Holden is correct on three counts and wrong on one. He is right that Kinky Boots needs to be sexually provocative to qualify as a meaningful drag film.
He is right that Lola doesn’t exhibit much sexuality in the movie other than a few saucy song-and-dance numbers on stage, and he is right that the choice to de-emphasize her sexuality obscures her sexual orientation. However, contrary to Holden’s argument, this obscurity is decidedly not “reassuring,” nor is it a move of conservative prudishness.
Lola may not be identifiably gay, but it is a mistake to assume that films which showcase the homosexuality of their drag queens are automatically more provocative in doing so.
