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From Prohibited to Proud: The History of Drag in Denver

These days, Denver hosts drag shows nearly every night, while RuPaul’s Drag Race is making international stars of modern drag queens including Denver's own Yvie Oddly, winner of Season 11 and America's Next Drag Superstar in 2019. Much has changed since 1954, when Denver Ordinance 315 made it illegal for "any member of the male sex" to appear in public "in the dress of the opposite sex."

Denver quit jailing its drag queens in 1973. And there’s so much more to learn about the amazing people and fascinating history of drag in Denver.

In celebration of Pride month, our storytelling team created From Prohibited to Proud: The History of Drag in Denver, which provided Denver's LGBTQ members and drag queens the chance to tell the story of their own community, which has been entertaining Denver crowds for generations in spite of any personal risk.

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Individual Stories

Yvie Oddly: America's Next Drag Superstar 2019

Yvie Oddly, the winner of Season 11 of RuPaul’s Drag Race and America’s Next Drag Superstar in 2019, makes a triumphant return home to Denver.

Scottie Carlyle: The Dangers of Cross Dressing Not So Long Ago

Scottie Carlyle has been doing drag in Denver since 1963, when “if you stepped toe outside that door in a dress, you immediately got arrested and went to jail.” She was chosen as the second Empress of the Imperial Court of the Rocky Mountain Empire in 1975.

LGBTQ Historian: Drag Culture Has Flourished in Denver

After about a decade of research, David Duffield tells the story of drag in Denver, from the city’s first gay bar and early bans on cross dressing to gay liberation and renaissance.

Denver Pride Fest Emcee Spreads Love and Acceptance

Meet Denver PrideFest emcee DeMarcio. Over 16 years, DeMarcio has watched PrideFest evolve and grow into a youthful, family friendly event while his own journey has helped him to find comfort in his own skin and with who he is: “that emcee star person.”

Jessica L'Whor: The Transformation of a Drag Queen

Jessica L’Whor performs drag in Denver. She sees it as “the power to change someone’s day.” Follow her makeup routine and watch her transform into a drag queen, perform at a popular drag show and learn why she loves the Denver drag community.

Anthony Aragon: Making a Difference Through Drag

Anthony Aragon uses his “cousin” and drag persona Lushus La’Rell “to make a difference in a different way.” Through his positions in drag royalty – and as the organizer of Denver’s Pride Parade for the past 19 years – he’s raised thousands of dollars to benefit the city’s LGBTQ community.