Late 1800s: The etymology of the phrase "drag queen" is debatable, but many scholars believe that the phrase was coined in the 1800s as a reference to the hoop skirt. As seen in this photo, hoop skirts would "drag" along the ground. The term "queen" was used as a derogatory slur towards homosexuals. RuPaul's popular reality competition show RuPaul's Drag Race helped bring drag queens further into the mainstream consciousness. the Tony-winning musical Kinky Boots, about a factory that manufactures shoes for drag queens, is a popular Broadway show; and even Ru herself calls drag "mainstream" now.
