With the perfect combination of swagger and sass, El Daña is both a stud and a sweetheart. At 80 years old, she was recently certified as the world’s oldest performing drag king by Guinness World Records.

The Mexican-American male impersonator is a true icon. She began performing in 1965 in California’s Central Valley and regularly traveled throughout the state. Her career spanned decades, from before Stonewall to the present, and she was also part of the famed Imperial Court System, an organization that demonstrates not only drag’s artistry but also its commitment to community service and activism.

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LGBTQ Nation caught up with her at the west coast premiere of Revry’s King of Drag competition show, where she was getting her flowers from a whole court of multigenerational drag king talent. She has finally been recognized locally and internationally, from being named Grand Marshal of the 2024 Pride Visalia parade, to being named to the Out100 to serving as the subject of a Code Switch feature on NPR to being the center of a forthcoming book chapter by Fresno State professor Kat Fobear.

And in many ways, she’s still just getting started.

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LGBTQ Nation: How did you get started performing, and what were those early performances like?

El Daña: It was November of 1965: the month before I had turned 21, and I always wanted to perform. Back then, it was mostly radio, so I would turn it on, and I would hear Vic Damone, Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Bobby Vee, all those. Before I was 21, well, if I liked a song, I would grab a brush and pretend that I was doing that number.

And when I found out that the Red Robin (a gay bar here in Fresno, California) had shows, I auditioned. The Red Robin would advertise down in LA and San Francisco. They would recruit the drag queens that were professional. I would dress up in a suit, like the character I was doing, just a little bit of makeup to hide my blemishes. Back then, instead of saying “lip-sync” like they do now, the word was “pantomime.”

My very first performance was “La Bamba.” And believe me, my knees were shaking really bad when I got on stage, but once I got started, and the audience accepted me, I forgot about my knees shaking.

What does performing drag mean to you?

It’s my own dream, and it comes from the bottom of my soul. On stage, I allow myself to shine and release anything that’s negative about me. I’ve been told by many that when I’m on stage, I just sparkle. They see me sparkle in my eyes.

To me, it’s very personal. I love it, and I want everybody else to enjoy it just as much as I enjoy it. And, to my surprise, they really do. Even today, as old as I am, they love it. And they’re feeding my ego, they’re feeding my talent. My whole soul is being fed by this beautiful cheering and joy and clapping. It gives us pleasure for a moment, you know, to forget what’s happening outside of that venue.

What was it like performing in the 1960s in the Central Valley? What did the LGBTQ+ community look like at that time?

Back then, a lot of us were in the closet. Once I was old enough, I didn’t care. They either accepted me or not, and I never had a problem with that. And back then, there were a lot of private parties; you had to be invited once you got known out there. And it was more difficult for the gay men, I think, than for the lesbians. They had to be careful what they were wearing underneath their dress, if they were in drag. Because they could get arrested, and they would get harassed. But I never really experienced anything like that. Me and my girlfriends, like a group of us, we hung out together. The Central Valley is very agricultural, and we would go out in the fields and drink and party and make out and all that. And nobody would bother us.

When the Girl of the Golden West opened up, the owner, Bob Benson, would put together production shows, like that picture of me on the moon. That’s Cabaret. And the audience was below me, with me on that moon being hoisted down to the stage. It was neat! And I would be the one that would have all the male lead parts, like in My Fair Lady and Showboat. From 1965 until the early 70s, you know, I was the only male impersonator around. That bar was way out in nowhere-land, and people from San Francisco and LA would come, and we would pack that little bar up, standing room only sometimes.

And then after the bar would close, there was a little restaurant right off Route 99 called Tiny’s, and we’d go have breakfast afterwards. And the waitresses just loved seeing us coming, because we would have fun.  There would be maybe 10 to 20 of us at one table. And sometimes the police would walk in. But they would say nothing, they wouldn’t harass us.  I think the manager of the restaurant would probably tell the police, “They really don’t bother anybody, they have breakfast, they tip good, and they’re just having a good time.”

And I would end up going home at like 3 or 4 in the morning. I’d sleep a couple of hours or so, then had to go to work. At the time, I was working as one of those catering drivers on a lunch wagon, and I had to be at work by 6 o’clock. So I wouldn’t get much sleep, but it was fun. When you’re young, you can go on for hours, you know? I’m 81 years old, and I can look back at my 20s and say: “I’m glad I did what I did,” and not say I wish I had.

In 1980, you co-founded the Imperial Sequoia Empire de Tulare and Kings Counties, part of the famed Imperial Court System. How did that impact your performance and the greater LGBTQ+ community?

I moved to Visalia in 1979, about 45 minutes from Fresno, and I met Joe Victorino, who told me he used to watch me perform at the Girl of the Golden West. He opened a gay bar called the High Chaparral in nearby Farmersville, and I helped book and manage the shows. He wanted to start an Imperial Court. We decided I would dub him Empress 1, and he would dub me Emperor 1.

That’s how I got my name. Before then, I always went by Elsie, but I really didn’t like my name for performance. Joe told me he wanted to be known as Empress Tatiana, and he asked me, “What kind of emperor name do you want?” And I had thought about it before. My first name is Elsie, so I cut that short to El; my last name is Saldaña, so I took the last 4 letters. So I put it together: El Daña.

The Imperial Courts have fundraisers for nonprofits. We donated to AIDS projects, and they had a buddy system, and I would come and visit the patients. And they appreciated that very much because they had nobody. When they would see me, they would come up and hug and kiss me and say, “Thank you for coming and visiting me.”

When you first began, you called yourself a male impersonator and later adopted the term drag king. What does it mean to be recognized as the world’s oldest performing drag king?

I don’t know when the term drag king came along. I’m embarrassed because I just found out about drag kings like 6 years ago! But when I found out, I thought that was amazing.

Once other kings started finding out that I existed, I would get reviews like: “It’s an honor to know that you’ve paved the way.” And they tell me: “You’re the king.” I thought to myself, well, you know what, I have earned it. All these years, and I have paved the way. Even though the drag queens, they respected me, but still, I was on the sidelines. It was like I had to push some stones around to make a clearing for myself, to be noticed and accepted. And it did take many years. So I said to myself: “Well, I do deserve the crown, because I’m still here and I’m still an excellent performer.” So I feel I am a drag king. I’ve earned it.

I want to say it’s my reward in later life. Because not only did I perform, I helped raise money for AIDS organizations during the 80s. I always contributed my talent, I donated my time. I even donated what I didn’t have. And now I feel that it’s all returning back to me. At first, I didn’t know how to accept it, but now I’m accepting it because I say to myself: “I’m 81 now, who knows if I’ll be here next year? At least enjoy what’s coming to me.” And I’m going to accept everything with open arms because I do want to be in the spotlight.

What advice do you have for up-and-coming drag kings?

I’m happy that there are more drag kings out there. And I hope they keep coming out. But I’m going to critique here, and you know, they’re not always going to like it, but it’s the truth. Not just anybody can perform out there. You have to know for sure you have a talent. And if you want to be a drag king – or a performer, a comedian, or whatever – practice, improve yourself, and do it right.

When I see someone that they’re trying, I go to them and tell them, “I think you did okay, but if you don’t mind me telling you, why don’t you do this a little differently?” And I’ve been told that the young don’t like to hear that, but it’s because I care. If I didn’t care how you acted or how you looked, I wouldn’t say anything. I mean, I’ve been critiqued in the past. It doesn’t feel good, so I want to prevent that for them. I have sought out advice, and I’ve gotten bad advice and good advice. And I have told people that are coming to see me perform for the first time, “Do me a favor: please tell me if you like it or not. You’re not going to hurt my feelings.” Okay, it might hurt a little bit, but they’re being honest. And that tells me that it matters to them. And it’s good to learn from somebody else. And I have learned.

Be better than the ones that are so negative, especially toward gay society. Be kinder, be gentler, be prettier. Be yourselves in a manner that they can’t do nothing but respect you.

I heard that you were planning to retire from drag a couple of years ago, but thankfully you have not and instead, you’ve been having a renaissance. What’s next for you as a performer?

That’s easy. I thought of retiring, and then, after I got a standing ovation at Fresno State with Queer West (to a crowd of 400 people!), that made me change my mind. Now I want to perform more than ever. And I want more bookings. 

And hopefully, I can continue to teach the younger drag kings. I want them to be on top. It’s always been the drag queens that have taken center stage. Well, I feel it’s the drag kings’ turn to do that. But they’re going to have to form their own style, and classiness like we did way back then. They’re going to have to show us, instead of the sway, show some studness, be like a stallion, you know?

When I perform, I give it my best. I really give it all I have.

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