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Texas Drag Throughout History
Posted on July 16, 2024 at 6:25 pm

The Politics of Texas Drag in 2024

The Texas Legislature introduced hundreds of bills targeting the LGBTQIA+ community in 2023 and 2024. Senate Bill 12 stands out as a law that described drag as a “sexual” and inappropriate performance restricted to viewers over 18 years old. The law seeks to criminalize drag performers, but due to its vague language, it will endanger many other forms of artistic and free expression, including Broadway performers, karaoke performances, and cheerleading routines. 

In SB 12, drag performances are twisted into an unseemly event, a description that is far from the reality of drag, its history, and its performers. Drag is more than just lip-syncing and makeup and beautiful outfits, although these elements do contribute to the vibrancy of the art form. Drag is also an act of protest and resilience. Throughout history in Texas, from Prohibition in the 1920s and 30s, to the AIDS epidemic, to LGBTQIA+ backlash today, drag has generated powerful connections and community, self-expression, and freedom. 

Coming right off the heels of Pride Month, International Drag Day on July 16 is a celebration of drag as an art form and the culture it has created. As Pride Month celebrates the history, struggles, and victories of the LGBTQIA+ community, it also underscores the importance of protecting the freedom and expression that drag embodies. A Houston native, Black trans activist Verniss McFarland III (she/they), founder of The Mahogany Project, told the Texas Tribune that “drag is how we’ve buried our dead, and how we’ve raised money for our community and programs.” The history of Texas drag is rich and fascinating, and highlights the resilience and joy of the drag community throughout time.

Francis Renault, a popular drag queen from the 1920s, who often performed in Texas.

Texas Drag During the 20th Century

Crossdressing and genderbending have been subtly referenced in Texas news articles as far back as the late 1800s. “Female impersonator” acts were on display at the State Fair of Texas in 1890, the Dallas Morning News reported. In 1910, The News wrote a story about “best in world” female impersonator Elliott Stuart. The Houston Chronicle wrote a brief article in August of 1912 about a girl who was arrested and fined for walking in the street in men’s clothing. 

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, drag flourished. During Prohibition, queer artists performed often in underground clubs and bars. A news article from 1924 noted the “marvelous” gowns worn by Francis Renault, a drag queen who traveled throughout the United States and often performed in Texas. Villa Fontana, Dallas’ first gay bar, opened in the 1950s, and drew large crowds at night performances. The Corpus Christi Times printed advertisements for drag shows, also titled “Female Impersonators” or “Boys Will Be Girls”. Despite their popularity, drag shows were continually targeted by police. In 1938, a Houston drag show venue the Wagon Wheel was intentionally set ablaze, demonstrating the prevailing hate and prejudice during this time.

Bobby Allen was a drag queen during the 1940s, and his story was featured in a Dallas newspaper from 1986.

An article in a Dallas newspaper from 1986, written by Phil Johnson, tells the story of Bobby Allen, who was a “female impersonator” in the 1930s. In 1936, Bobby auditioned for a voice and dance performance. However, the director noticed his handsome face and small build, and introduced him to the art of female impersonation. 

A review from the newspaper at the time stated: “The Torch K-9 Club on the Ft. Worth Pike is a rendezvous for the local buttercups these nights. Female impersonators all rouged up, coquettish as any flapper, sing their songs, flirt their handkerchiefs, proudly display their charms.” The show was a “smash.” The 1986 article continues on in a clever and humorous manner. It mentions arrests, which were rampant at the time: “The police raided the Poppy Club, and all the entertainers were hauled off to jail, charged with ‘impersonating a female.’ (What else would a female impersonator impersonate?)”

While the arrests highlight a culture of ignorance and criminalization of queer identities, the author addresses these realities in his writing with a humor that remains funny and engaging today. The article details Bobby’s romantic endeavors, one being an “All-American football player”, noting, “Yes, Virginia, gays are athletes as well as entertainers”, who “wined and dined (and other things) Bobby all summer.” Bobby joined the armed forces in 1941, where he met a First Lieutenant who “wined and dined (and other things) Bobby.” After four years of dedicated service, Bobby earned an Ed.D and taught high school in Texas for more than 30 years.

Advertisements in articles from the 1930s promoting drag performers, or “female impersonators”, in Corpus Christi.

The final quote of the article is advice from the author, directed to drag performers of the 1980s: “If you should see a dignified gentleman sitting near your runway and leading the applause, be especially nice to him. After all, he may be one of those who paved the path you now trod.” This quote embodies the values of family, generational respect, and support that defines the drag community. The story of Bobby is deeply human. By portraying a man whose life encompassed education, the military, and drag, Bobby’s journey challenges conventional expectations of drag performers. His long-term occupation as a high school teacher illustrates the significance and normalcy of the queer community in Texas. While obscure, Bobby’s story is timeless and inspirational. 

The Wagon Wheel was a popular venue for drag performances during the 1930s, until it was burned down.

Modern Day Bans on Drag

Bobby embodies quintessential American values like strength, intelligence, and hard work. Stories of past drag performers like him illustrate how drag offers a potent space of freedom and joy. These performers break boundaries and surpass conventional expectations. While drag is a performance, drag also allows queer individuals to explore their identity and individuality. This wonderful freedom of expression, though, has faced increasing protests and threats in Texas and across the country. In Dallas, Representative Bryan Slaton compared drag show restrictions for minors to regulations that prevent children from entering liquor stores, bars, and tattoo parlors. 

Drag bans have developed alongside a broader legislative trend of policies targeting LGBTQ+ rights in Texas, particularly those of transgender individuals. Republican lawmakers have introduced bills aiming to restrict access to gender-affirming care and to ban children from drag shows by classifying these venues as “sexually oriented businesses.” Such measures are part of a broader pattern of discrimination that has been intensifying across the state.

Newspaper clipping from 1933 in the San Antonio Light reporting on the fire that destroyed Wagon Wheel Night Club.

The resilience of the drag community in Texas is a testament to its strength and solidarity in the face of adversity. Even as they face legislative attacks and protests, drag performers and their supporters continue to gather, perform, and celebrate their identities. The community provides a crucial support network, offering safe and inclusive spaces for both young and old queer individuals. These spaces are vital, especially in areas where LGBTQ+ people may face significant hostility and discrimination.

Drag performances remain a powerful expression of freedom and joy. As Nayda Montana, a Dallas-based drag queen, articulates: “I think the importance of drag is expressing yourself through aspects of gender and art and also kind of the kickback toward societal norms of what gender norms are…It’s a political statement against what gender is supposed to be and also a celebration of your gender and the artistic ways you can create.” By sticking together and finding allyship with people of color, Indigenous communities, and trans individuals, the drag community creates a stronger, more inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated, and everyone can find a sense of belonging.

Written by Penelope Slentz, 2024 Communications Intern, Equality Texas