The History of Drag in New York City

RuPaul’s Drag Race first aired on TV in 2009, but the New York City drag scene that launched RuPaul started over a century earlier. From drag balls to Wigstock, New York has long been considered the capital of drag culture. Joining me in this episode to discuss New York City’s rich history of drag is writer Elyssa Maxx Goodman , author of Glitter and Concrete: A Cultural History of Drag in New York City . Our theme song is Frogs Legs Rag , composed by James Scott and performed by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under Creative Commons. The mid-episode music is “ The New York Glide ,” written by Tim Delaney and performed by Ethel Waters and Albury’s Blue & Jazz Seven in May 1921; the performance is in the public domain. The episode image is Lady Bunny, photographed by Tai Seef during Wigstock 2001 , CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Additional Sources: “ How Drag Queens Have Sashayed Their Way Through History ,” by Sam Sanders and Josh Axelrod, NPR, June 27, 2019. “ The US has a rich drag history. Here’s why the art form will likely outlast attempts to restrict it ,” by Scottie Andrew, CNN, April 29, 2023. “ From police raids to pop culture: The early history of modern drag ,” by Emily Ma…