World’s Oldest Working Drag Queen Dies At Age 92

The Associated Press reports:

Walter Cole, better known as the iconic drag queen who performed for decades as Darcelle XV and a fearless advocate for Portland’s LGBTQ+ community, has died of natural causes in Portland, Oregon. He was 92.

Darcelle, who died Thursday, was crowned the world’s oldest working drag performer in 2016 by the Guinness Book of World Records and was regaling audiences until the very end. As a performer, Darcelle was known for hosting the longest-running drag show on the U.S. West Coast. Off stage, Cole, an Army veteran, championed LGBTQ+ rights and charitable work in Portland.

The nightclub that Darcelle opened more than 50 years ago in downtown Portland, Darcelle XV Showplace, was listed in 2020 on the National Register of Historic Places, making it the first site in Oregon to be nominated specifically for its significance in LGBTQ+ history.

Read the full article. There’s lots more.

Darcelle was crowned the world’s oldest working drag performer in 2016 by the Guinness Book of World Records and was regaling audiences until the very end. https://t.co/x2wN1OmGVs

— WAFF 48 (@waff48) March 24, 2023

‘Drag Race’ stars Kerri Colby, Bosco, and Mayhem Miller paid tribute after the death of Darcelle XV, who held the Guinness World Record as the oldest working drag queen. https://t.co/ZHt87aaiBw

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) March 24, 2023