"Drag Queens" de la época victoriana en el Reino Unido

El concepto "drag queen" se popularizó en el siglo XX con la cultura ballroom y la televisión. Sin embargo, y aunque muchos no lo sepan, el drag existe desde mucho antes de que naciera Rupaul. En la época victoriana en el Reino Unido, por ejemplo, era usual ver hombres vestidos de mujeres en el escenario cuando las mujeres tenían prohibido actuar, e incluso la industria del espectáculo desde 1800 adopta el termino "drag queen" para referirse a artistas que personificaban mujeres, (se presume que haciendo referencia al arrastre (drag) de los vestidos que debían usar)[1].

Un artista de la época fue Ernest Boulton, o como prefería: Stella. Durante el show no había inconveniente con que Boulton fuera Stella, sin embargo, fuera del escenario resultaba escandaloso que se vistiera de mujer. En una ocasión entró al baño de mujeres del teatro con otra artista drag llamada "Fanny" y al salir les arrestaron bajo el cargo de sodomía. En vez se sentir vergüenza, Stella tinturó su cabello de rubio, cambió su nombre y construyó una carrera en Broadway, donde se presentó como personificador femenino ante grandes audiencias, hasta su muerte en 1904 [2].

Stella y Fanny, 1870, Fred Snalding.

Otros importantes personificadores femeninos, ya empezando los 1900, fueron el actor estadounidense Julian Eltinge como "Vaudeville" y Brigham Morris Young con su personaje "Madame Pattirini".

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Fuentes

[1] Gabworthy (s.f) These are the Original Drag Queens of the Victorian Era (And People Actually Love It). Disponible en: https://gabworthy.com/these-are-the-original-drag-queens-of-the-victorian-era-and-people-actually-loved-it/

[2] Holly Williams (2016) The cross-dressing gents of Victorian England. BBC. Disponible en: http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160608-the-cross-dressing-gents-of-victorian-england

[3] The Mind Circle (s.f) Men Dressed in Drag in the Victorian Era - 25 Historical Photos of Drag Queens from the 1800 and Early 1900. Disponible en: http://themindcircle.com/men-dressed-in-drag-victorian-era/