nationally, the syndrome has disproportionately burdened the South both in terms of its spread and the funding allocated for its prevention and treatment. By placing drag in its historical and contemporary context as an activity variably linked to the formation and maintenance of queer identities and activism, we argue that the Armorettes are more than just mere entertainment, continuing a rich tradition of constituting audiences as agentic subjects capable of addressing social exigencies that threaten their ability to live meaningful lives. We employ the concept of “tactical repertoires” to interrogate the Armorettes' activism and contextualize their vital cultural work.