Queer Ancestor Spotlight: William Dorsey Swann
The purpose of these spotlights is not to provide an exhaustive biography of any one figure, but to introduce you to a Queer Ancestor you may not have heard of and give you some highlights about their life. Also, to the best that I can, I’ll provide links to resources (free and for purchase) if you want to learn more about them.
For the inaugural Queer Ancestor Spotlight I want to focus on someone in my own “backyard”: William Dorsey Swann, and early American queer liberation activist and the first self-proclaimed “drag queen.”
William Dorsey Swann
Swann was born into enslavement in Hancock, Maryland in the mid-19th Century and was later freed by Union soldiers after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. They relocated to Washington D.C where they began organizing a series of balls and proclaimed themselves the “queen of drag”. The balls catered to other formerly enslaved men. Due to the secrecy of these gatherings - they were often raided by Washington police - invitations were discreet and also provide an example on how the YMCA became an early avenue for same-sex community building.
Swann is also an important figure in the history of queer liberation in the United States for being the first person on record to use legal and political action to demand the rights for the queer community. While Swann’s balls were frequently raided by the police, with the earliest record dating back to April 1888, it was their arrest in 1896 that set the stage for their momentous entry into legal action on behalf of queer Americans. After being arrested on false charges for running a brothel and sentenced to 10 months in prison Swann appealed directly to President Grover Cleveland and requested a pardon, which was denied.
Although they retired from the drag scene in the early 20th century one of Swann’s brothers continued to be active in the drag community as a costume-maker.
