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historyJun 29, 202412:21pending

The First Queen of Drag

About this episode

Not much is known about the first recorded drag queen in the United States, William Dorsey Swann. A man who was born into slavery in Maryland just ahead of the Civil War, Swann eventually moved to Washington, D.C. where he held parties celebrating a different form of expression. 

Tune in this week as I chat about William Dorsey Swann and how his actions are considered by some to be the origins of the LGBTQ rights movement. 

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The First Queen of Drag

Civics & Coffee: A History Podcast

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