History of Drag

Although gender fluidity and expression existed prior to the Shakespearian era, it is often cited as one of the major origins of drag. 

​In the 16th and 17th century plays were regulated by the Church and females were excluded from the stage. This meant that males were cast for all female roles, providing opportunities for gender exploration.

The fabulous history of drag. BBC. (2019, May). https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zbkmkmn

The Plays of William Shakespeare, c. 1849, John Gilbert. Dahesh Museum of Art

Two-Spirit

Two-Spirit Pride Flag. PFLAG San Francisco.

The term Two-Spirit is used to describe Indigenous people who embody both masculine and feminine spirits. We encourage our guests to learn more about Two-Spirit identity by visiting the Wiyot Tribe's website: ​https://www.wiyot.us/367/Gou-Rrugulus

Possible Origins of the Term "Drag"

• It could have originated from the dresses that men wore while performing female roles, which would drag along the floor
• It could be Polari, a secret language used by criminals in England linked to the criminalization of the queer community
• Drag is also commonly believed to be an abbreviation used by Shakespeare for “Dressed Resembling A Girl”, though evidence of this has never been found

Hoffman, B. (2023, June 7). The history of Drag. Struthers Library Theatre. https://www.strutherslibrarytheatre.org/blog/the-art-and-history-of-drag
The fabulous history of drag. BBC. (2019, May). https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zbkmkmn
Craft, E. (2024, June 25). The art of drag: A brief history. J​ackson County Library Services. https://jcls.org/2024/06/25/the-art-of-drag/

Princess Seraphina
The First Recognizable Drag Queen in English History

• Early 1700s
• Homosexuality was criminalized and feared in England
• “Mollies” was slang for gay men
• Molly Houses were clubs and bars that catered to the queer community
• Princess Seraphina wore highly feminized drag and regularly made appearances at molly houses

The Trial of the First Recognizable Drag Queen in English History

• In 1732, Princess Seraphina was robbed at knifepoint by Thomas Gordon
• He forced Seraphina to remove her expensive clothes and swap them for dirty rags
• Thomas Gordon then threatened to accuse Seraphina of offering the clothes as payment for sex
• Homosexuality was criminialized and was punishable by imprisonment, extensive public punishment, or execution
• Seraphina pressed charges against Thomas Gordon and took him to court
• In court, witnesses referred to Princess Seraphina with feminine pronouns
• Seraphina’s friends and community showed her acceptance that was not shared with the wider community
• Thomas Gordon was ultimately acquitted for the assault

Davis, B. (2022). The trial of princess seraphina: The first recognisable drag queen in English History. New Histories.
Hall, J. (2023, August 24). The surprising story of princess seraphina, england’s earliest drag queen. them. https://www.them.us/story/princess-seraphina-englands-earliest-drag-queen-essay

Miss Leroy Bland

• Known years active: 1895-1911
• Miss Leroy Bland is a rare example of a Black female impersonator
• Bland was the star of the traveling group “Mahara Minstrel’s”
• Minstrel shows were typically skits, songs, and dances that were meant to poke fun at middle class values through the perspective of black slaves
• Eventually black performers like Miss Leroy Bland were allowed to join
• Miss Leroy Bland toured for years and became one of the best female impersonators of the day

Interior of the Ingomar Theatre, 1886-1923, 4th and F in Eureka. Humboldt County Historical Society

Williams-Nichols Collection
The Times Standard, 1896 and 1897
The Humboldt County Historical Society, Who the Heck is Ingomar?

Leroy Bland The San Francisco Examiner, Jan. 16, 1897

Locally, Miss Leroy Bland performed on the street outside the Ingomar Theatre in 1896 and 1897. Both shows drew large crowds.

William Dorsey Swann
The Queen of Drag

• In the 1880's, formerly enslaved, William Dorsey Swann began hosting private balls known as drags
• These drag balls were hosted in secret in Washington, DC
• During these events people would dress up with a fascinator upon their head and compete in a cakewalk, which National Geographic describes as “a dance resembling voguing that enslaved people had invented to mimic plantation owners”.
• In 1887, two of Swann’s drag balls were raided by police, who “encountered six Black men “dressed in elegant female attire,” including “corsets, bustles, long hose and slippers.””
• “The following April, the Evening Star reported on a raid that targeted men in “female attire of many colors,” as well as “gaudy costumes of silk and satin.” On both occasions, authorities arrested the party guests and charged them with “being suspicious characters.””

Craft, E. (2024, June 25). The art of drag: A brief history. Jackson County Library Services. https://jcls.org/2024/06/25/the-art-of-drag/
Shane, C. (2023, June 9). William Dorsey Swann, the first self-proclaimed drag queen, was a formerly enslaved man. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-first-self-proclaimed-drag-queen-was-a-formerly-enslaved-man-180982311/

Vaudeville

• Vaudeville was a popular form of entertainment in the 1890s - 1930s.
• Vaudeville performances included a variety of different unrealted acts including: magicians, acrobats, comedians, jugglers, singers, dancers, and more.

• In Eureka, the E Street Theater was a popular location for vaudeville shows which regularly included “female impersonators” in thier nightly line up

• The E Street Theater was located “on E between Third and Fourth” - The Times Standard, Nov. 10, 1904 

The Times Standard, Dec. 16, 1905
The E Street Theater advertises
Female Impersonator De Lain

Britannica Editors. "vaudeville". Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 May. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/art/vaudeville. Accessed 19 June 2026.

Vardaman
The Auburn-Haired Beauty

• Born Mansel Vardaman Boyle in Santa Cruz, Ca in 1877
• Moved to Butte, Montana and became involved in the theater scene
• In the early 1900s Mansel V. Boyle was often mentioned in the newspaper, highlighting a life of music and entertainment
• In 1903 Boyle began performing as a female impersonator under the name Vardaman the Gay Deceiver, or The Auburn Haired Beauty

Vardaman: The Gay Deceiver. BellingHistory. (2023, February). https://bellinghistory.com/blog/2023/3/28/vardaman-the-gay-deceiver

The Times Standard Advertisements for the E Street Theatre featuring Vardaman, 1905

The Times Standard Advertisements for Female Impersonation Acts
Eureka, 1900 - 1909

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While Female and Male Impersonation was celebrated on the stage.
Off the stage those who chose to not conform to traditional gender roles were treated much differently.

The Times Standard
June 26, 1913
Eureka Woman Plays Boy Part

• Aileen Shaw had recently returned to Eureka after spending time in Portland, OR
• Shaw was arrested in Eureka “on the charge of masquerading in men’s clothing”
• In this “disguise” she secured work in a hotel as a bell boy
• While working at the hotel Shaw had been corresponding with Joseph Sturgis, an employee at a local garage
• Joseph Sturgis arrived at the hotel looking for Aileen Shaw, but the hotel could not locate anyone with that name
• One of the bell boys remembered that another bell boy was receiving mail under the name of Miss Shaw
• Aileen Shaw was then arrested and charged
• It is reported that Shaw “had donned male attire to secure employment and at the same time escape the insults to which she claims working girls are subjected to in the large cities”

The very end of the article reads “Miss Shaw left here for Portland after the disposal of the case of Geo. Clark, who was sent up for life from here for the murder of Chas. Baxter and wife at Bayside, last year, in which case she was a material witness”

The Humboldt Times
Suspicion of Police Leads to Arrest
Aug. 4, 1928

• Several days ago “ a slenderly built “boy” apparently about 20 years old, registered at a lodging house as “Glen Davis.”
• Accompanying him was a compainion, several years older who registered as Robert Willets
• Suspicions arouse when the pair had “occupied the same room” and “the “boy” appeared only at meal times, taking his meals at a Second Street restaurant and returning immediately to the room”
• “The pair were taken into custody by local police, who became suspicious of their actions and the “boy” was revealed to be a girl.”
  
• “A day or so after they had arrived in Eureka the “boy” crossed the path of Officer Tom Rutledge. The officer noted the slender build of the youth and the dainty manner in which “he” toyed with his cigarette between two fingers”
• “That’s the daintiest acting boy I’ve seen for a long time,” mused the policeman, “I’ll just keep an eye on him.”
• After several days of watching the pair, Rutledge was convinced that “the “boy” was a girl” and took them into custody. “At the city jail yesterday his suspicion was verified.”
• “The girl gave the name of Glen Willis, when booked at the jail yesterday. Her companion gave the name of Robert Willis, 38, and insists that the girl is his daughter, 18 years old. Why she was masquerading as a boy and why they were living together in the same hotel room they could not say.”
• After searching their belongings, an “automobile operator’s license revealed that she is Gwendelyn Pell Ward, 22 or Los Angeles.”
• “The man has used a number of different names since coming here”​
  
• “In the hotel room which the couple had been occupying was found a number of dainty dresses and other feminine apparel. When arrested the girl was wearing a lumberjack shirt trousers, and dirty tennis shoes. Her hair, apparently recently dyed red, has been cropped close like a man’s”
• Robert Willis when questioned maintained his story that she was his daughter and they were sharing a room because he was “broke” but could not explain why they used different names recently
• Police found pawn tickets in their possession which lead to a gun that they recently pawned locally
• The police decided to hold the couple for investigation and check with Los Angeles officials, their theory being that they were fugitives from Los Angeles

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Julian Eltinge
America's First Celebrated Drag Performer

• Born William Julian Dalton in 1881
• Made his first Broadway appearance in 1904
• Began performing in vaudeville productions as a female impersonator, Eltinge
• In 1914, Eltinge began starring in silent movies
• Eltinge would act in both female and male roles

Advertisements for Julian Eltinge Films
Eureka, 1917-1926

Julian Eltinge Poses in a Dress, 1913. Digital Transgender Archive

The Transgender Digital Archive
Julian Eltinge Residence. Los Angeles Conservancy. (n.d.). https://www.laconservancy.org/learn/historic-places/julian-eltinge-residence/

Hotcha Hinton

• Born in 1915 in a theater trunk, to an aerialist in the Sells Floto Circus
• Began dancing in clubs in Chiago at 16 years old
• Performed until her death at 68 in 1983
• Known for her humor and burlesque routines with snakes
• Hotcha Hinton lived as a woman full-time

Hotcha Hinton in a Sheer Robe, 1938. The Digital Transgender Archive.

Hotcha Hinton, Jackie Starr, Robin Raye and Billy Devoe dressed as pirates at the Garden of Allah, Seattle, approximately 1950. University of Washington Library. (n.d.). https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/social/id/6752/
Digital Transgender Archive

Hotcha Hinton 1915-1983 was a transfeminine burlesque dancer and comedian. The Transgender Digital Archive

Advertisements for Hotcha Hinton Shows
Eureka, 1938 - 1953

The Oaks Tavern was located at 313 2nd St. Eureka, Ca

Bill's Cafe- Nite Club
​213 F St. (Also recorded as 211 F St)

​Today, 211 F St. is the building formerly known as Old Town Coffee and Chocolates

The Times Standard March 16, 1938

The Times Standard April 15, 1938

The Times Standard March 24, 1938

The Times Standard April 29, 1938

Francis Blair

• Born Charles Schultz in Seattle
• As a teenager they had already acquired a trunk full of female clothing and would often ride on the city streetcars, where they easily passed for a woman
• In the 1930s, they performed as in the Rivoli Burlesque chorus line as Francis Blair
• She was a member of the dishwashers’ union and was an officer in the performers’ union
• Francis wore her hair long and did not wear wigs, concealing her hair under a hat when out in male attire
• During the Korean War, Francis performed for the United States Organinations (USO) which provided entertainment for the US Military
• “ A rather prim hostess of the show had a fit when Francis stripped down to only a G-string”

Francis Blair (1913–?) performer. A Gender Variance Who’s Who. (2018, August 27). https://zagria.blogspot.com/2018/08/francis-blair-1913-performer.html
Digital Transgender Archive, University of Washington Libraries

Francis Blair, Seattle Star, April 5, 1938

Francis Blair, Bobby LaMarr and Hotcha Hinton in Costume, 1948. The Digital Transgender Archive

Francis Blair, Kenny Bee and Ricky Reynolds in Matching Satin Costumes, 1947. The Digital Transgender Archive

Liz Lyons
aka Lee Leonard

• Born in 1919 in Chicago
• Performed under the name Lee Leonard early in her career
• Became known for her wit and charisma
• In the 1960's she bravely underwent gender affirming surgery
• She then legally changed her gender on her birth certificate and US passport and changed her name to Liz Lyons

Trans Spokane History . Spokane Pride. (n.d.). https://www.spokanepride.org/transspokanehistory
Liz Lyons aka Lee Leonard. Queer Music Heritage. (n.d.). https://www.queermusicheritage.com/drag-lyons.html

Liz Lyons

The Times Standard, 1952
Victory Club Ads for Lee Leonard
111 E St. Eureka, Ca

Carroll
"The World's Most Beautiful Boy"

The Times Standard February 29, 1956

The Times Standard June 6, 1957

The Times Standard March 1, 1956

The Times Standard, March 6, 1956

214 F St. Eureka, Ca is now Talisman Beads

Crystal LaBeija

• Crystal LaBeija worked as a Black Drag Queen in Manhattan in the 1960s
• Crystal competed in Drag Pageants but faced racial discrimination
• Crystal was one of the few black queens to be crowned “Queen of the Ball” at a white organized event
• In 1968, she became famous for walking off stage during the Miss All-America Camp Beauty Pageant, held at New York City Town Hall, where a white queen was crowned in a clearly biased decision
• This act was captured during the filming of The Queen, 1968
• After this Crystal partnered with Lottie LaBeija and formed their own Ball just for Black Queens
• Crystal is credited with coining the term “House” and establishing the house system in ball culture
• The House of LaBeija held benefits to raise awareness during the HIV/AIDS epidemic
• The House of LaBeija became a safe haven for queer people of color, providing them a home and a family
• RuPaul’s first experience of a drag performace was seeing Crystal LaBeija perform in 1979

Crystal LaBeija in the Film The Queen, 1968

History | royal house of Labeija. Labeija. (n.d.). https://www.royalhouseoflabeija.com/history

St0newall Inn

• The Stonewall Inn, is a bar located in Greenwich Village in New York City, that has historically catered to the queer community
• June 28, 1969 the New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn and arrested anyone found to be “cross-dressing”
• This resulted in resistance and demonstrations by the bars patrons and others who gathered around the scene
• This event became known as The Stonewall Riots, which is considered to be the moment that ignited the gay rights movement

June 28, 1969: Stonewall riots - zinn education project. Zinn Education Project. (n.d.). https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/stonewall-riots/

Stonewall Inn, New York City, New York

The only known image of the first night of the riots, taken by Joseph Ambrosini

Marsha P Johnson

• Marsha P Johnson knew who she was from a young age and began dressing in female clothing at age 5, but was eventually pressured to stop
• Marsha P Johnson was an activist for the gay rights movement in New York City
• Marsha moved to NYC after graduating high school and immediately began openly dressing as a woman again
• She adopted the name Marsha P Johnson, where the P stood for “Pay It No Mind”
• She described herself as “a gay person, a transvestite, and a drag queen”
• She used only she/her pronouns
• She was known for her joyful attitude and persistent smiles, even in the face of hardship

• Marsha was involved with gay rights groups including the Gay Liberation Front, which established the first Gay Pride Parade in 1970
• In 1970, Marsha and Sylvia Rivera founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) which aimed to protect transgender youth who were shunned by their families
• Marsha performed with the drag group Hot Peaches
• In 1980, Marsha was invited to ride in the lead car of the Gay Pride Parade in NYC
• Tragically in 1992 Marsha was found dead in the Hudson River, her death initially ruled a suicide, but friends questioned the ruling. In 2012 her case was reopened but there has not been a resolution

Marsha P Johnson

Marsha P Johnson

Marsha P. Johnson. National Women’s History Museum. (2022). https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/marsha-p-johnson

Harvey Milk

• Gay Rights Activist
• Made history in 1977 by becoming one of the first openly gay public officials in the United States
• Served on San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors
• Harvey Milk incorporated gay rights into his platform, despite the fact that homosexuality was still considered by psychiatrists to be a mental illness
• In 1978 Supervisor Dan White, a Vietnam veteran and former police officer and fireman, was disturbed by the perceived “breakdown of traditional values and growing tolerance of homosexuality”
• In November 1978, Dan White entered City Hall and assasinated Harvey Milk, he was 48 years old
• Harvey Milk’s legacy has endured and he is remembered for his leadership and activism

Harvey Milk 1930-1978

Harvey Milk made history in San Francisco. his assassination shook the gay rights movement. Biography. (2026, June 4). https://www.biography.com/political-figures/harvey-milk

Divine

• Brought Drag to the mainstream in the 1970s-1980s
• Divine remains highly influential today, with her signature makeup being referenced by Rihanna and Chappell Roan
• Divine stared in John Waters’ 1972 film, Pink Flamingos
• “Divine always delighted in disgusting his audience, and he was truly unafraid of ugliness”
• Divine was also known for being “one of the first drag superstars to not just embrace their fatness, but really wear it as a badge of honor with a snarl on their face”
• A year after Divine’s death in 1989 Disney released The Little Mermaid, which featured a glamorous and voluptuous sea witch called Ursula. Animator Rob Minkoff, confirmed that Divine was “a direct influence on the character” 

Divine as Babs Johnson in Pink Flamingos 1972

Levine, N. (2024, October 15). Divine: How a shocking drag queen became a mainstream icon. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20241011-how-shocking-drag-queen-divine-went-mainstream

RuPaul Charles
"The Most Commercially Successful Drag Queen of All Time"

• RuPaul became a popular fixture on the nightclub scene in NYC
• In 1993, he released the song RuPaul: Supermodel, You Better Work, bringing him international fame
• In 1995, he became the first spokesperson for MAC Cosmetics
• In 1996, he landed a talk show on VH1
• RuPaul’s Drag Race began in 2009 with co-host Michelle Visage, now has over 600 episodes in the franchise
• Named One of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time Magazine in 2017

RuPaul | Producer, writer, actor. IMDb. (n.d.). https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0750412/

RuPaul Promo for RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 11, 2026

RuPaul Performs at Club USA in New York, July 29, 1993

Contemporary Drag Performers of Humboldt County

Komboujia

Sassy, classy, and a little gassy, Komboujia is a local drag artist, performer, and educator. They’re chin-deep in local projects such as singing lead in the band Vegan Slaughterhouse, producing the all-ages drag program Cistem Failure at OuterSpace Arcata, and appearing in occasional theater productions. They’d like to remind you that this is one of the only times you can legally throw things at a trans person, so tip handsomely!

Gliterous Cliterous

Gliterous Cliterous is a trans fem Latinx Diva-Dwoll (hold for applause)…(and please don’t take her seriously...) Plz do! She is a 26-year-old who fell in love with sewing, drag, and entertainment, you’ll never know what she’s going to do but you will expect to have a good time. Her Humboldt drag Journey has taught her how expensive drag is, so you better learn how to sew! But it also taught her how she can use Drag to connect with people and explore Queer freedom around the world. There is a lot of time left for her being her early-midish twenties and she want her journey to take her around the globe doing what she does best. Entertain!

Cocky Muffington

Cocky Muffington is best known for his theatrical Drag & Burlesque artistry playing with gender through a fat vessel. Decades ago he explored gender through Shakespeare, but playing Eddie in the Rocky Horror Picture Show sparked the gender euphoria that created Cocky in 2019. Cocky is proud to have worked with Exposure Drag (LA), Pillows Drag (SF), Rebel Kings Oakland, Not a Cult (Grants Pass), Renegade Review, Beast Boss Blade & Steers ‘n Queers among others. He has helped produce House of PLUR, DIVA Burlesque, Spectral Drag Brunch, and produces Drag watch parties at The Summitt in Arcata. Cocky is the father of Haus of Muffington & mentor to more than the select few in his Haus. Out of drag, Roux Star Kratt is a thespian with 3 decades of experience. When they aren’t on stage they are a designer in makeup, properties, costume, & directing. Cocky creates bespoke wearable art such as pasties, prints, & Drag jewelry for the public to purchase @createdbycocky Cocky draws much of his inspiration from villains, queer experiences, and all things camp! Because of their non-binary identity they enjoy blending gender and not adhering to the binary like traditional impersonators. He has the skills to back up his name. Cocky likes to mix his talents like he’s blending his makeup; he makes it look smooth, effortless, and yet impactful.

Kill Pop

Kill Pop is all about versatility in drag, with a strong foundation in alternative styles. Their journey started in the goth and punk communities, where costumes and makeup became the building blocks of their art. "For me, drag has been a way to explore and amplify my different sides and personalities, blending all my favorite hobbies into one bold expression. There’s no greater reward than making people smile, and that’s what keeps me going. Outside of drag, I work in a male-dominated field, so performing as an AFAB queen, whether in hyper-femme looks or monster drag, is where I can fully embrace exaggerated femininity or transform into something entirely new. It’s my way of breaking boundaries and owning the stage.”

Mr. Gino

"My name is Gina Figueroa. I grew up around a lot of toxic men. Before I knew how toxic, I idealized these men. They didn’t have to do much, yet they were taken care of and their behavior always excused or defended. They had swagger and style but also a little slime. I always felt a little uncomfortable around them. When I first put on men’s clothes, painted sideburns and wore a mustache, I felt a different kind of confidence. Mr. Gino became a way for me to take back the power I felt was lost growing up as a woman in my family and in my culture. I had to play the role to understand myself better and to heal. At first Mr. Gino was very crude and was not shy about how much he loved the ladies. His character is a player and when he first made his appearance that was clear. As I continue to heal and evolve, so has Mr. Gino. The misogynistic and sexist jokes he once entered a room with are gone. He has become more aware of how dated and over overplaying the machismo attitude has become. These days instead of just focusing on himself he is more interested in creating community, using drag, humor and fun to bring people together. Mr. Gino is always having a good time. If he is around, it’s a Party. Buckle up and have fun.