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From its start as theater slang to its pop culture prowess today, `drag` has become a celebrated term while keeping its transgressive power. And the word is still evolving today.

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It wasn't until then that the term was used in connection with performing in clothes or a persona different from one's own gender.

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In 1870, the Reynolds Newspaper in the United Kingdom printed the word in a gender-bending context in reference to a party invitation. “‘We shall come in drag,’ which means men wearing women’s costumes.” This definition probably originated in the theatre of the late 1800s, where male performers wore petticoats to perform as women. Their petticoats would drag on the floor, and so they referred to dressing up as women as “putting on their drags.”

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The term “drag” was being used by gay people. One theory is that it entered the community from Polari, a secret language born out of the criminalization of homosexuality in England that drew on theatre slang.

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Playing with gender and performance wasn’t reserved to men alone, of course. At the turn of the century, women performed as male impersonators. A little later, the Harlem Renaissance had celebrated performers like Gladys Bentley, who wore a top hat and tails. (In fact, it’s possible that “drag king” emerged at this time.)

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This tradition goes back to the '20s - minus the voguing we see today. They were often house parties where Black queen people would congregate together.

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During this time, drag queens began performing in bars and spaces that specifically catered to gay people. As more gay bars began to pop up, drag solidified itself as a gay art form.

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The rise of masculinity in gay culture diminished the popularity of drag queens, but drag found its way into pop culture. In John Waters’ 1972 film Pink Flamingos, Divine scandalized audiences with her filthy character and became an icon along the way.

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“Drag” meant trying to look as much like a woman as possible. It was a peak time for balls with categories, like “butch queen first time in drag at a ball” and “high fashion evening wear” that we see in Paris is Burning. It poured out of balls and onto the streets of New York City. While drag had entered pop culture, the 1990 documentary shocked audiences — and made drag more visible.

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In 1993, RuPaul went from New York’s gritty East Village scene to the stage of the March on Washington to perform his hit song “Supermodel.”

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As the visibility grew, the 90s made way for more distinctions between drag and other identities in the LGBTQ+ spectrum. In particular, a distinction between drag queens and the trans community emerged. The public started to become aware of the difference between being trans, gay, and doing drag.

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In 2009, the show RuPaul’s Drag Race premiered on Logo TV, a reality competition in pursuit of “America’s next drag superstar.” Over the course of 10 seasons — and spin off shows — the series introduced drag to a new generation and millions of viewers, and truly brought drag to the mainstream. The show even had The New York Times asking: “Is This The Golden Age of Drag?”

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Building off the success of the show, the first RuPaul’s DragCon took place in Los Angeles in 2015. Now the largest drag convention in the world, it’s a place for queens and queers alike to celebrate all things art, culture, and drag.

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Today, “drag” can involve dressing up, wearing crazy makeup, gender crossing or having a persona or fictional character. But it’ll always have its roots in queer culture.
It’s hard to believe that the word “drag” was ever anything less than larger-than-life, because let’s face it: Drag is fabulous.

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“RuPaul’s Drag Race" Cast Explains The History of Drag Culture | Allure

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Let Shangela, Detox, Raja and Kim Chi walk you through the magical world of Drag Fashion

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Let Shangela, Detox, Raja and Kim Chi walk you through the magical world of Drag Fashion

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100 Years of Drag Queen Fashion | Vanity Fair