William Dorsey Swann (1858-1925)

William Dorsey Swann (circa 1858-1925) was the first known drag queen and first known to lead a gay liberation organization in the United States. William was born enslaved and liberated following the Civil War. Swann sometimes referred to himself as the "Queen of Drag".

Articles

• Police Raid on Dance House, Evening Star (Article, 1887)
• Kept A "Hell of Iniquity", Evening Star (Article, 1896)
• Made A Raid, Evening Star (Article, 1896)

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External Resources

• American Academy in Berlin, William Dorsey Swann, Queen of Drag: Uncovering America’s Black Queer History

Modern Articles About Swann

• PBS (2021), "William Dorsey Swann: The First 'Queen of Drag'"
• The Nation (2020), "The First Drag Queen Was a Former Slave"