These photos of vintage drag queens prove that female impersonation has been around for a long time.
Due to shows like Rupaul’s Drag Race (which you know you watch, even if you don’t want to admit it), drag queens are really having moment right now. Whether you are talking about Adore Delano, who aspires to be a mainstream drag queen, or Bianca Del Rio, who styles herself as a clown, there is no denying that drag queens are more publically visible than ever. This may be a bad thing for their faces, since covering up an inch of stubble during daylight hours is damn near impossible, but it’s a great thing for equal rights and tolerance, especially in all the Southern states whose closest reference to drag is a deep, satisfying drag off a meth pipe.
Nowadays, drag is all about standing out and being more beautiful than a genetic woman. In the past, drag was all about passing as a genetic woman.
READ MORE: Fabulous Drag Queens in Half Drag
In the past, drag acts like Bert Savoy and The Rocky Twins made a living my looking realistic and passing as women. It’s really an awesome thing to see how these men paved the way for all the drag queens of the future, and whether they realized it, they were starting a trans movement that is really just picking up steam today.
So enjoy these photos of the drag queens of yesteryear. Look closely, you may even see someone you recognize (damn it, Grandpa!).
Bert Savoy
The Rocky Twins
