Carrying

In drag and ballroom vernacular, "carrying" describes acting in an exaggerated, dramatic, or over-the-top manner, being extra or a bit too much for the moment. The phrase comes out of the ballroom scene built by Black and Latino queer and trans communities, whose slang has shaped much of the wider culture's vocabulary. Depending on tone, calling someone "carrying" can be a gentle read or a genuine compliment on a heightened, theatrical performance. Drag performer Aja helped popularize the term with a wider audience, and it captures the same appetite for spectacle that runs through camp and drag more broadly. Like much ballroom language, it rewards knowing exactly how much is too much.