slavery News and Stories

William Dorsey Swann Was a Former Slave, a Badass LGBTQ Activist and the First Documented Drag Queen

Born into slavery in 1860, William Dorsey Swann, known affectionately as “the Queen,” was possibly the very first drag queen, and a pioneer when it came to LGBTQ rights and activism. Having lived through “slavery, the Civil War, racism, police surveillance, torture behind bars, and many other injustices,” Swann held[…]