 Johnson variably identified as gay, as a transvestite, and as a queen (referring to drag queen).According to Susan Stryker, a professor of human gender and sexuality studies at the University of Arizona, Johnson's gender expression could perhaps most accurately be called "gender non-conforming"; Johnson never self-identified with the term "transgender", but the term was also not in broad use while Johnson was alive.Johnson's style of drag was not serious ("high drag" or "show drag") due to being unable to afford to purchase clothing from expensive stores.