NYC Drag Queen Guide
Some of the most famous and fabulous drag queens in America started their journey lip-syncing for their lives in New York City. Bianca Del Rio, Lady Bunny, Bob The Drag Queen, and even RuPaul found in NYC the perfect place to build their career and improve their craft. Until today, the city is considered the capital of drag! This ultimate guide lists the best bars with drag shows and 100 incredible queens from New York! But first, let's understand how drag and NYC started their long-lasting marriage, shall we?
Nowadays, drag queens are Emmy winners, makeup and vodka entrepreneurs, Youtube stars, and a guaranteed presence on Hollywood's red carpets. The mainstream door, however, was not always opened for drag art and its performers. For more than half of the 20th century, the drag scene was demeaned and disdained by society. But like true queens, they did not bow down.
82 Club Revue Post Card
In the 1950s, a group of drag queens first caught NYC's high society attention while performing at the 82 Club in Lower East Side, Manhattan. During that time, existing laws would consider "gender inappropriateness a sickness and public offense," making drag queens a target for NYPD. Even with the law's censorship, their talent attracted affluent people and artists like Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor, and Salvador Dalí.
In the late 1960s, Andy Warhol was one of the first big personas to shine a light on the drag queen community. He was a celebrity guest judge of the drag queen beauty pageant Miss All-America Camp 1967 and would often portray transwomen and crossdressers in his work. During that time, drag art became a counter-cultural influence in New York's art scene but not strong enough to break society's fourth wall.
During the late 70s and 80s, drag queens continued creating their own community in Lower East Side. Then a sparkle of curiosity started slowly spreading around Manhattan. People from different neighborhoods wanted to see their performances or simply observe them walking around in high heels and wigs.
In 1984, Lady Bunny and other drag queens decided to put on a show in Tompkins Square Park and called it Wigstock. One thousand people showed up to see the event!
In 1987, RuPaul moved to the city to pursue his dreams of stardom. Five years later, Supermodel (You Better Work) was released and took over the dance floors.
TV shows, magazines, and music video directors decided to explore New York's drag culture for a while, using RuPaul as its main star. Then, in 1996, VH1 premiered The RuPaul Show that lasted for two years on air, and the drag fever came to an end.
"The media lost interest in the end, and treated drag like a trend. There was no internet then, of course, so you couldn't keep your own momentum or personality going. Once the media had decreed that drag was over, that bubble burst, and the glory days, that drag explosion, ended," explained Linda Simpson, drag queen and photographer who registered the "Drag Explosion" during the 80s and 90s.
In 2009, RuPaul caught his second air! RuPaul's Drag Race aired for the first time that year, initiating a new era for drag queens all over the world. I guess you know what happened after that, right? The TV show has won 24 Primetime Emmy Awards, RuPaul broke the record for the most Emmy wins by a person of color with 11 trophies, and drag queens are finally getting the recognition they have always deserved.
RuPaul Drag Race was responsible for showing the world how New York queens are incredibly talented, making tourists from everywhere even more curious about NYC's nightlife. But there's a lot of talent here that World of Wonder has yet to discover - let's remember that drag is not about a reality show! You will find all types of queens in these five boroughs: clown, artistic, political, fishy, fashionist, beauty guru, freaky, punk, sexy, trashy, and whatever else you can think of!
100 Drag Queens from NYC
Check out 100 queens who were born or started their journey in NYC! You can click on their names to follow them on Instagram, and spread the love!
Where you can see a drag show in New York!
On our list of Every Gay Bar in New York City, there are a few places where you can see incredible drag queens performances - like Pieces Bar, Playhouse, or The Q. The truth is that almost every gay bar in this city has at least one night with drag queen shows. So here’s a more complete guide for you:
Le Bain is the rooftop bar of The Standard High Line Hotel, one of the most popular hotels in New York City. LeBain is a must-go party destination, especially during the Summer. They feature world-famous DJs, a state-of-the-art sound system, a disco bar and a plunge pool. The best part, however, is still the sexiest views of the city. It’s a friendly bar, and very sexy.