#History of drag

[omgthatdress]

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence started when three friends banded together to dress as nuns and recite a loving and forgiving liturgy to drive homophobic evangelists off of Castro Street in San Francisco. It worked. The organization quickly expanded as an advocacy group for gay rights.

When asked why they are dressed as nuns, the answer was, "We do all that traditional nuns have done for centuries. Our look might be unique, but our ministry is common. We serve our community. We have raised lots of money for AIDS and other social causes. We visit the sick, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and sometimes disrobe the clothed! We are 21st Century queer nuns."

The Sisters primarily made a name for themselves through their AIDS activism. In 1982, The Sisters published Play Fair! which was the first humorous and easy-to-understand sexual health and safety pamphlet specifically intended for gay men.

The Sisters also used their presence to shame homophobic public figures, performing "exorcisms" on Phyllis Schlaffey, Jerry Fallwell, and Pope John Paul II, as well as on the steps of the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 2023, The Los Angeles Dodgers caused a huge controversy by selecting the Sisters to receive a "community hero award" on their Pride Night game (again, the Sisters are a legendary charity group that has literally saved lives), but then they gave in to right-wing pressure and cancelled it. Eventually, they realized how badly they had fucked up and re-invited the Sisters to their game.

The sisters remain active today with many chapters across the U.S. and Canada. Membership is open to all genders and sexualities.

[gwydpolls]

Time Travel Question 74: Assorted Performances XIII

These Questions are the result of suggestions from the previous iteration.

Please add new suggestions below if you have them for future consideration.

[noperopesaredope]

80s American drag ball culture is so fascinating and cool to me from a social and historical standpoint. A while back, I watched this documentary called Paris is Burning which was released in 1990, and I am low key obsessed with it. Like, all these people were rejected by their families and society, and they often had no place to go or no one to support them. So they all ended up banding together to create chosen families. And due to general society's lack of acceptance of their forms of self expression, they decided to create a safespace that allowed them to reject these particular social norms and be themselves. This eventually evolved into a complex culture with traditions and styles of dress and language and social interactions and stuff. It's really beautiful, in a way. I have recently started getting into anthropology since it became one of my require courses, and ballroom culture is a goldmine to me.

I've actually started using it as inspiration for the world of one of my stories. It's just so real and alive and interesting, and it should be appreciated more.

[tummyyummies]

maybe being a Drag King wouldn't be a bad job for me, it might actually be very helpful/boost my confidence(lol)

[sunken-standard]

A History of Drag

[raeynbowboi]

Oh but do go on about 'back when men were men'. By all means, tell on yourselves.

[marybirdsong]

Un-boxing

[tristanaef]

It gets better! Swann's story was uncovered by journalist Channing Gerard Joseph as a graduate student. He started with just a 1888 newspaper clipping of a police raid. (You can see the newspaper clipping in this article). Without his work, we wouldn't know Swann's story! Her book House of Swann is to be published by Picador.

Joseph's Website | Twitter

(Unfortunately, the photos in this post are not of Swann himself, but they are from 1903.)

[transfagcore]

My grandfather is gay, when I visit him I like to go through his photos to scan and preserve them. This is from somewhere in the 70s.

[omgthatdress]

Drag kings became pretty rare after the turn of the century, so Stormé de Larverie is a pretty notable stand out.

She started out her career as a traveling jazz singer in feminine attire. In 1955, she became the suave MC of a drag troupe called the Jewel Box Review, which billed itself as "25 men and a girl."

Stormé was present at The Stonewall Inn when the rioting broke out, and afterwards, became an advocate for LGBT and women's rights. She was a bouncer at lesbian bars, and carried a gun to protect "her girls."

When asked about why she did her work, she answered, "Somebody has to care. People say, 'Why do you still do that?' I said, 'It's very simple. If people didn't care about me when I was growing up, with my mother being black, raised in the south.' I said, 'I wouldn't be here.'"

[makingqueerhistory]

Queer and trans communities are under attack!

For the LOVE OF DRAG, we need you to vote.

Whether you’re a fan of drag, a member of the queer community, an ally or a parent, you know what’s at stake in this election.

Hatred towards our community is rising, with trans people and drag performers as primary targets.

Drag culture is under attack. The queer community is under attack. Power-hungry politicians are using misinformation and fear to roll back rights and equality. If they succeed, Canada will be less free, less equal and less safe for our community. 

[butchqueersapphic]

Japanese actress and male impersonator, Kawaji Ryuko. Ryuko was the star of Shochiku Kagekidan Women's Theater (Shochiku Revue) in the 1940s and 50s

[justdavina]

HOT!

[theinternetarchive]

1940s drag queens pictured in 'gay by the bay: a history of queer culture in the san francisco bay area,' susan stryker.

[gwydpolls]

@possum-witch, Both Rite of Spring and Afternoon of a faun were ones I, myself, put onto polls from the very start in 2023. Faun was on the first ever poll. When the response was huge, I decided to do a whole series based on the suggestions. I ended up organizing roughly by time periods. As a result Rite of Spring went late November or early December 2024.

I would sell several fingers to see either. Eight year old me would have felt the same.

Alas, the electorate didn't agree.

Time Travel Question 74: Assorted Performances XIII

These Questions are the result of suggestions from the previous iteration.

Please add new suggestions below if you have them for future consideration.

[oleandro-drag]

saint sebastian tended by saint irene but they're both drag artists

felt like this might be something this site would enjoy

on stage: oleandro & delfi oraakel, photographer: peroksiid (on ig as oleandro_drag, delfi_oraakel and peroksiid)