As early as 1882, William Dorsey Swann, formerly enslaved, became the first person in America known to declare himself a drag queen.
Dublin Core
Title
As early as 1882, William Dorsey Swann, formerly enslaved, became the first person in America known to declare himself a drag queen.
Subject
The video discusses a 1888 news report that a drag ball (operated by, William Dorsey Swann, an African American, was raided by the police in Washington D. C.
Source
Channing Joseph, BBC REEL - YouTube - October 12, 2020 - 5:36
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT15sCRHKJU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT15sCRHKJU
Contributor
William Dorsey Swann: The first "Queen of Drag" | MASTERS OF DRAG | AMERICAN MASTERS | PBS
YouTube Video Item Type Metadata
YouTube ID
iT15sCRHKJU
Transcription
(William Dorsey) Swann was as out as you could be in the 19th century. He was so out that the President of the United States (Grover Cleveland) knew about him. It was well known in Washington D.C. - which is where he lived - that he was the leader of a queer community.
Citation
“As early as 1882, William Dorsey Swann, formerly enslaved, became the first person in America known to declare himself a drag queen.”, The Historical Development of BIPOC Trans-Spiritual Leadership, LGBTQ Religious Archives Network, accessed December 27, 2024, https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/exhibits/show/bipoc-trans-spiritual/item/2014.