The Drag King History lecture presentation is a well-curated, comprehensive one hour overview from the Tang Dynasty to today. You will learn about the extensive history of female-born performers who donned men’s attire for theatrical purposes from breeches roles to en travesti, variety to vaudeville, male impersonation to drag kings, and drag kings to the gender free. Because women, trans, and non-binary folks have had a long history of invisibility and marginality, I come forward with this history so these courageous performers are recognized.
The lecture is presented via Zoom which allows many people to attend from different locations at their convenience. Thousands of people have had the benefit of learning about this illustrious history, and I hope to reach thousands more!
Participant Bios
Drag King Legend Mo B. Dick is the driving force behind Drag King History serving as the Co-Founder and Executive Director. In 2020, permission was granted for the site to be archived in The U.S. Library of Congress for generations to come. This wise-cracking, tough-talking knucklehead, is a performer, producer, and historian who has been cited as one of the founding fathers of the modern-day drag king movement as Mo pioneered many firsts for drag kings. He’s been featured in John Waters film Pecker, the documentary Venus Boyz, The Drag King Book, Story Corps, NPR, The New York Times, and The Huffington Post listed Mo B. Dick as one of 28 Drag Kings To Know.
Drag King History is organized by Mo B. Dick as a part of the 2026 Circa: Queer Histories Festival, presented by One Institute.