Oldest drag king (female)

The oldest drag king is El Daña (USA, b. Elsie Saldaña, 15 October 1944), who was 80 years 40 days old when she performed at Clovis Senior Activity Center’s Pre-Thanksgiving event in Clovis, California, USA, on 24 November 2024.

Elsie first took to the stage in 1965, lip-syncing to Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba” at the Red Robin, a gay bar in Fresno, California, USA. As the crowd clapped and cheered, Elsie felt like a star and knew she wanted to launch a side career in drag, alongside her manufacturing day job.

For many years, Elsie was the only “male impersonator” in the area, the term she preferred to use until “drag king” was coined.

The 80-year-old is best known for perfectly lip-syncing to artists such as Tom Jones and Frank Sinatra, whilst wearing Stetson cowboy hats and suits, usually adorned with rhinestones and sequins.

The oldest drag queen is Rose Levine (USA, b. Robert Levine, 20 March 1933), who performed at the age of 91 years 322 days on 5 February 2025.