William Dorsey Swann's story is remarkable. One unfortunate side effect: No images of him are known to exist, so people are now consistently sharing later photos of another performer without naming that person or mentioning his story. The photograph shows the American vaudeville duo Gregory and Brown, who caused a sensation when they introduced the cake walk to Paris in 1902. Film pioneer Louis Lumière even made a short of their act.
Of course, people have dressed differently throughout history which alludes to drag practice, but William Dorsey Swann was the first person to self-identify as a "queen of drag" and became a pioneer of modern ballroom culture. This comment section needs to give credit where it's due. We likely would not have RuPaul's Drag Race without Swann.
It's the revisionist history for me. To assert that Dorsey was the very first is incorrect and we need to honor our history. It's the same distortion when people lie and say that Marsha P Johnson threw the first brick at Stonewall. Telling anything but the true story is a shame on those who came before us.
it would be another slave r@pe movie, thats what they are leaving out, william dorsey swann was R@ped while he was a slave and this drag lifestyle was due to being a victim of white supremacy just like all issues with black people!!
Shakespeare used he phrases “enter Dressed Resembling a Girl” or “enter Dressed As Girl” in his plays as notes for male actors, which later evolved into "drag".
@@sincerelyimodel No Shakespear was NOT acting a role he was a playwriter, not an actor, I am explaining the etymology of the word 'drag', ie where the word 'drag' originally came from not whether or not Shakespeare was performing as a drag queen, which he wasn't. During Elizabethan times women were not allowed to perform on stage so young men were used to performing the female roles hence the term 'dressed as a girl, ie the abbreviation of this term is 'drag'. UK
@@Jenjen-qc5eq Sweetheart, everything you are saying here i'm very much aware of,so you're saying he was not an actor he was a playwright but yet he dressed in female clothing and put on shows, well i call that acting, if i know what acting is, yes he was also a playwright and i'm also aware of some of his sayings that we use today, I believe the confusion comes with the change in times of what a drag queen is now to back then, cause from the 70's on to now drags live their lives as women and are considered transgender women even without female parts, back then it was specifically for entertainment, which it also is used for today, but now it's a lifestyle not something for recreation.
@Marissa Coles He is bringing up the etymology while trying to discredit the black person that BBC deemed the original cause he refuse to accept the truth, it must be white for him, now that may not be relevant to you and you may find it educational but I find truth more educational.
To whoever is reading this, You are loved. You are blessed. Your dreams are manifesting as we speak. Time is on your side. Everything will work out in your favor. May you find more love, peace and prosperity❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏
title is misleading , during Shakespeare's time there were alot of *dragqueens* since no female actors at the time..so not really historically accurate. not sure if Asia did the same earlier or not.
Swann is a pioneer of modern drag culture. Being a drag queen is different than just dressing differently for an acting role. There's an entire drag/ballroom culture that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Acting a role is just acting, Swann actually lived that life, was beaten and Jailed many time for it unlike actor Shakespeare, you just can't accept that a black queen started the whole thing, well just google who was the first drag queen in history, not the first actor to put on female clothes, does that make all the actors who played roles in female clothes drag queens? it's simple, two very different things.
Speak for yourself we because I’m black to do not all agree with this type of stance so please stop saying we like it’s a majority stance it’s truly not
On one hand, it's a reminder that Black peope were seen as nothing but slaves.On the other, it's empowering because we as Black People will always find a way to laught at our pain. I choose to be happy today, *GO KINGS QUEENS.*
Excellent review of the history in DC. I had never heard this history. I teach sociology and gender at a southern university and will be sharing this video with my students. I would recommend looking into the first Drag Ball that actually takes place in the Hamilton Lodge, Harlem NYC 1869. For a deep comprehensive history this is the BEST source. Highly cited. Chauncey, George, and Carolyn Strange. "Gay new york: Gender, urban culture & the making of the gay male world, 1890-1940." Labour 39 (1997): 261. There are other sources regarding the Hamilton Lodge event, however, this book is the most comprehensive socio-historical review of the evolution of LGBTQ+ history from the 1800 Post Reconstruction era to the Lavender Scare.
@@annabell3385 I believe it’s because it’s over the top feminine clothing and style, so women and men can do it, but men are more likely to be considered a drag queen.
We should celebrate her but not in this woke fashion and propaganda way this video is stating, even before Shakespeare, Kabuki theatre of Japan had many adored female impersonators and drag queens. Were in a time now where everyone is handing out Answers for unasked questions... QUESTION EVERYTHING AT ALL TIMES! Question authority, question research, question people in power. Don't be fooled.
Kabuki theater actors are NOT drag queens Kabuki is something entirely different than modern drag culture. Just because one dresses up like a woman to perform does NOT make that person a drag queen.
I wish black people could see other lgbtq black people as black first I mean really were all the same! Nobody else knows what it's like to be us whether you are gay or straight, queen or King. How can we not show love to an ancestor that was a slave no matter what!
👎DEMON CLOWNS 👿 barely 1% look as good or better than woman & have any actual talent......please leave young children alone in school discussions, etc.......its too creepy.......❤GOD BLESS ALL XO
Your the only demon here 🤡, why'd you even click on the vid? An for them not to look good, alot of men and supposedly straight men want them 😁, an it's always been this way 😉
William Dorsey Swann's story is remarkable. One unfortunate side effect: No images of him are known to exist, so people are now consistently sharing later photos of another performer without naming that person or mentioning his story.
The photograph shows the American vaudeville duo Gregory and Brown, who caused a sensation when they introduced the cake walk to Paris in 1902. Film pioneer Louis Lumière even made a short of their act.
Thank you for that information!
Of course, people have dressed differently throughout history which alludes to drag practice, but William Dorsey Swann was the first person to self-identify as a "queen of drag" and became a pioneer of modern ballroom culture. This comment section needs to give credit where it's due. We likely would not have RuPaul's Drag Race without Swann.
It's the revisionist history for me. To assert that Dorsey was the very first is incorrect and we need to honor our history. It's the same distortion when people lie and say that Marsha P Johnson threw the first brick at Stonewall. Telling anything but the true story is a shame on those who came before us.
@@Mrxsiful then who was the first?
@@quans1770 Drag stands for Dressed As Girl in Shakespearean theatre.
No that’s not true and I’m happy that’s not true
Didn’t a Roman emperor dress in drag. Elagabalus?
This would make a great movie. I would love to see this story on screen
Yes that's what I'm saying!!
it would be another slave r@pe movie, thats what they are leaving out, william dorsey swann was R@ped while he was a slave and this drag lifestyle was due to being a victim of white supremacy just like all issues with black people!!
@@filaspeaks1094Sigh.
This is all lies, Lady Bunny was well into her 30’s and performing in backdoor alleys 20 years before all of this took place...
Did you watch the video? Lady Bunny was not even born yet
Swann was born in 1858
@@aliceswan6487 Woosh... I think the joke went way over your head... 🙄...
@@ThatGuyGabeToo Oops my b.
Lmao I'm screaming yall leave lady bunny alone
BUCK STATUS: BROKEN
He was wayyyyyyyy ahead of his time,what a couragous man he was,is there more known about the rest of his life,what he did when he was older?
Courageous…not so much
Swan was Big Mikes mentor as a young boy.😂
SO glad so much of our Black American history is so well documented, since it is so often coopted by different people.
Shakespeare used he phrases “enter Dressed Resembling a Girl” or “enter Dressed As Girl” in his plays as notes for male actors, which later evolved into "drag".
Shakespeare was acting a role, Swann lived that life, two different things.
@@sincerelyimodel No Shakespear was NOT acting a role he was a playwriter, not an actor, I am explaining the etymology of the word 'drag', ie where the word 'drag' originally came from not whether or not Shakespeare was performing as a drag queen, which he wasn't. During Elizabethan times women were not allowed to perform on stage so young men were used to performing the female roles hence the term 'dressed as a girl, ie the abbreviation of this term is 'drag'. UK
@@Jenjen-qc5eq Sweetheart, everything you are saying here i'm very much aware of,so you're saying he was not an actor he was a playwright but yet he dressed in female clothing and put on shows, well i call that acting, if i know what acting is, yes he was also a playwright and i'm also aware of some of his sayings that we use today, I believe the confusion comes with the change in times of what a drag queen is now to back then, cause from the 70's on to now drags live their lives as women and are considered transgender women even without female parts, back then it was specifically for entertainment, which it also is used for today, but now it's a lifestyle not something for recreation.
@Marissa Coles He is bringing up the etymology while trying to discredit the black person that BBC deemed the original cause he refuse to accept the truth, it must be white for him, now that may not be relevant to you and you may find it educational but I find truth more educational.
And it pisses me that "they" never mention William when talking about black gay history.
Its always Stonewall.
THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO STONEWALL WITHOUT BLACK GENDER NON CON FORMING FOLKS.....
If William Dorsey Swann gets a biopic, he should be played by RuPaul, Billy Porter, or Todrick Hall!
Hmm.. I love ru but don’t think she has the acting chops tbh. Billy would be great though!
@@moonchart only billy
no todrick hall is toxic af. racist, doesn’t pay his back up dancers or pay people for gigs. just a trash human being.
Billy Porter would serve 🙌🏽
I cannot wait to read this. Anyone have a publication date yet?
To whoever is reading this,
You are loved.
You are blessed.
Your dreams are manifesting as we speak.
Time is on your side.
Everything will work out in your favor.
May you find more love, peace and prosperity❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏
Thank you. I'm suffering from a horrible allergy right now. Your blessing is appreciated.
🤍🫶🏾
Get ready for a tell all unauthorized bio.
I want a movie about this!! ❤️
🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 love this. I hope Swann is smiling 😊 as freely himself, being recognized and celebrated (as he should).
Great story!! I learned something new today
Not first black drag queen. But first drag queen 💕
Rome... this is all I should have to write
Amen!
STOP SHOWING THAT MAN IN A DRESS AS SWANN THE QUEEN...SWANN WAS A BEAUTY
title is misleading , during Shakespeare's time there were alot of *dragqueens* since no female actors at the time..so not really historically accurate. not sure if Asia did the same earlier or not.
Exactly
Swann is a pioneer of modern drag culture. Being a drag queen is different than just dressing differently for an acting role. There's an entire drag/ballroom culture that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Swann was the first person to refer to themself as a "queen of drag"
It is not misleading 🤦🏽♀️ Clearly this is about modern Drag... Do you need your hand to be held to?
Acting a role is just acting, Swann actually lived that life, was beaten and Jailed many time for it unlike actor Shakespeare, you just can't accept that a black queen started the whole thing, well just google who was the first drag queen in history, not the first actor to put on female clothes, does that make all the actors who played roles in female clothes drag queens? it's simple, two very different things.
Black Americans are AMAZING. Every sub group. We come from LEGACY!!! So proud of our LGBTQ community ♥️🇺🇸✊🏾
Speak for yourself we because I’m black to do not all agree with this type of stance so please stop saying we like it’s a majority stance it’s truly not
On one hand, it's a reminder that Black peope were seen as nothing but slaves.On the other, it's empowering because we as Black People will always find a way to laught at our pain.
I choose to be happy today, *GO KINGS QUEENS.*
Excellent review of the history in DC. I had never heard this history. I teach sociology and gender at a southern university and will be sharing this video with my students. I would recommend looking into the first Drag Ball that actually takes place in the Hamilton Lodge, Harlem NYC 1869. For a deep comprehensive history this is the BEST source. Highly cited. Chauncey, George, and Carolyn Strange. "Gay new york: Gender, urban culture & the making of the gay male world, 1890-1940." Labour 39 (1997): 261. There are other sources regarding the Hamilton Lodge event, however, this book is the most comprehensive socio-historical review of the evolution of LGBTQ+ history from the 1800 Post Reconstruction era to the Lavender Scare.
Everyone can do drag, drag is for everyone of any gender and sexual orientation :)
If a drag queen is a female impersonator how can a female be a drag queen?
@@annabell3385 I believe it’s because it’s over the top feminine clothing and style, so women and men can do it, but men are more likely to be considered a drag queen.
reading about this person in my Doris Kindgerling BIG IDEAS book
0:22 Marcus Rashford
I find drag artists terrifying like clowns, but the bravery of this guy is to be commended.
We should celebrate her but not in this woke fashion and propaganda way this video is stating, even before Shakespeare, Kabuki theatre of Japan had many adored female impersonators and drag queens. Were in a time now where everyone is handing out Answers for unasked questions... QUESTION EVERYTHING AT ALL TIMES! Question authority, question research, question people in power. Don't be fooled.
Kabuki theater actors are NOT drag queens Kabuki is something entirely different than modern drag culture. Just because one dresses up like a woman to perform does NOT make that person a drag queen.
Trai Harder they are purposely missing that he is saying, he was the first DOCUMENTED to REFER to himself as a QUEEN.
Woke??? This is far from woke outside of just being informative
I wish black people could see other lgbtq black people as black first I mean really were all the same! Nobody else knows what it's like to be us whether you are gay or straight, queen or King. How can we not show love to an ancestor that was a slave no matter what!
Wow I didn't know that
This is absurd, really the world first, after he was used by his yt master that spirit was in him.
Drag Race?
I doubt he was the first “drag queen” or even invented the term drag. People have been dressing up in different clothes for forever. Y’all too much.
Just like they don't know.... YOU DONT KNOW EITHER
He's the first that we all now, know of, so stop hating 😁
He's the first that used the word drag to describe it
I don’t like the title it’s an accurate there were drag queens before this quite literally well documented in Greece and Asia in specific China
Demon clowns!
This is something blacks can be proud of.
I mischievously agree. More so black men can be very, very proud.( sarcasm)
@@firandcurly84 are you coming from DZ' channel lol?
An we are 😁
👎DEMON CLOWNS 👿 barely 1% look as good or better than woman & have any actual talent......please leave young children alone in school discussions, etc.......its too creepy.......❤GOD BLESS ALL XO
Your the only demon here 🤡, why'd you even click on the vid? An for them not to look good, alot of men and supposedly straight men want them 😁, an it's always been this way 😉