William Dorsey Swann

Swann was born into slavery and was the property of a white woman named Ann Murray in Hancock, MD. He was freed once the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. (https://www.thenation.com/article/society/drag-queen-slave-ball/)

In 1879, the Evening Star reported that the abolitionist Frederick Douglass advised that “with a full complement of 'manly' qualities the negro could and would make himself respected in every part of the republic.” In post–Civil War America, there was very little patience for men who subverted gender norms, which is why exposure towards Swann was very dangerous for him. (https://www.thenation.com/article/society/drag-queen-slave-ball/)

"Swann organized a series of balls in Washington, D.C., where 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." Because of the violence against those who weren't as traditionally masculine, these events were secretive. Invitations were often quietly made at places like the YMCA. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Dorsey_Swann)

Swann’s drag balls came with grave risks to his guests’ reputations and livelihoods. The names of those arrested and jailed were printed in the papers, where the men became targets of public scorn. Dr. Charles Hamilton Hughes described Swann’s group in an 1893 medical journal as an “organization of colored erotopaths” and a “lecherous gang of sexual perverts.” (https://www.thenation.com/article/society/drag-queen-slave-ball/)

Even after being jailed for 10 months, Swann continued having his balls. He ended up being jailed again after "stealing silverware and party supplies" to continue having these balls (https://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/teck-frontier-mine-medical-assistance-in-dying-1990s-mls-wilson-cruz-the-first-drag-queen-and-more-1.5477892/america-s-first-drag-queen-was-a-former-slave-and-lgbt-rights-crusader-says-historian-1.5478181)

During one of Swann's balls, the police raided and saw several black men dancing together, wearing silk and satin dresses. Swann, “bursting with rage,” told the police, “‘You is no gentlemen.’” A brawl ensued, and his “handsome” gown was torn to shreds. Swann and several others were arrested that night (https://qvoicenews.com/2020/03/05/william-dorsey-swann-the-1st-drag-queen-lgbtq-rights-pioneer/)

Swann, after serving 10 months in jail for "keeping a disorderly house" (running a brothel), demanded a pardon from President Grover Cleveland for holding a drag ball. While he did not receive the pardon, Swann made history by "being the the earliest recorded American to take specific legal and political steps to defend the queer community’s right to gather without the threat of criminalization, suppression, or police violence." (https://www.thenation.com/article/society/drag-queen-slave-ball/)

Swann decided to retire from the drag scene, but still made many contributions on fighting for gay liberation and breaking societal norms. His actions helped set the stage decades later for gay celebrations and protests (such as The Black Cat uprising in Silver Lake and The Patch protest organized by Lee Glaze in Wilmington) that would pave the way for the modern LGBTQ civil rights movement. Swann died in 1954. (https://qspirit.net/william-dorsey-swann-queer/)