William Dorsey Swann

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William Dorsey Swann
Bornc. 1858
Maryland, US
Died1925
Hancock, Maryland
Other names"the Queen"[1]
Known forGay liberation activist; first drag queen

William Dorsey Swann (c. 1858 – 1925) was an American gay liberation activist. Born into slavery, he was the first person in the United States to lead a queer resistance group and the first known person to self-identify as a "queen of drag".[1]

Life and activism[]

Swann was born into slavery.[2] He was the fifth oldest child in a family with 13 children.[3] He was enslaved in Hancock, Maryland.[1][2] After the Civil War, his parents were able to buy a farm.[3] Swann's first job was as a hotel waiter.[3]

During the 1880s and 1890s, Swann organized a series of balls in Washington, D.C.[4] He called himself the "queen of drag".[1] Most of the attendees of Swann's gatherings were men who were formerly enslaved, and were gathering to dance in their satin and silk dresses.[4] Because these events were secretive, invitations were often quietly made at places like the YMCA.[1]

Swann was arrested in police raids numerous times,[4][5] including in the first documented case of arrests for female impersonation in the United States, on April 12, 1888.[4][6][7] In 1896, he was falsely convicted and sentenced to 10 months in jail for "keeping a disorderly house", i.e., running a brothel.[1][2] After his sentencing, he requested a pardon from President Grover Cleveland. This request was denied, but Swann was the first American on record who pursued legal and political action to defend the LGBTQ community's right to gather.[1][8]

Swann was known to have been close with Pierce Lafayette and Felix Hall, two men who had also both been enslaved and who formed the earliest documented male same-sex relationship between enslaved Americans.[1]

When Swann stopped organizing and participating in drag events, his brother continued to make costumes for the drag community.[2] Two of his brothers had been active participants in Swann's drag balls.[1] Swann died in 1925 in Hancock, Maryland. After his death, local officials burned his home.[3]

Legacy[]

Swann is the subject of the non-fiction book The House of Swann: Where Slaves Became Queens by Channing Joseph. It is set for publication by Picador.[7]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Channing Gerard Joseph (January 31, 2020). "The First Drag Queen Was a Former Slave". The Nation. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Lily Wakefield (February 1, 2020). "Researcher says first self-described drag queen was a formerly enslaved man who 'reigned over a secret world of drag balls' in the 1800s". PinkNews. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Joseph, Channing Gerard (May 20, 2021). "William Dorsey Swann". African American National Biography. Oxford African American Studies Center. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d "2019 Creative Nonfiction Grantee: Channing Gerard Joseph". whiting.org. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  5. ^ Channing Joseph (September 25, 2015). "The Black Drag Queens Who Fought Before Stonewall". truthdig. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  6. ^ Alma J. Hill (March 1, 2018). "An Homage to Five Generations of Black Entertainers in Orlando". watermark. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Heloise Wood (July 9, 2018). "'Extraordinary' tale of 'first' drag queen to Picador". The Bookseller. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  8. ^ Zonkel, Phillip (March 5, 2020). "William Dorsey Swann the 1st drag queen, LGBTQ rights pioneer". Q Voice News. Retrieved August 25, 2020.

Further reading[]

  • Joseph, Channing Gerard (2022). House of Swann: Where Slaves Became Queens. Picador.

External links[]

"Le Cake-Walk au Nouveau Cirque" (translated as "Now that Takes the Cake!"), a 1903 video clip recorded by Louis Lumière. This is the earliest-known recording of a performer in drag.
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