It's still a man's world, even when they're wearing frocks and heels, according to Illawarra woman Jennifer Gifford.
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She finds it interesting and slightly irritating that women dressed as men don't get the same level of respect as men dressed as women.
Jen is a drag king - and she knows the majority of people reading this article will never have heard the term; and the struggle for drag king visibility is global.
I want to contribute to the voices of women in the world against the sexism that still prevails.
"Even historically, Greek men played both gender roles. And later in history women were allowed on stage only dressed as men," she says.
So why dress up as a man today?
"Ah long story ... but I suppose I've joked so long about how my mum dressed me the same as my older sister identically for most of the primary school years," Jen said.
"So for one, I wanted my own identity separate to my sister. And after a horrendous adolescence being part of the Filipino community, in that I was made to wear a pink leotard, pink fru fru dress, and all very female gendered costumes performing traditional dances, I knew then that I didn't feel comfortable in those clothes, or being gendered female so much. I prefer not to be gendered at all.
"When I borrowed my younger brother's clothes my mum would disapprove and give me grief about it. I still get grief from having short hair."
Jen is also passionate about living her "true self" and being comfortable not only in her own skin, but in her clothes which happens to be mostly "male" clothes.
Being Australian-English/Filipino part Spanish she was neither seen Filipino or Australian, so struggled a lot even in her skin.
"Clothes gave me my own identity separate to the cultural identity," she said.
"But when I started working at an ethnic specific organisation, which is very ethnic in the way that gender roles are still a big thing, I felt I had to conform to those traditional gender roles and dressed more feminine.
"And that didn't make me feel I was being my true self. I also covered my tattoos which carries a lot of stigma, as in some cultures think tattoos are only for prostitutes and criminals have tattoos."
Jen says dressing up as a man on stage is a way she can not only feel like her true self; but "give a middle finger up to the traditional gender norms and narrative that still exist to oppress us with so much stigma".
"Like a punch in the patriarchal and misogynistic butt," she said.
"I want to contribute to the voices of women in the world against the sexism that still prevails. If I have to dress like a man to deliver social justice messages to be heard, then so be it."
A star on rise in man's world
Euthan Asian is quickly becoming a well-known face in the Illawarra entertainment scene.
Confidence to perform came from drag queen Vallar ie Van Gogh at a chance meeting at the Unity: Red Party for World Aids Day 2018. "Vallarie encouraged me to be a drag king ... I really want to give Vallarie a shout out because if it wasn't for her I would probably be still be unsure about performing," Jen said.
Catch Euthan Asian on August 2 in She'll Be Right: Drag Spectacular at the Servo Food Truck Bar, on August 15 at Glamdrogynous, Oyster Club, Sydney and on August 23 for Toy Box: Vol. 2 at the Servo Food Truck Bar.
Jen is also one of the directors of The Rainbow Underground, helping to organise the Queer Arts Festival: Queer & Visible, which runs September 2-15 and Project Contemporary Artspace, Wollongong. She is a member of the Illawarra LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Network (ILIN) and is a handy exhibitioning artist. search Jelenita* Artwork on instagram.
