A drag show is a type of entertainment where performers, typically men, dress in elaborate costumes and put on a show for an audience. The word “drag” comes from the Victorian era, when men would sometimes dress in women’s clothing as part of a stage act. In the early 1900s, “drag” came to be used more broadly to refer to men who dress in women’s clothing, regardless of whether they are performing on stage.
The first recorded drag show took place in Paris in 1869, and the first documented drag queen was an American named Charles James Lewis, who performed in New York City in 1869. Drag shows became increasingly popular in the United States during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, when many African American performers found success by dressing in flamboyant costumes and lip-syncing to popular songs.
Today, drag shows are enjoyed by people of all genders and sexualities. They continue to be popular forms of entertainment in gay bars and nightclubs, and they are also increasingly being mainstreamed into popular culture. For example, the television show RuPaul’s Drag Race has helped drag become more mainstream by introducing it to a wider audience.
Drag shows are entertaining performances typically given by men dressed in elaborate costumes. The word “drag” comes from the Victorian era, when men would sometimes dress in women’s clothing as part of a stage act. Today, drag shows are enjoyed by people of all genders and sexualities, and they continue to be popular forms of entertainment in gay bars and nightclubs.