What if I told you the roots of Canadian drag weren’t in a nightclub, but in the mud and mayhem of the Western Front during the First World War?

In this episode of Lavender Ranks, hosts Em and Karbon introduce you to Ross Hamilton, adored by audiences as “Marjorie” and remembered today as one of Canada’s earliest drag performers. Under the guise of “boosting morale,” the military somehow became the perfect stage for queer aesthetics, performance, and desire to emerge in plain sight.

Today, Em and Karbon are spilling the tea on wartime concerts, the ingenuity in creating glamour at the front, and the blurry line between performance and identity during the First World War. And yes, in this episode, you’ll even hear from Ross Hamilton himself.

Download our Discussion Questions.

Lavender Ranks explores queer life during the First World War and contains frank discussions of war, discrimination, repression, sexuality, and historical violence. Listener discretion is advised.

Written by Emily Gioskos

Hosts Emily Gioskos & Karbon

Executive Producer Ryan Barnett

Edited by Sonia Gemmiti

Series consultant Sarah Worthman

Illustration by Henry Fong

Additional Research Dr. Sarafina Pagnotta

Featuring original interviews with Sarah Worthman, Mitchell LaFramboise, Cameron Telch, Andrea McKenzie, and Martine Roy.

An original production of Knockabout Media

This podcast was made possible thanks to funding from Veterans Affairs Canada’s Commemorative Partnership Program.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.