3) When and where did the first Drag performance take place?
The first known Drag Ball dates back to 1869 in New York. The Harlem’s Hamilton Lodge speakeasy harboured men and women who adorned themselves in extravagant clothes and vied for the best dress or figure prize. These varied from glamorous gowns, waistcoats and hats, outstanding wigs and colourful theatrical makeup. The first drag balls were no other than those in gay-catered spaces such as the famous event hall Rockland Palace in Harlem, New York, and the Black Cat bar in San Francisco, California, in the 1920s. These balls included classical theatrical characteristics, such as sketches, where participants would engage in acting, dancing and singing.
They were firstly performed in secrecy, indoors, in hidden, darker underground spaces because they were deemed illegal and immoral in mainstream society. In fact, drag balls were actually dubbed as ‘faggot balls’ by the general public when the direct link to the LGBTQ+ community was made.