List of drag queens

This is a list of drag queens, sometimes known as female impersonators, drag performers, or drag artists. A drag queen is a person, usually a man, who dresses (or "drags") in female clothes and make-up for special occasions and usually because they are performing and/or entertaining. The term comes from Polari, a subset of English slang that was popular in some gay communities in the early part of the 20th century. Drag meant "clothes", and originated from Shakespeare's time when only men performed live theater.

Miss Shangay Lily
John Epperson
RuPaul

Performers

Stage Name Name Lifetime Nationality Notes
Vale, ChristeeneChristeene Vale Paul Soileau b. ? American
Miss J Alexander, J.J. Alexander b. 1958 American [1]
  Arias, JoeyJoey Arias b. ? American [2]
  Aviance, KevinKevin Aviance b. 1968 American [3]
  Bailey, JimJim Bailey b. 1949 American [4]
Bar, Shirley TempleShirley Temple Bar Declan Buckley b. ? Irish [5]
Sicks, The KinseyThe Kinsey Sicks Spencer Brown, Irwin Keller, Jeff Manabat, Ben Schatz b. 1993 American
Barbette Vander Clyde 1899—1973 American [6]
Beat, JackieJackie Beat Kent Fuher b. ? American [7]
  Berle, MiltonMilton Berle 1908—2002 American [8]
Blakk, Joan JettJoan Jett Blakk Terence Smith b. ? American [9]
Sister Boom-Boom Jack Fertig b. ? American [10]
Bourbon, RaeRae Bourbon Hal Wadell 1892(?)—1971 American [11]
Buffet, CookieCookie Buffet Christopher Dyer b. 1970 American [12]
Bunny, LadyLady Bunny Jon Ingle b. 1962 American [13]
Chablis, LadyLady Chablis Benjamin Edward Knox b. 1957 American [14]
Christ, PeachesPeaches Christ Joshua Grannell b. 1974 American [15]
Imfurst, MimiMimi Imfurst Braden Chapman b. ? American
Mary Dale Busch, CharlesCharles Busch b. 1954 American [16]
Davis, VaginalVaginal Davis Clarence Dennis Williams b. 1969 American [17]
Pollo Del Mar Paul E. Pratt b. ? American [18]
Divine Glen Milstead 1945—1988 American [19]
Divine, DreuxillaDreuxilla Divine   b. 1974 Puerto Rican [20]
Russella Russell David b. ?, British [21]
  Dorsey, IssanIssan Dorsey 1933—1990 American [22]
Diana Dzhaketov Deshawn Helmick b. 1988 American [23]
DQ Peter Andersen b. 1973 Danish [24]
Eichelberger, EthylEthyl Eichelberger James Roy Eichelberger 1945—1990 American [16]
Eltinge, JulianJulian Eltinge William Julian Dalton 1881—1941 American [25]
  Engfors, RickardRickard Engfors b. 1976 Swedish [26]
Everage, Dame EdnaDame Edna Everage Humphries, BarryBarry Humphries b. 1934 Australian [27]
The Fabulous Wonder Twins Louis Alberto and Carlos Eduardo Campos b. 1967 Salvadoran [28]
  Feghali, BassemBassem Feghali b. 1977 Lebanese [29]
  Fierstein, HarveyHarvey Fierstein b. 1952 American [30]
Regina Fong Bundy, RegReg Bundy 1941—2003 English [31]
Miss Opal Foxx Smoke, BenjaminBenjamin Smoke 1960—1999 American [32]
Gilbert, SkySky Gilbert Schuyler Lee Gilbert, Jr b. 1952 Canadian [33]
Haldane, HeatherHeather Haldane Phil Berglin b. 1976 American
Evie Harris Plotnick, JackJack Plotnick b. 1968 American [34]
Heklina   b. ? American [35]
Honey, Lady CloverLady Clover Honey Kevin Clover Welsh b. ? American [36]
House of LeMay Bob Bolyard (Amber LeMay), Johnnie McLaughlin (Lucy Belle), Michael Hayes (Margaurite LeMay) ? American [37]
Houston, BritneyBritney Houston   b. ? American [38]
Howard-Howard, MargoMargo Howard-Howard Robert Hesse 1935—1988 American [39]
  Jaxon, FrankieFrankie Jaxon 1895—1944 American [40]
Jazzmun Nichcalo Dion Crayton b. ? American [41]
Joan-E Kaiser, RobertRobert Kaiser b. ? Canadian [42]
Johnson, Marsha P.Marsha P. Johnson Malcolm Michaels, Jr. 1944—1992 American [43]
Jones, T. C.T. C. Jones   1920—1971 American [44]
Kelly Sullivan, Liam KyleLiam Kyle Sullivan b. 1973 American [45]
Kiki, of Kiki and Herb Bond, JustinJustin Bond b. 1963 American [46]
Lamotte, MadoMado Lamotte Luc Provost b. ? Canadian [47]
LaRue, Chi ChiChi Chi LaRue Larry David Paciotti b. 1959 American [48]
LaRue, DannyDanny LaRue Daniel Patrick Carroll 1927—2009 Irish [25]
Act, CourtneyCourtney Act Shane Janek 1982— Australian [25]
Lee, TraceyTracey Lee Maxwell Ritchie b. 1933 Australian [49]
Leon, FrancisFrancis Leon Patrick Glassey 1844—? American [50]
Leonid the Magnificent Leonid Filatov b. 1973 Russian [51]
Lettuce, HeddaHedda Lettuce Steven Polito b. ? American [52]
Lily, ShangayShangay Lily   b. 1963 Spanish [53]
  Lindarw, ChristerChrister Lindarw b. 1953 American [54]
Shirley Q. Liquor Knipp, ChuckChuck Knipp b. 1961 Dual USA/Can [55]
  Ludlam, CharlesCharles Ludlam 1943—1987 American [56]
Lypsinka Epperson, JohnJohn Epperson b. 1955 American
Jean Malin Malin, GeneGene Malin 1908—1933 American [57]
  Marchan, BobbyBobby Marchan 1930—1999 American [58]
  Marino, FrankFrank Marino b. 1965 American [59]
Markova, WalterinaWalterina Markova Walter Dempster, Jr. 1922—2005 Filipino [60]
Maxwell, BriniBrini Maxwell Ben Sander b. 1969 American [61]
Merman, Varla JeanVarla Jean Merman Jeffery Roberson b. ? American [62]
Miwa, AkihiroAkihiro Miwa Maruyama Akihiro b. 1935 Japanese [63]
Montilla, SilvettySilvetty Montilla Silvio Cássio Bernardo b. 1967 Brazilian [64]
Needles, SharonSharon Needles Aaron Coady b. 1981 American [65]
Norman, KarylKaryl Norman George Peduzzi 1897—1947 American [66]
The Widow Norton Sarria, JoséJosé Sarria b. 1922 or 1923 American [67]
Ombres, DeborahDeborah Ombres Javier Díaz b. 1975 Spanish [68]
Glennda Orgasm Belverio, GlennGlenn Belverio b. 1966 American [69]
Panti Rory O'Neill b. 1968 Irish [5]
Pantsdown, PaulinePauline Pantsdown Simon Hunt b. ? Australian [70]
Peppermint Kevin Moore b. ? American
Peru, Miss CocoMiss Coco Peru Clinton Leupp b. ? American [71]
  Pierce, CharlesCharles Pierce 1926—1999 American [25]
Pollyfilla Colin McLean b. 1978 New Zealander [72]
Regina the Gentlelady Reg Vermue b. ? Canadian [73]
Sister Roma   b. 1962 American [74]
RuPaul RuPaul Andre Charles b. 1960 American [75]
Russell, CraigCraig Russell Russell Craig Eadie 1948—1990 Canadian [76]
Ryan, RustyRusty Ryan Robert Timbrell 1947—2003 Canadian [77]
Sachet, DonnaDonna Sachet   b. 1954 American [78]
Samantha Duddy, SammySammy Duddy 1945—2007 Irish [79]
Lily Savage O'Grady, PaulPaul O'Grady b. 1955 English [25]
Serduchka, VerkaVerka Serduchka Andriy Mykhailovych Danylko b. 1973 Ukrainian [80]
Shequida Gary Hall b. ? American [81]
Shirley Wood, EdEd Wood 1924—1978 American [82]
Mable "Madea" Simmons Perry, TylerTyler Perry b. 1969 American [83]
St. James, JamesJames St. James James Clark b. 1966 American [84]
Star, JeffreeJeffree Star Jeffree Star b. 1986 American [85]
Sylvester Sylvester James, Jr 1947—1988 American [86]
Taboo! Tashjian, StephenStephen Tashjian b. 1959 American [87]
Tourette, PussyPussy Tourette   b. ? American [88]
Frau Martha Wäber Hansy Vogt b. ? German [89]
Wisdom, WandaWanda Wisdom Bradley Traynor b. 1975 American [90]
Brown, TammieTammie Brown Keith Glen Schuber b. ? American
Flowers, NinaNina Flowers Jorge Flores b. ? Puerto Rican
Zahara Benet, BeBeBeBe Zahara Benet Nea Marshall Kudi b. 1981 Cameroonian
Vine, SherrySherry Vine Keith Levy 1922-present American
Wurst, ConchitaConchita Wurst Thomas "Tom" Neuwirth b. 1988 Austrian

References

  1. ↑ Brubach, Holly; O'Brien, Michael James (1999), Girlfriend: Men, Women, and Drag, Random House, p. 74, ISBN 0-679-41443-6
  2. ↑ Kaufman, Sarah (October 21, 2004), "The Daring Young Man Off the Flying Trapeze", The Washington Post, retrieved 2008-10-24
  3. ↑ Wright, Kai (2008), Drifting Toward Love: Black, Brown, Gay, and Coming of Age on the Streets of New York, Beacon Press, p. 85, ISBN 0-8070-7968-5
  4. ↑ Fairbanks, Brian (2005), Brian Fairbanks Is Gay, Lulu.com, pp. 67–8, ISBN 1-4116-2053-4
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Fionn Davenport, Charlotte Beech, Tom Downs, Des Hannigan, Fran Parnell, Neil Wilson (2006), Ireland, Lonely Planet, ISBN 1-74059-968-3
  6. ↑ Liner, Elaine (2002-06-13), "Swingers: Barbette soars to greatness with the tragic tale of a trapeze artist", Dallas Observer, retrieved 2008-10-24
  7. ↑ Kusner, Daniel A. (15 February 2007), "Getting the beat on dirty Jackie", Dallas Voice, retrieved 2008-10-24
  8. ↑ Miller, Toby (2003), Television: Critical Concepts in Media and Cultural Studies, Taylor & Francis, p. 259, ISBN 0-415-25504-X
  9. ↑ Keehnen, Owen (1992), "The Drag Queen who Ran for President", glbtq.com, retrieved 2008-10-24
  10. ↑ Ornstein, Norman (30 October 1995), "Who Will Win the White House?", Fortune (magazine), retrieved 2008-10-24
  11. ↑ Riddle, Randy A. (2005), Don't Call Me Madam - the life and work of Ray Bourbon, retrieved 2013-05-30
  12. ↑ Anderton, Bryan (27 June 2003), "The man behind the diva", Washington Blade, retrieved 2008-10-24
  13. ↑ Wadler, Joyce (1999-09-03), "The Lady Bunny at the forefront of Wigstock Flamboyant? Certainly, From Head to Heels", New York Times, retrieved 2008-10-24
  14. ↑ Chablis, Lady; Bouloukos, Theodore (1996), Hiding My Candy: The Autobiography of the Grand Empress of Savannah, Pocket Books
  15. ↑ Harmanci, Reyhan (12 July 2007), "A decade of drag", San Francisco Chronicle, retrieved 2008-10-24
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Niles, Richard (2004), "Wigs, Laughter, and Subversion", in Underwood, Lisa, The Drag Queen Anthology: The Absolutely Fabulous But Flawlessly Customary World of Female Impersonators, Haworth Press, pp. 35–9, ISBN 1-56023-285-4
  17. ↑ Muñoz, José Esteban (1999), Disidentifications: Queers of Color and the Performance of Politics, U of Minnesota Press, p. 99, ISBN 0-8166-3015-1
  18. ↑ Juul, Justin (13 February 2008), "Pollo Del Mar explains it all for you", San Francisco Bay Guardian, archived from the original on 2008-04-04, retrieved 2008-07-12
  19. ↑ ""Divine" biography", The New York Times, retrieved 2007-12-05
  20. ↑ Rúa, Russell (30 June 2007), "La modelo, al centro, celebró sus 30 años de edad junto a familiares y amigos", Primera Hora, retrieved 2008-10-24
  21. ↑ Bartholomew, Emma (January 19, 2012). "Flip Side of Drag Star". Hackney Gazette.
  22. ↑ Thumma, Scott; Gray, Edward R. (2005), Gay Religion, Rowman Altamira, p. 144, ISBN 0-7591-0326-7
  23. ↑ St. James, James (25 April 2015), "Straight Guys Try Drag for the First Time", The WOW Report, retrieved 2015-04-25
  24. ↑ Osborn, Michael (8 May 2007), "Drag acts lead Eurovision parade", BBC News, retrieved 2008-10-24
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 Senelick, Laurence (2000), The Changing Room: Sex, Drag and Theatre, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-15986-5
  26. ↑ Lamphier, Jason, "Swede Charity", Out.com, retrieved 2008-10-24
  27. ↑ Ferris, Lesley (1993), Crossing the Stage: Controversies on Cross-dressing, Routledge, p. 11, ISBN 0-415-06269-1
  28. ↑ "The Drag Queen Hall Of Fame".
  29. ↑ Battah, Habib (28 September 2007), "Transvestite takes on Arab TV", Variety, retrieved 2008-10-24
  30. ↑ Terrill, Mark J. (27 November 2003), "'Hairspray' drag queen to play Mrs. Claus at Macy's parade", USA Today, retrieved 2008-10-24
  31. ↑ Smyth, Cherry (1996), Damn Fine Art by New Lesbian Artists: By New Lesbian Artists, Cassell, p. 48, ISBN 0-304-33364-6
  32. ↑ Noh, David, "Benjamin Smoke", Film Journal, retrieved 2008-10-26
  33. ↑ "Sky Gilbert plans new Hamilton Theatre project", CBC News, 29 January 2007, retrieved 2008-10-24
  34. ↑ Mackie, Drew (28 August 2006), "Jack Plotnick Is More Than "That Guy From Ellen"", AfterElton.com, retrieved 2008-02-27
  35. ↑ Harmanci, Reyhan (10 May 2007), "Old Ain't So Bad", San Francisco Chronicle, retrieved 2008-10-26
  36. ↑ "Opening for "Bright Lights Queer City" at Leslie Lohman Gay Art Foundation", Art Fuse, 14 July 2010, retrieved 2012-01-29
  37. ↑ Resmer, Cathy (27 September 1995), "The Babes of Beaver Pond", Seven Days, retrieved 2006-02-07
  38. ↑ Cantiello, Jim (3 July 2008), "Britney Houston Recruits 'Britney Cat Dolls' For Pussycat Dolls Parody", MTV.com, retrieved 2008-10-26
  39. ↑ Howard-Howard, Margo; Michaels, Abbe (1988), I Was a White Slave in Harlem, New York: Four Walls Eight Windows, ISBN 0-941423-68-9
  40. ↑ Oliver, Paul (1998), The Story of the Blues, UPNE, p. 75, ISBN 1-55553-354-X
  41. ↑ Melby, Leah (13 June 2008), "Queen Jazzmun", La2Day.Com, retrieved 2008-10-24
  42. ↑ Herdman, Cameron (2 August 2007), "Life is a cabaret", Xtra!, retrieved 2008-10-26
  43. ↑ Holmlund, Chris; Fuchs, Cynthia (1997), Between the Sheets, in the Streets: Queer, Lesbian, and Gay Documentary, U of Minnesota Press, p. 220, ISBN 0-8166-2774-6
  44. ↑ "The Impersonator", Time magazine, 1959-07-20, retrieved 2009-01-26
  45. ↑ Maroney, Padraic (29 September 2008), ""Uber-fabulous" Liam Kyle Sullivan", EDGE (Boston), retrieved 2008-10-25
  46. ↑ Linn, Amy (27 September 1995), "Drag Kings", San Francisco Weekly, retrieved 2008-10-24
  47. ↑ Diaz, Sébastien (14 September 2005), "Six divas dans une villa", canoe.ca, retrieved 2008-10-24
  48. ↑ Tinkcom, Matthew; Villarejo, Amy (2001), Keyframes: Popular Cinema and Cultural Studies, Routledge, p. 226, ISBN 0-415-20281-7
  49. ↑ State Library of New South Wales, "Tracey Lee Papers: Biographical Note". Retrieved 2011-02-05.
  50. ↑ Toll, Robert C. (1974), Blacking Up: The Minstrel Show in Nineteenth-century America, New York: Oxford University Press
  51. ↑ Medalis, Kara A. (13 July 2007), "'Big Brother 8' -- the summer's gultiest pleasure", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, retrieved 2008-10-25
  52. ↑ Brooks, Jake; Rosen, Jamie (1999), Nice Job!: The Guide to Cool, Odd, Risky, and Gruesome Ways to Make a Living, Ten Speed Press, p. 68, ISBN 1-58008-033-2
  53. ↑ "Gays y lesbianas en reality shows", Corrientes Noticias (in Spanish), 29 May 2006
  54. ↑ "Nu ska dragkings också bli folkkära", Aftonbladet (in Swedish), 30 July 2004, retrieved 2008-10-25
  55. ↑ Moylan, Brian (16 April 2004), "Controversial drag queen coming to D.C.", Washington Blade, retrieved 2008-10-25
  56. ↑ Koch, Blaise (2002), In, Around, Through & Out: An Actor's Life, Spearhead, p. 237, ISBN 0-86486-528-7
  57. ↑ Chauncey, George (1995), Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940, Basic Books, p. 314, ISBN 0-465-02621-4
  58. ↑ Hannusch, Jeff (1999), "Bobby Marchan, 69, noted N.O. R&B artist", Times-Picayune, retrieved 2009-11-27
  59. ↑ Marino, Frank; Marks, Steve; Marks, Cathy (1997), His Majesty, the Queen: Frank Marino, Frank Marino Enterprises, ISBN 0-9640903-4-1
  60. ↑ Makilan, Aubrey SC (28 August 2005), "Walterina Markova: The 'Comfort Gay'", Bulatlat, retrieved 2008-10-25
  61. ↑ Hedges, Chris (8 January 2000), "Part Martha Stewart, Part RuPaul; 'Brini Maxwell Show' Offers Household Tips in Drag", New York Times, retrieved 2008-10-25
  62. ↑ Gates, Anita (29 February 2000), "Varla Jean's a New Gal, But Life's Still a Drag", New York Times, retrieved 2008-10-25
  63. ↑ Canby, Vincent (18 September 1991), "In Tokyo, A Queen Of Crime In Drag", New York Times, retrieved 2008-10-25
  64. ↑ Tosi, Cristiano (7 January 2005), "Uma Paixão Nordestina", Mix Brasil, archived from the original on 2008-05-17, retrieved 2008-10-26
  65. ↑ Tanner Stransky (April 30, 2012). "'RuPaul's Drag Race' winner America's Next Drag Superstar speaks out". Entertainment Weekly.
  66. ↑ Saskatchewan, University of, Ambisextrous: Gender Impersonators of Music Hall and Vaudeville - Karyl Norman, retrieved 2013-05-29
  67. ↑ Pettis, Ruth M. (2004), "Sarria, José", glbtq.com, retrieved 2008-10-25
  68. ↑ "´Caiga quien caiga´ volverá con Manel Fuentes el día 28", El Periódico Extremadura (in Spanish), 19 January 2005
  69. ↑ Banham, Martin (1995), The Cambridge Guide to Theatre, Cambridge University Press, p. 363, ISBN 0-521-43437-8
  70. ↑ Scalmer, Sean (2002), Dissent Events: Protest, the Media, and the Political Gimmick in Australia, UNSW Press, p. 169, ISBN 0-86840-651-1
  71. ↑ Snow, Nicholas (May 3, 2013). "Miss Coco Peru Reflects on Her Recent Conversation With Jane Fonda". HuffingtonPost.com. The Huffington Post. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
  72. ↑ Stuart, Jaimee (24 April 2006), "The Life and Times of the Divine Miss P (review)", Salient (Wellington, NZ: Victoria University), retrieved 2008-10-25
  73. ↑ "Gentleman Reg gets Fired up". The Grid, July 22, 2011.
  74. ↑ Shaw, Aiden (2006), My Undoing: Love in the Thick of Sex, Drugs, Pornography, and Prostitution, Carroll & Graf Publishers, p. 250, ISBN 0-7867-1743-2
  75. ↑ Gianoulis, Tina (2002), "RuPaul (RuPaul Andre Charles)", glbtq.com, retrieved 2008-10-25
  76. ↑ Jeffreys, Joe E. (2002), "Russell, Craig", glbtq.com, retrieved 2008-10-25
  77. ↑ "Rusty Ryan". Xtra!, August 20, 2003.
  78. ↑ Robert Selna, Erin Allday, Marisa Lagos, Erin Allday, Audrey Cooper (22 October 2008), "Tall price for lot near future Transbay Terminal", San Francisco Chronicle, retrieved 2008-10-26
  79. ↑ McHardy, Anne (22 October 2007), "Sammy Duddy", The Guardian (London), retrieved 2008-10-25
  80. ↑ Fawkes, Helen (2 April 2007), "Eurovision act angers Ukrainians", BBC News, retrieved 2008-10-25
  81. ↑ Valentine, David (2007), Imagining Transgender: An Ethnography of a Category, Duke University Press, p. 13, ISBN 0-8223-3869-6
  82. ↑ Wood, Jr., Ed (1995), Let Me Die in Drag, Gorse, ISBN 1-899006-02-8
  83. ↑ Littleton, Darryl (2006), Black Comedians on Black Comedy: How African-Americans Taught Us to Laugh, Hal Leonard Corporation, p. 300, ISBN 1-55783-680-9
  84. ↑ Visco, Gerry (25 May 2007), A Guide Book for Teenage Freaks, New York Blade, retrieved 2008-10-25
  85. ↑ Smith, Kevin (May 24, 2007). "Queen of the Internet". Arizona Star. Archived from the original on 2007-06-01. Retrieved 2007-06-09.
  86. ↑ Peraino, Judith Ann (2006), Listening to the Sirens: Musical Technologies of Queer Identity from Homer to Hedwig, University of California Press, p. 192, ISBN 0-520-21587-7
  87. ↑ Guha, Rohin (29 September 2008), "Trills, Thrills and Frills: "The Nightingale" @ Participant Inc.", BlackBook Magazine, retrieved 2008-10-25
  88. ↑ Murray, Raymond (1996), Images in the Dark: An Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Film and Video, Plume, p. 431, ISBN 0-452-27627-6
  89. ↑ "Ein Festival der guten Laune", Bkz Online (in German), 15 April 2008, retrieved 2008-10-25
  90. ↑ Walch, Rob; Lafferty, Mur (2006), Tricks of the Podcasting Masters, Que Publishing, pp. 78–9, ISBN 0-7897-3574-1
This is an incomplete list that may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.