World’s oldest drag queen, Darcelle XV, dead: Walter Cole was 92

nypost.com:

Darcelle XV Showplace, shared the news of his passing on Facebook. “Please join us and celebrate her legacy and memory, thank you in advance for your continued support,” they wrote, adding that all previously scheduled shows at the venue will still go on “as per Darcelle’s wishes.”He was certified as the globe’s oldest drag performer in 2016 by the Guinness Book of World Records and earned notoriety for hosting the longest-running drag show on the West Coast.He came out as gay and created his drag queen persona in 1969.In 1967, Cole purchased the Demas Tavern in the Old Town neighborhood of Portland and it soon became the Darcelle XV Showplace, a landmark that is still standing today.

In 2020, the space was listed in the National Register of Historic Places — the first place in Oregon to be commemorated for its importance in queer history.Cole, who was born in Portland in 1930, scored a 2011 Spirit of Portland Award, which recognizes “local individuals and organizations who have demonstrated an outstanding dedication to positive change in our community.”Cole preferred to use male pronouns when he wasn’t performing and female ones while he was in drag, according to the Oregonian, adding that his drag hot spot provided a safe haven for many of his LGBTQ peers. “If I hadn’t admitted who I was, I’d probably be dead now,” the trailblazer told his hometown paper in 2010. “I’d be sitting on a couch retiring from … management.

Not for me.”Todd Addams, the interim executive director of Basic Rights Oregon, reflected on Cole’s life and work with the Los Angeles Times, noting: “She touched the lives of so many, not only through her performances but also through her fearless community advocacy and charitable works.