William Dorsey Swann facts for kids

William Dorsey Swann (c. 1858–1925) was an American activist who worked for fairness and equality at a time when it was very difficult. He was born into slavery. Swann was the first person in the United States to lead a group that stood up for queer rights. He was also the first known person to call himself a "queen of drag."

Early Life

William Dorsey Swann was born into slavery around 1858 in Maryland. He was one of 13 children in his family. After the American Civil War ended, his parents were able to buy a farm. William's first job was working as a waiter in a hotel.

Standing Up for Rights

In the 1880s and 1890s, Swann started organizing special dance parties in Washington, D.C.. He called these events "drag balls." At these parties, people would dress up in fancy satin and silk dresses. Swann himself was known as the "queen of drag."

Most of the people who came to Swann's parties were men who had once been enslaved. They formed a group known as the "House of Swann." These events were kept secret, and invitations were often shared quietly, sometimes at places like the YMCA.

Dance and Expression

Swann and his friends enjoyed dances like the cakewalk. This dance was created by enslaved people in America. They would playfully copy the fancy ways of plantation owners. The free and creative moves of the cakewalk are similar to voguing, a dance style that became popular later in Harlem.

Facing Challenges

Police often raided Swann's parties. On April 12, 1888, during his 30th birthday party, police arrested him and others. This was the first time in the United States that people were arrested for dressing in women's clothing. Swann was wearing a beautiful cream-colored satin dress that night.

When the police raided his party, Swann was very angry. He bravely stood up to an officer and told him, "you is no gentleman." This moment of standing up to the police was one of the earliest known times someone resisted arrest to defend gay rights.

News of these arrests was printed in local newspapers. This meant that people who attended Swann's parties risked their good name in the community. However, because these events were reported, we now know about William Dorsey Swann and his brave actions. Many others who escaped capture that night are not remembered.

After one arrest, Swann asked President Grover Cleveland for a special pardon. Even though his request was not granted, Swann was the first American to take legal and political steps to defend the right of the LGBTQ community to gather peacefully.

Friends and Family

William Dorsey Swann was close friends with Pierce Lafayette and Felix Hall. These two men had also been enslaved and were known to have the earliest recorded same-sex relationship among enslaved Americans. Pierce Lafayette also attended Swann's drag balls.

Family's Role

When William stopped organizing drag events, his brother, Daniel J. Swann, continued to be part of the drag community for almost 50 years. Two of William's brothers had also been active in his drag balls.

Later Life and Passing

William Dorsey Swann passed away in 1925 at the age of 67 in Hancock, Maryland. After his death, his home was sadly burned down by local officials.

His Lasting Impact

William Dorsey Swann is known as the first drag queen. As a Black, gay man, he helped open the way for future drag queens and gay men of color. His efforts to use the law to defend rights started important conversations about the LGBTQ+ community. His actions may have been some of the very first steps of LGBTQ+ activism in the United States.

At the time, there was not much support for these ideas. But Swann helped build a foundation for future activists like Marsha P. Johnson and others who fought for LGBTQ+ rights later on.

In 2022, a local government group in Washington, D.C., officially recognized that Swann Street is named after William Dorsey Swann. Before this, many people thought the street was named after a different person, a politician and slave owner from the 1800s named Thomas Swann.

There are no known pictures of William Dorsey Swann today.

See also

In Spanish: William Dorsey Swann para niños

• Ball culture
• LGBT social movements
• African-American LGBT community
• Drag queen
• Cross-dressing