The intersectional trifecta! Article: "The First Drag Queen Was A Former Slave"

submitted by BEB from thenation.com

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[–]Shesstealthy 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (7 children)

Is it inaccurate?

[–]BEB[S] 4 insightful - 4 fun4 insightful - 3 fun5 insightful - 4 fun -  (0 children)

The article is from what used to be an Uber-Left US publication called THE NATION.

THE NATION, like so much Left-ish US media, is completely onboard the Trans Train, so whatever accuracy THE NATION once had might now be called into question, because of that.

[–]MarkTwainiac 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

The article claims that a gay black man in the US who was a former slave and originator of 19th-century gay male "ball scene" culture was the first cross-dresser/transvestite/female impersonator to use the term "drag queen" to describe himself and others. It doesn't claim that he was the first gay male in human history to perform and parade about publicly in "female clothing" for the purpose of entertainment or competition with other male female impersonators.

[–]kunt-vonnegut 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

It's not likely this was the "first" drag queen. He would've been imitating a "belle of the cakewalk" or a "cake-walk queen." This was entertainment for "the master" that later became a huge part of minstrel shows. "The Slow drag" was an extremely popular dance. Before becoming "ragtime," the musical genre was commonly referred to as one word: Drag.

"Cakewalkin' was a lot of fun durin' slavery time. Dey swep yards real clean and set benches for de party. Banjos wuz used for music makin'. De women's wor long, ruffled dresses wid hoops in 'em and de mens had on high hats, long split-tailed coats, and some of em used walkin' sticks. De couple dat danced best got a prize. Sometimes de slave owners come to dese parties 'cause dey enjoyed watchin' de dance, and dey 'cided who danced de best. Most parties durin' slavery time, wuz give on Saturday night durin' work sessions, but durin' winter dey wuz give on most any night." - Estella Jones.

[–]BEB[S] 8 insightful - 2 fun8 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

THE NATION, like most US Lefty media driving the Trans Train, just wants to make sure that we plebes understand that if we criticize Drag we are criticizing blacks AND supporting slavery! Or something...

[–]kunt-vonnegut 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

"Pre-Civil War, in the 19th Century, cakewalks, also known as the “Prize Walks,” which were held on plantations. These get-togethers were for the sole purpose of servants and slaves to mock their masters. The slaves and servants were to dress in their best, and with the intention to mock the mannerisms of the aristocrats; in fact, they were encouraged to, it was the entertainment. These get-togethers took place in the masters “big house,” of the plantations, and the master would serve as a judge. The cakewalk was a form of comical enjoyment; slave owners would gather their servants and slaves to see who had the best ‘slave walker’ at the end of it all.

Couples would line up and form an aisle and down through the middle each couple would take their turn mimicking the mannerisms of the upper-class white people. In a theatrical way, the couples would strut, bow, bend, flirt, and high-step, just to list a few, they would parade around the ballroom. All the while, their masters were the judges and the guests were merely entertained.

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “takes the cake.” The winner of the cakewalk won the prize of an elaborately decorated cake. But more than being a winner of a cake, the servants and slaves were enrobed with fine clothing and allowed to embrace upper-class mannerisms. Fondly, they were no longer slaves in that moment, they were the stars of a show. But I’m sure you wonder why masters would ever consider such an event to be entertainment; wouldn’t that cause the master to have lost credibility with his servants, to be laughed at? But because he became the master of ceremonies, and at the end of it all the master got to choose the winner, he took back the authority and reduced tension."

[–]Shesstealthy 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

What a fraught tradition. You get to mock but for their edification.... and would you ever feel safe from retaliation?

[–]kunt-vonnegut 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

It was later twisted by whites into blacks "trying their best to be white." Not a form of satire, but genuine. Then whites decided to "satirize" the black "failure" to be like them through minstrel shows. Female impersonation, especially white men dressing as extremely sexualized "yaller girls" (mixed-race women) also originates from minstrel shows... But black women never got their equality, so we still have these white men gyrating on stage, lisping in exaggerated ebonics.

Black performers were largely banned from performing their own acts. They had to also perform in blackface. Anything that didn't uphold racial stereotypes wasn't allowed to be seen by white audiences. So all the watermelon-eating, chicken-stealing "comedy" acts that originated from the old "Tom Shows" of the South had no rebuttal.