Early Drag Queens: A Historical Overview

This podcast episode delves into the history of early drag queens, exploring their presence in English theater cross-dressing panics in the 1500s, the drag balls organized by formerly enslaved black men, and the female impersonators of the Vaudeville stage. The episode highlights the barriers and challenges these performers faced, as well as the societal anxieties and moral panics associated with drag. It also touches on how the movements for women's rights, gay rights, and transgender rights in the 1970s transformed the perception of drag queens, making them a staple of queer culture.