When asked to explore the history of drag, I stumbled upon the extraordinary life of William Dorsey Swann or “The Queen” as he was known by his friends. Swann is said to be the first known person to call himself a drag queen as well as the first United States resident that took political steps to defend the queer community. His legacy was lost for almost a century before the researcher Channing Gerard Joseph rediscovered it through archives. The fact that he was a pioneer in drag as well as an advocate for political change, made me eager to find out more about his life.
William Swann was born into slavery in 1858 in Maryland and was freed after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. To live in a world of racism and prejudice and still have the courage to express yourself is amazing to me. In this world of hatred, he created another one, a world of secret drag balls where those in the LGBTQ+ community could come together and be safe from the prejudice of the law. These dance parties took place in Washington D.C. around the 1880s and were often susceptible to police raids. It was interesting to learn that the history of drag balls goes back much farther than I thought. My knowledge of the community extends to the scene from the eighties and nineties in New York City so it’s nice to know that the start goes all the way back to the late eighteen hundreds. I think that it’s also important to note the role black and brown LGBTQ+ members had in forming and shaping the community. Throughout time it is often people of color standing up to authority for the betterment of the community without receiving the recognition they deserve. Swann’s courage and participation in the underground balls led him to many run-ins with the law over the years.
The first encounter Swann had with the law was when he served time for stealing plates and silverware in 1882. Some raids broke up his dinner parties in 1887 and 1888 that drew a lot of attention from media and on lookers that saw the men dressed in silk dresses. A few years later he was falsely charged for being suspected of running a brothel. He demanded a pardon from the president but was denied making it the earliest recorded American to take legal action to defend the queer community's right to gather without being persecuted. Swann was sentenced to 300 days in jail and filed a petition of pardon three months in, that thirty of his friends signed in support. Considering the time this was taking place, this is an amazing show of community and solidarity. Not only was Swann being falsely accused but he was also receiving a larger punishment than what was normally enforced. Despite the efforts from Swann and his friends, the pardon was denied and met with prejudice and animosity.
Although the pardon wasn’t successful, Swann continued to throw secret balls for some time. Invitations to the dances often went through the YMCA where men could talk to other means easily to spread the word. The balls played popular folk songs and dances of the times like the popular cakewalk. Though the gatherings continued, it was more difficult to stay secret with the recent publicity the group had obtained from media and psychiatrists. Swann retired from running the drag ball scene by the 1900s but his legacy as a performer and an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights continues. It’s bittersweet that these records of Swann’s arrests are what tell us about his amazing legacy in the ball scene. There are no known pictures of William Swann but hopefully one day another researcher may uncover more in the mountains of archives.
-Olivia Parisi
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