William Dorsey Swann (March 1860 – c. December 23, 1925) [2] was an American activist. An African-American born into slavery, Swann was the first person in the United States to lead a gay resistance group and the first known person to self-identify as a "queen of drag". [1]

Jun 9, 2023 · In the late 1880s, a formerly enslaved man named William Dorsey Swann started hosting private balls known as drags, a name possibly derived from “ grand rag,” an antiquated term for masquerade...

Jun 17, 2024 · In less than twenty-four hours, William Dorsey Swann found himself convicted of “keeping a disorderly house” (a euphemism for a brothel) and sentenced to ten months in prison—without a bond to get him out this time.

Aug 10, 2023 · Queenie Swann, Is one of the first known Black cross-dressers and LGBTQIA activists. He was born William Dorsey Swann in slavery in 1858.

Jan 31, 2020 · In 1896, after being convicted and sentenced to 10 months in jail on the false charge of “keeping a disorderly house”—a euphemism for running a brothel—Swann demanded (and was denied) a pardon...

Jun 29, 2020 · On January 1, 1896, William Swann was charged with “keeping a disorderly house” (known to be a euphemism for running a brothel). Newspaper accounts of the day reveal that Swann was actually holding a drag ball (as noted in this clipping from the Evening Star) .

William Dorsey Swann was born into servitude and grew up to become one of the first American activists to spearhead a queer resistance group. He was also the...

Feb 9, 2022 · A former slave, William Dorsey Swann hosted some of America's first drag balls in Washington D.C. in the late 1800s — and fought for queer rights long before Stonewall. Born into bondage, William Dorsey Swann was robbed of all prospects for …