14 Famous drag queens who changed history
07/31/18
These famous drag queens did more than put on a good show
The flamboyant world of drag doesn't discriminate when it comes to sharing the spotlight but on stage and off. British drag queens, American drag queens, famous old drag queens – drag performers, both cisgender and transgender, have sashayed their way into herstory. These famous drag queens in history – from the original drag queens to the iconic RuPaul – reshaped the political and cultural landscape, albeit in a more garish and unquestionably fabulous way.
Keep scrolling to see how these 14 famous drag queens changed the world.
Douglas Byng
One of the early pioneers of drag was British actor Douglas Byng, who honed his female impersonation craft during the days of World War I.
He first donned ladies' clothes to perform comic monologues as queens and other historical figures in the Shakespearean tradition, before transitioning into cabaret-style performances in London's renowned West End.
Byng's comedic talents made him a popular entertainer of the era, and his work laid the foundation for the later generations of drag performers. He is, perhaps, the original famous British drag queen.
Byng died in 1987. He was 94.
Coccinelle
Coccinelle (born in 1931) became the first French celebrity to undergo gender-affirming surgery in 1958 when she sought help from pioneering French gynecologist and surgeon Georges Burou at his clinic, Clinique du Parc, in Casablanca, Morocco.
“Dr. Burou rectified the mistake nature had made and I became a real woman, on the inside as well as the outside,” Coccinelle later wrote of the surgery in her 1987 autobiography, Coccinelle par Coccinelle. “After the operation, the doctor just said, 'Bonjour, Mademoiselle', and I knew it had been a success.”
In 1953, Coccinelle (French for ladybird) made her debut as a transgender drag performer at Chez Madame Arthur in Paris, then performed alongside other female impersonators at Le Carrousel de Paris.
She later became a media sensation not just because of her gender-affirming surgery, but also because she “promoted a more overtly eroticized image” than other trans women performers, historian Joanne Meyerowitz wrote in her book, How Sex Changed: A History of Transsexuality in the United States (Harvard University Press).
Later in life, she became involved in trans activism, founding the transgender support group Devenir Femme (French for "To Become Woman”) and helping establish the Centre for Aid, Research, and Information for Transsexuality and Gender Identity.
Coccinelle died in 2006 at the age of 75.
Dame Edna Everage
Dame Edna Everage (aka Barry Humphries) was the famed purple-coifred drag queen from Melbourne down under.
She made her debut in 1955 and brought an accessible version of drag to Australian television and eventually around the world. In addition to her outrageous purple hair, Dame Edna was known for her catchphrase “Hello, possums!” and garish rhinestone glasses.
Humphries caused controversy in a 2016 interview with The Telegraph, describing trans woman Caitlyn Jenner as a “publicity-seeking ratbag” and a "mutilated man.” Humphries was not worried about the controversy, adding, though, “I give offence therefore I am. Not too much offense, though."
Dame Edna was not as forgiving, claiming in a post to social media that she had fired Humphries, who she always claimed was her manager.
Humphries died in 2023 at the age of 89. He was survived by his wife, Lizzie Spender; four children; and 10 grandchildren.
Marsha P. Johnson
The uprising at the Stonewall Inn launched the modern LGBTQ+ movement in America, and drag performer Marsha P. Johnson at age 23 played a critical role. In later life she was a model and muse for Andy Warhol and became a vocal advocate for the trans community.
Johnson was a patron at the Stonewall in 1969 and is credited with being a force on the front lines fighting back against police in the days of rioting that followed.
"So the truth is Marsha was one of the first, if not first person, to physically resist the police that night,” Tourmaline, historian and author of the Johnson biography, Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson, told The Advocate in 2024.
After Stonewall, Johnson -- who identified as gay and a "transvestite" during her lifetime but is considered a mother of the trans rights movement -- helped found the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries to advocate for trans people years before other organizations did.
Her death in 1992 at the age of 46 is still shrouded in mystery and controversy. Initially ruled a death suicide, her body was pulled from the Hudson River on July 3 not long after the 1992 Pride parade..
Randolfe Wicker, a gay activist and roommate of Johnson's friend, gathered eyewitness accounts at the time. According to these accounts, Johnson's fully clothed body was left on the sidewalk for hours before the coroner arrived and there was a large wound on the back of her head. Ten years after her death in 2002, the official cause of death was changed to “undetermined” following a police investigation.
Sylvia Rivera
An orphan who started streetwalking in New York at age 11, Sylvia Rivera found a home among the city's drag community, including Marsha P. Johnson.
Rivera found herself at the center of activism after reportedly playing a key role in the Stonewall riots on her first visit to the famed Greenwich Village gay bar, although some, including Johnson, disputed her presence at the uprising.
“Well, it just so happened that that night it was muggy; everybody was being, I guess, cranky; a lot of us were involved in different struggles; and instead of dispersing, we went across the street,” Rivera said in a 2001 talk at NYC’s Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center. “Part of history forgets, that as the cops are inside the bar, the confrontation started outside by throwing change at the police. We started with the pennies, the nickels, the quarters, and the dimes. ‘Here's your payoff, you pigs!’”
Along with Johnson, Rivera became an early activist with the Gay Liberation Front. A self-described radical and revolutionary, she later founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaires with Johnson, and she pushed for the mainstreaming of trans people.
Jose Sarria
A San Francisco native and Army veteran of World War II, Jose Sarria -- also known variously as the Absolute Empress I de San Francisco, the Grand Mere, and the Widow Norton – was a drag queen, restaurateur, activist and the first known out gay candidate for public office in the U.S.
Shortly after his return from active military duty, Sarria enrolled in a local college but not long after was arrested for solicitation. Realizing the arrest would prevent him from becoming a teacher, Sarria dropped out of college and became a drag performer at the famed Black Cat Cafe. His bawdy version of the opera Carmen set in San Francisco became a local legend.
Sarria also embraced his role as an LGBTQ+ activist, and founded of the Imperial Court System, one of the oldest continuously running activist groups fighting for gay rights. He made history in 1961when he became the first out gay candidate for political office when he ran for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
Sarria died of natural causes in 2013. He was either 89 or 90. Military and city leaders were among the estimated 1,000+ mourners who attended his drag-themed funeral, including many dressed in full drag regalia. He was interred with full military honors.
Lee Brewster
After he was fired in the 1960s as a clerk with the FBI for being gay, Lee Brewster moved to New York where he became a major mover of the Greenwich Village scene. It was a long way from his log cabin birth in Honacker, Virginia, in 1943.
Once ensconced in NYC, he joined the gay activist Mattachine Society, organized drag balls, and later opened Lee's Mardi Gras Boutique, the first store catering primarily to cross-dressers. He also founded the Queens Liberation Army publishing Drag magazine.
Brewster died in 2000. He was 57.
RuPaul
RuPaul Charles first gained a following dancing in the Atlanta drag scene. His early career included appearances in the B-52's "Love Shack" music video. where his energetic dance moves and flamboyant style began to garner attention. In 1993 RuPaul truly saw mainstream recognition with the release of his house music album Supermodel of the World. The album's title track, "Supermodel," became a hit, establishing RuPaul as a drag star.
In 2009, RuPaul launched RuPaul’s Drag Race, arguably the most significant industry contribution to drag culture. It helped to destigmatize drag, showcasing artistry, elegance, and diversity, while challenging outdated and offensive stereotypes.
The show has since expanded into a global franchise, with international versions and spin-off shows. RuPaul has helped launch the careers of numerous drag queens.
Divine
If RuPaul represents the elegant side of drag, Divine (aka Harris Glenn Milstead) is her outrageous bad girl sister from the streets of Baltimore.
While other drag queens found a way to attract a mainstream audience, likely none before Divine brought queer culture so aggressively to the wider world. A muse to movie director John Waters, the plus-sized performer starred in early Waters filmsMondo Trasho, Multiple Maniacs, and, most notably, cult classic Pink Flamingos, where he infamously ingested the fecal offerings of a constipated poodle. Divine also recorded a number of disco tracks that became international hits, including "I'm So Beautiful" and "Walk Like a Man."
Divine was ready to break into the mainstream with a guest appearance as Uncle Otto on Fox’s wildly successful sitcom Married With Children when he passed away in 1988 at the age of 42.
Lady Bunny
Lady Bunny was part of the Atlanta club scene occupied by RuPaul, before Bunny moved to NYC where she embraced the local drag scene. Lady Bunny became a staple in New York nightlife during the Club Kids era, a time known for its extravagant and outrageous parties and personalities like the late convicted killer Michael Alig.
In the mid-1980s, Lady Bunny founded Wigstock, a street festival celebrating drag culture. The festival originated in the East Village and quickly gained popularity, attracting thousands of attendees annually. Wigstock became a significant event in the drag community, providing a platform for drag queens to showcase their talent and creativity.
Over the years, Lady Bunny has taken her show on the road, appeared in numerous movies, and even appeared in an episode of Sex in the City.
Bunny courted controversy when she criticized the failed Presidential campaign of former Vice President Kamala Harris. However, she remains a popular performer who attracts sell-out audiences for her rambunctious shows.
Pepper LeBeija
Pepper LaBeija, a prominent figure in Jennie Livingston's documentary Paris Is Burning, was a trailblazer in the Harlem drag ball scene. Remembered as the last queen of these iconic balls by The New York Times, LaBeija's influence extended beyond the stage. By establishing the first of the four renowned Harlem drag houses, she provided a sense of community and belonging for those seeking acceptance and a place within New York City's vibrant gay scene.
Despite identifying as a heterosexual woman and being married to a man, LeBeijia created a safe haven for individuals who were ostracized by their families due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Her legacy lies not only in her role as a drag queen but also as a maternal figure who nurtured and supported those who were marginalized by society.
Candis Cayne
A drag performer in New York City clubs in the early 1990s, Candis Cayne became the first trans actress to land a recurring gig on a prime-time show, ABC's Dirty Sexy Money. She hosted The Advocate's 50th-anniversary gala and published a style guide in 2017. She also gained wider fame for her recurring role as the Fairy Queen on the television show, The Magicians.
Conchita
Tom Neuwirth performed in the late 2000s with the Austrian boy band Jetzt Anders! but found international fame after introducing the female stage persona Conchita Wurst in 2011. The bearded drag star stunned the world and won the televised Eurovision Song Contest in 2014, drawing acclaim and condemnation from all the expected places.
Pandora Panti Bliss
Rory O'Neill has performed in Irish clubs under the stage names Panti and Panti Bliss for decades. While his drag persona is widely recognized, it was his daytime identity as Rory O'Neill that catapulted him into the mainstream spotlight.
During an interview on RTE's Saturday Night Show, O'Neill made headlines by accusing several Irish journalists of homophobia, sparking widespread debate and discussion, ultimately leading The Independent to dub Panti "Ireland's high queen of LGBT activism."
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