Yahoo Movies Drag Race stars pay tribute after Darcelle XV, known as world's oldest working drag queen, dies at 92
Darcelle XV — who previously held the Guinness World Record for being the world's oldest working drag queen — has died at the age of 92.
According to local news outlets, as well as social media posts shared by the performer's Portland, Ore. venue, Darcelle XV passed away Thursday due to natural causes.
"We ask for privacy and patience as everyone processes and grieves in their own way and at their own pace," read a post on the Darcelle XV Showplace Instagram page. The note also referred to the entertainer by her out-of-drag name, Walter Cole, and indicated that the family of the iconic performer was "heartbroken" to share the news. "Details of a public memorial will be announced as soon as they are confirmed. All shows at Darcelle XV Showplace will go on as scheduled per Darcelle's wishes. Please join us and celebrate her legacy and memory, thank you in advance for your continued support."
RuPaul's Drag Race queens Kerri Colby, Bosco, and Mayhem Miller all commented on the post, each sharing a series of heart emojis under the venue's statement.
Darcelle XV was born in 1930, and was named the world's oldest working drag queen by Guinness at age 85 in 2016.
In addition to her work as a drag performer, Darcelle XV's venue earned the distinction of being added to the state's National Register of Historic Places in 2020, at the direction of state representative Earl Blumenauer.
Sarah Mirk/Flickr Darcelle XV
"Walter Cole and his club were influential in educating the straight mainstream through drag performance, an art form that is now widely accepted and celebrated in this country," Blumenauer said at the time. "This mainstream acceptance of drag performance contributed to a broader societal acceptance of gay rights. Further, Walter Cole persevered through discrimination during the 1970s and kept the club active for over 50 years. In line with the NRHP criteria, Darcelle XV should be memorialized for its historic role in using entertainment to impact a cultural shift in the acceptance of LGBTQ+ rights."
Outside of hosting her regular show in Oregon, Darcelle also appeared in the 2021 documentary Maisie next to David Raven, otherwise known as the drag performer Maisie Trollette, who's known as the oldest drag artist in the United Kingdom.
See Darcelle XV Showplace's full statement on the performer's death above.
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