“Once upon a time, in a land called San Francisco, there lived a boy named José who dreamed of royalty,” begins this lively biography of early LGBTQ activist and drag queen José Sarria. We first see Sarria as a young child, where his family happily supported his playing like a queen. His mother cautioned him, though, that “Some believe boys shouldn’t be queens at all,” but also encouraged him to think about the kind of queen he would be and the mark he would make on the world.
We see him balancing these two pieces of advice through his time in the army during World War II, the anti-gay police crackdowns of the 1950s, and his groundbreaking run for city supervisor, the first time an openly gay candidate had run for public office in the United States. He faces discrimination and doubt, but meets them with confidence and flair. Along the way, he also starts singing in drag at a local café, creating an environment where boys who were queens felt safe and powerful.
Eventually, he declares himself “The Absolute Empress of San Francisco,” and dedicates himself to helping others become queens and assist those in need. Here, the book treats us to several examples of such queens, such as “Anita Doctor,” who vowed “to care for the sick, even when no one else will!” An Author’s Note explains that this was the start of the International Imperial Court System, which still exists as one of the world’s oldest and largest LGBTQ organizations.
The book closes with Sarria reflecting that his mother would be proud of him, fighting forces of evil, sharing his performing talents, and building community. Bullies still exist, the book notes, but like Sarria, we can dream, fight for each other, and create a better world.
My one small suggestion for this terrific book is that I would have liked it to have identified, if only in the backmatter, the famous LGBTQ people in the final spread, who carried on Sarria’s legacy in one way or another. As an adult with some knowledge of LGBTQ history, I can recognize them, but many readers won’t—though they could serve as a jumping-off point for further reading and learning. (They are: Harvey Milk, Bayard Rustin, Billie Jean King, Audre Lorde, and Alvin Ailey.)
Authors Kyle Casey Chu (aka drag queen Panda Dulce) and Andrew W. Shaffer have created a captivating biography that gives young readers just the right amount of detail about Sarria’s life to convey his personality and significance, but not so much as to overwhelm. The main text doesn’t delve into all of the organizations he helped found, for example, which feels like a good call, but it does zoom in on a police raid at one of his shows, where he countered their claim that dressing in drag was “tricking” people—he and the other queens wore pins that said, “I’m a boy,” countering any claims of trickery. It’s a clever action that young readers should enjoy hearing about.
The book also happily never lets go of Sarria’s initial assertion that he is a queen, which is treated as an absolutely reasonable, fundamental part of his identity. Dynamic illustrations by Cindy Lozito, too, fit the exuberance of Sarria’s life. It’s a highly recommended title with a verve to match that of its subject.
Backmatter also includes several photos and a timeline of Sarria’s life and legacy.
