Once a week for the past year, third-year University of Iowa student Cecil Campbell said he becomes a cartoon character for the night. His drag persona Cyprus Cosmos is ever-evolving: one night, he’s a mad scientist; another, a goth cowboy or creepy clown.
“He [Cyprus Cosmos] allows me to be as flamboyant and dramatic and out there as I want,” Campbell said.
“He [Cyprus Cosmos] allows me to be as flamboyant and dramatic and out there as I want.”
In Iowa, where gender identity was removed as a protected class and drag show restrictions have been hotly contested, a drag performer and transgender man like Campbell breaks boundaries by continuing to do what he loves with a supportive community of friends and family.
“Most people don’t know that a drag king is a thing you can be,” Campbell said. He only sees drag queens represented in the cultural conversation, and seeks to change that. He has performed as Cyprus Cosmos since May 29, 2025: his “drag birthday.” It was only recently, in April, that Campbell‘s parents visited from Minnesota to watch him perform for the first time.
Campbell’s boyfriend Austin Kansa occasionally assists Campbell with costume pieces: one of his proudest creations is the “T Chain,” a chain-linked string of testosterone bottles.
“Drag and being trans are very similar, especially in the way that it’s different for everybody. I’ve never been of the opinion that masculinity doesn’t mean you can’t do make up or have fun with your expression. If anything, I’d argue that masculine-presenting people ought to be doing it more — but of course I would say that,” he said.
“Drag is a spectacle, but it’s personal for me. I think there's something very fun about choosing who you want to be every week.”
