Drag show

Lore & Background

The first known drag balls in the United States were in Harlem in the 1920s, at the Rockland Palace. These shows featured extravagant performances of gays and lesbians impersonating the opposite sex and competing against one another in fashion shows. Harlem drag balls were primarily made up of people of color. White people were not excluded but did not typically participate. Drag balls were social events that brought together people on the margins of society, often meeting in secret. During World War II, parody drag shows were also a regular kind of entertainment for soldiers who dressed up as humorous-looking women and put on shows for each other. The Jewel Box Revue was the longest running drag show, performing from the 1940s until the 1970s across the United States. It had at least ten specific performances in its repertoire, with its own music and dances composed and choreographed for performers, along with comedy sketches and stand-up. The revue was made up of a diverse group including African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and whites, unusual for the times before the Civil Rights Movement. From 1955 to 1969 the Master of Ceremonies and only drag king of the revue was biracial, butch lesbian Stormé DeLarverie, whose June 1969 scuffle with police was, according to DeLarverie and many eyewitnesses, the spark that ignited the Stonewall uprising in New York City's Greenwich Village.

Reader's Guide

Drag shows have served as both entertainment and a form of social expression for marginalized communities, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals. The Jewel Box Revue, which performed from the 1940s to the 1970s, was notable for its diverse cast and for touring venues on the 'chitlin' circuit,' including the Apollo Theater. Its MC, Stormé DeLarverie, is credited by many as the catalyst for the Stonewall uprising, a pivotal event in gay rights history. In the 2000s, groups like Disposable Boy Toys used drag to challenge racism, sexism, and gender binaries. Drag brunches, popularized in urban centers, have brought drag to wider audiences, with gospel-themed versions starting in 2007. Films such as The Birdcage and To Wong Fu, and the television show RuPaul's Drag Race, have further popularized drag culture among heterosexual audiences. Drag shows remain a significant part of LGBTQ history and contemporary performance.

Did You Know?

• The first known drag balls in the United States were in Harlem in the 1920s at the Rockland Palace, primarily made up of people of color.
• Stormé DeLarverie, the only drag king of the Jewel Box Revue, is credited by many as the spark that ignited the Stonewall uprising in June 1969.
• The first Drag Camp was held in Provincetown, Massachusetts, from July 24 to August 4, 2018.