Post by The 19th

Recognized annually on July 16, International Drag Day celebrates the history, creativity and cultural impact of an art form that has for centuries challenged traditional expressions of gender. Drag’s modern origins can be traced to William Dorsey Swann, a formerly enslaved Black man who held secret parties, or “drags,” in late 19th-century Washington, D.C. for men who dressed in women’s clothing. Swann, who died in 1925, is the first known person to self-identify as a “queen of drag,” according to the historian Channing Joseph, and is the first to have led a gay resistance group in the United States. Last fall, Washington’s parks department unveiled an interpretive exhibit dedicated to Swann’s life and cultural contributions near its historic U Street Corridor — the epicenter of the district’s Black Renaissance. Smithsonian Magazine, the official publication of the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum, education and research complex, published a special report on Swann and contemporary drag performance in 2023. At least four of its museums have featured exhibits dedicated to LGBTQ+ history and culture, including drag, since 2010. But those exhibits have recently drawn sharp criticism from President Donald Trump’s second administration, whose policies have broadly sought to restrict gender expression. In a recent report, the White House said drag displays at the National Museum of American History were inappropriate for young children, and accused Smithsonian leadership of ignoring “moral and biological truths established in reason, faith, and tradition” in its recognition of transgender people. The report, “Saving America’s Story,” follows a White House request for a “comprehensive internal review” of eight Smithsonian museums last August and an executive order last spring to “remove improper ideology” from the institution’s properties. Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III responded to the White House report in a letter to staff on July 6. “Our work is driven by scholarship, accuracy and an uncompromising commitment to tell the fullness of America's story,” he wrote. ✍️: Brooke Migdon, LGBTQ+ reporter 📸: Wellcome Collection