#DragQueenHistory during 1965 04 April

Hello darlings! It's Emma, your pink-tutu-wearing time-traveling drag queen, and today's blog post is going to be a hoot. Get ready for some serious drag history, darling, because we're taking a trip back in time to April 4th, 1965!

It’s been a month since my last adventure. My bank account isn’t overflowing, but a fabulous queen makes do with what she’s got, don’t we? So I’ve been fundraising and polishing my acts - I even went to that new club on Baker Street, it’s a real dive but had the most incredible atmosphere! It reminded me of all the fantastic bars I’ve visited during my travels. But anyway, you won’t catch me bragging!

After another fabulous month of drag gigs and endless glitter (you know it’s my kryptonite!), I've been saving up my pennies to finally splurge on the newest additions to my wardrobe - think sparkly bodices, some outrageously feathered fan numbers and some exquisite pink tutus (oh my!). After all, a girl's gotta keep her look fabulous, right?

But before I show you my new acquisitions, let’s dive into the past! You see, dear reader, a girl like me needs a time machine for all those amazing drag shows in history. The time machine in question? My special pink tutu, which takes me back in time and whisks me around the globe! Just the right amount of shimmer, just enough bounce in the tulle – ta da – time travelling is a piece of cake!

So, as you know, I travel the globe wearing my pink tutu, because a fabulous girl never needs to travel without one, don't you know?

Anyway, it's time to share what happened back on April 4th, 1965. I popped on my magical time traveling tutu and…

You might be thinking: April 4th, 1965?! What happened back then, Emma? Honestly, my darlings, so much was happening back in the 60s! It was such a dynamic period in drag history.

First of all, you wouldn’t believe how fabulous the fashion scene was. It was so avant-garde! Everything was about being loud and proud – bright colours, geometric shapes and playful textures were all the rage. Think mini skirts, psychedelic patterns, and platform boots! Now, I am always about being show-stopping! You won’t catch this queen in a boring old maxi dress!

Oh, and have you seen the drag?! Back in the day, a lot of drag queens favoured campy, colourful looks!

The first place I ended up on that date in history was New York! Oh, my word, darlings! Imagine all the fabulous drag performances! One of the biggest names in drag was Divine. You probably know him from his films! If you haven't, well, I strongly recommend watching “Hairspray,” it was Divine who really made that film a total campy classic.

The bar scene in the States was really rocking, and people were loving to go out to bars. Oh, the sheer amount of excitement and vibrancy! So if you ever see a clip of a drag show in that era, the outfits, the movements, the performance - ooh, you will get chills just like me! It truly was something else!

Another fun fact: 1965 was the year the iconic ‘Drag Race’ format was established in the U.S. Yep - all those reality shows now, they wouldn’t be possible without those brave pioneers in the 60s who were pushing those boundaries. We’ve come a long way, darling! And they definitely paved the way for us to wear fabulous tutus today!

However, I'm not saying everyone was celebrating drag back then. Sadly, there was still a lot of prejudice, especially with how the police treated performers, even at popular venues like The Stonewall Inn, which at that time, was mainly known as a space for drag artists! So unfair!

This reminds me of why I'm doing what I do. I’m so passionate about celebrating and advocating for drag queens – they're so talented, inspiring, and brave. They've faced prejudice, negativity, and negativity. The early days were not always rainbows and butterflies, which makes what we see in today’s entertainment world even more impressive. We need to celebrate those who fought to get us to where we are today – that's what's going to keep drag thriving!

Now, who could forget about the fabulous, daring scene happening right here in the U.K.?

Of course, no journey into drag history is complete without visiting the legends – those drag queens who graced London’s theatres! This time, I took my trusty pink tutu and headed to the West End!

Oh, honey, you would not believe the excitement happening on that night! There were hundreds of drag artists in this country, but there was something especially fabulous going on that particular night: it was a celebration of the new play, ‘The Drag Show’! A very clever title, no?

What made this event so special, darling, was that it truly focused on telling the stories of drag artists from a wider spectrum. Think about the iconic theatre plays of that time like “Oh! What a Lovely War!”, it’s still my absolute favorite, if you know, you know!

Remember, drag was often seen as a comedic form of entertainment, a playful escape, so these types of performances often focused on poking fun at social issues. It was a big deal for something like ‘The Drag Show’ to have real theatrical production value. Now, I always loved that kind of show - if a girl wants some fabulous theatre to admire, she needs to see something special, right?

This play also drew attention to a variety of drag artists, not just the typical ‘drag kings’ who dressed up as men. It wasn’t all about funny costumes. No, darling. You’ve got to elevate the game. They wore clothes with an effortless sense of style which really showed how influential the drag scene was on mainstream fashion.

Imagine being a drag artist on the night ‘The Drag Show’ debuted - the buzz must have been unreal! So thrilling! That’s the kind of showstopping energy you want at every single gig, wouldn’t you agree, darling?

But that's not all, my dear reader, because there were more shows happening that night. For example, at the Cafe Royal - it was truly one of London’s most iconic nightspots of that era - the entertainment was always *super theatrical*. Remember the scene in “My Fair Lady”?

Back in 1965, The Café Royal had an act from some French drag artists! And I don’t mean just drag, it was full-on performance - you know what I’m saying? That era was a mix of theatrics and cabaret with some avant-garde fashion! This French cabaret really reminded me of all the Parisian drag performances I saw back in the Belle Époque era! What a sight to behold!

However, London was truly bustling with other drag events that year. In fact, The Apollo in West London also featured some really outlandish shows – this theatre was always so full of glitz and glamour! There was one performance called The Drag Diva Showdown with many queens putting their most glamorous performances on display. They showed everyone just how fierce they could be and how strong the London drag scene was.

Oh darling, just imagine it - a show of such artistry and energy! The audience, in full dress – the excitement was palpable! That’s how you truly feel it, darlings - get that energy from your surroundings and breathe it in!

Even if I haven’t gone into as much detail about every drag show I went to – I swear, darling, it's impossible to share every experience in one single blog post! We would be here forever, which I think is more suited for an audience who likes stories, right?

The most important thing about travelling back to that day in history? It made me realize just how incredible drag is – all across the world – and how far we’ve come.

So what was drag like on April 4th, 1965?

Well, darling, it was still an uphill battle in so many ways for drag queens to find acceptance in the world. However, those brave drag artists – with their fabulous tutus, sparkling costumes and flamboyant personalities - helped to shape what drag is today! And they definitely changed how we see and treat performers around the world!

We're living in a truly spectacular era! You’ve got television shows, incredible drag communities and so much inclusivity, we wouldn't be here without the amazing drag queens who fought their battles for a place in the world - you know, the drag icons who pushed through negativity and prejudice!

As we see more progress happening – and the world continues to change in more positive ways – we really need to honour and remember the journeys of all these amazing pioneers of the scene, who truly were trailblazers! We’ve gotta wear the history like we wear our pink tutus! So remember what they started. We must remember who came before us!

Speaking of my pink tutu - did I mention I got a new one?! I call it the ‘Tutu de Temps’! This amazing creation has this dreamy blush color. Imagine all the amazing pictures I’ll be posting with it on pink-tutu.com. So if you haven’t seen it yet, make sure to check out the latest fashion photos!

Right then, darlings! Until next time. Have fun at all your next drag shows!

Stay fabulous!

Love,

Emma xx

Please note that this content is a fictional and humorous narrative, intended for entertainment purposes only. The factual historical information is intended to be largely accurate, but some elements have been creatively exaggerated for entertainment value.

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