Existence as resistance, focusing on the art style and versions of self through the experience of Elias Wakeem, or Madam Tayoush, a Palestinian drag queen and artist. Elias Wakeem is a genderqueer, nonbinary queer Arab artist, photographer, activist, and drag queen. Elias explores and celebrates various identities, embracing them as powerful tools for self-expression and resistance against societal norms. Through their art pieces and performances, Tayoush pushes against the constructs of ‘otherness,’ redefining cultural identities and inspiring a boundary-pushing creativity and defiance journey. Through depicting unique and unconventional body shapes and ideas, Elias constructs scenes that purposefully challenge societal norms. Utilizing performance art as a platform, Elias intricately incorporates various characters and personas, examining audience reactions to their profoundly personal narrative to push nonnormative boundaries.
“The term ‘Otherness’, expresses enrichment and not alienation. From the other, that is different, we can always learn something new. The other brings a new challenge, at the same time he can actually provide support, resulting in a universal magical energy” (Wakeem). https://eliasxwakeem.wixsite.com/eliasxo/bio
Elias Wakeem was born in Tarshiha, Galilee, and grew up in a conservative Orthodox Christian family just outside Haifa, Gaza. Wakeem describes how their identity as Palestinian significantly shaped their experience growing up. Their interest in drag intersected with the emergence of their political consciousness after leaving home for Jaffa at 17. In an interview with The Electronic Intifada, Wakeem mentioned that their family rarely discussed politics at home. This silence surrounding politics stemmed from a deep-seated trauma rooted in their grandparents’ experiences during the Nakba, the 1948 creation of Israel, which resulted in the displacement of over 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and land. Wakeem’s journey of self-discovery regarding their sexual identity and political awareness began to intertwine. A year after leaving their home, Wakeem participated in a drag performance at an Israeli club in Jaffa, sharing the stage with multiple Israeli drag queens, marking a pivotal moment in their personal and political evolution.
Elias Wakeem came out to their family when they were 17, “when you get thrown into the water, you have two options: to dive underneath, and if you stay there without oxygen you will end up dying. Or, you can just let yourself relax and float above it,” (Wakeem speaking to the Electronic Intifada). Elias’s drag name and identity, Madam Tayoush, means ‘Lady Floating.’
Madam Tayoush’s direct quotes via an interview with the Electronic Intifada:
“I came out in a very drastic way. I dropped it on them like a bomb. I told them, ‘I’m gay and you just have to live with it because this is who I am” (Ashly, 2019).
“How much more can we hide? I don’t judge anyone, but for myself I cannot hide anymore. I want to show off. I want to be present and make people understand that we exist. Because this is the way we are and we’re not going anywhere,” they said (Ashly, 2019).
Wakeem obtained a B.F.A. in Fine Arts in 2015 and pursued an M.F.A. in Fine Art at the University of Haifa, where they honed their craft. Wakeem delivered a lecture titled “Existence is Resistance: The Roles of Art and Gender Experienced by a Palestinian Drag Queen” at both Harvard University and M.I.T. in 2014. Their participation in significant conferences, including the first LGBTQI Arab conference on “Sexualities and Queer Imaginariness from the Middle East/North Africa” at Brown University in 2015, accentuates their commitment to nurturing conversations and acceptance around nonnormative identities and experiences.
Aqida or Waxed.
“While challenging the Aqida that dictates that wax is only for women, he challenged himself and his perception of his body hair, and he challenged the audience and their tolerance and their concept of femininity and masculinity” (Wakeem & Marks, 2018).
The Aqida performance functions to challenge and defy conventional beauty norms and societal expectations regarding what is considered beautiful and normative. Elias resists the traditional idea that certain beauty practices, like waxing, are exclusively for one gender over another. Waxing, a common method for hair removal associated with attaining beauty, holds greater symbolism beyond achieving a hairless body; it serves as an exploration of sexuality and is capable of expanding and reflecting one’s gender identity.
Through Aqida, Wakeem pushes boundaries, questioning established notions of femininity and masculinity, beauty standards, and societal assumptions that might conflict with an individual’s perception of their own gender. The performance aims to explore the concept of beauty beyond the confines of normative expectations, inviting contemplation on the subjective nature of beauty and the diverse ways individuals express their identities.
Wakeem was waxed by a Palestinian beauty studio owner, who had never waxed a man before.
There was a live audience throughout the process of Elias being waxed.
Homecoming Queenz Performance Traveling
In a lecture video titled “Queer Palestinian Herstory,” Madam Tayoush shares a video filmed by her and a partner traveling back to Israel after performing drag in Stockholm for four and a half days. They document their experience of being harassed by security, despite having Israeli IDs. and their statements of resistance and comfortability in their identities and expressions.
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxO0gKDSpaKsFIl4pLLN7kGDBvB7JibqbG?si=cXDRhoLZWzGAzzHi
Elias has described their experience in shifting from religion to spirituality, emphasizing the inherent sacredness of all beings. They have come to understand bodies and expression as being sacred and worthy. Through this realignment to spirituality, Elias views their nonbinary identity as enriching their practices and internal-spiritual-emotional journeys. They feel comfort and power in reclaiming that nothing is wrong with the way they express or explore gender identities.
Genderqueer as a way of resistance.
Their gender identity paves its own path, able to reclaim language and actions where they do not have to hide but can live openly and freely.
For approximately six months, Elias lived in a way that allowed them to openly express and explore their non-binary and genderqueer identity. During this period, they actively challenged normative concepts of beauty, queerness, and transness, pushing against the confines of expected gender roles and exploring more authentic self-expression beyond conventional boundaries and expectations.
Madam Tayoush, Floating Lady.
Elias Wakeem, also known as Madam Tayoush, is a testament to the power of reclamation and trans liberation. Through their multifaceted artistry, Wakeem embodies the essence of nonconformity, celebrating the richness found in various identities as potent tools for self-expression. By fearlessly navigating the realms of genderqueer, nonbinary, and queer Arab identities, Wakeem redefines the boundaries of ‘otherness,’ illustrating it as a source of enrichment rather than alienation.
Their art pieces and performances invite audiences to engage with and learn from the beauty inherent in uniqueness. Wakeem’s thought-provoking approach, incorporating unconventional body shapes and personas, creates a universal magical energy, surpassing societal limitations and inspiring a collective push towards acceptance and liberation.
Citations:
Admin. (2018, April 24). Palestinian Drag Queen Madam Tayoush. Department of peace and conflict studies . https://pcs.domains.swarthmore.edu/pcs/existence-is-resistance-a-performance-by-palestinian-drag-queen-madam-tayoush/
Ashly, J. (2019, September 9). A burgeoning drag scene challenges stereotypes. The Electronic Intifada. https://electronicintifada.net/content/burgeoning-drag-scene-challenges-stereotypes/28206
Riley, J. (2014, September). Palestinian artist Elias Wakeem, Gaza on My Mind. Home. https://outfm.org/liberation/index.php/home/internship-application/248-palestinian-artist-elias-wakeem
Wakeem, E. (2021). Queer Palestinian Herstory . Apexart. https://apexart.org/queerydiscuss.php
Wakeem, E. (n.d.). Bio: الياس واكيم Elias WAKEEM. Elias Wakeem. https://eliasxwakeem.wixsite.com/eliasxo/bio
Wakeem, E., & Marks, E. (2018, May 29). Aqidah/waxed. My Kali Magazine. https://www.mykalimag.com/en/2018/05/10/aqidah-waxed/
Trans Studies Archive 