Hell hath no fury like a drag queen scorned:

Myer [an Australian department store] management didn't predict the response they would get when they called police to remove a drag queen from their city store last week after determining her hemline was too high.

News of the outrage spread like wildfire at Newtown's Imperial Hotel - the setting for memorable scenes in the movie Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - and a phalanx of eight men in dresses marshalled at the store's Pitt Street gates at 3pm yesterday to stage a protest.

"We're just going to have a quiet shopping day and get them used to seeing drag queens around," said the lady in question, Kirsten Damned, before attempting re-entry to the store.

Staff and shoppers gawked at the gaggle of girlfriends and security circled for about 45 minutes until the store manager, John Pappas, approached the group in the Barbie section, where Kirsten said she finds inspiration for her handmade dresses.

Myer had no problem with their presence, Pappas said, given Kirsten's skirt was of sufficient length this time. "The last time it actually didn't cover certain parts of the anatomy." Kirsten claimed she had offered to buy one of "Grace Bros' other skirts" last time, but Pappas said the offer wasn't made to him.

When it became clear the store's policy was all about centimetres, fellow drag queen Mitzi quipped: "It is with us as well. We concur with management entirely."