By Celeste Hamilton Dennis , Shereen Marisol Meraji , Leah Donnella , Jess Kung , B.A. Parker , Courtney Stein , Christina Cala , Xavier Lopez , Dalia Mortada , Veralyn Williams , Lori Lizarraga

Listen to the full episode on Code Switch. 

Elsie Saldaña, AKA “El Daña,” is one of the oldest drag kings still performing in the U.S.
Florence Middleton

For decades now, drag queens have captured the national imagination. Drag kings, on the other hand, have been relegated to a less prominent position in pop culture. But today on the show, we’re telling the story of one Elsie Saldaña — aka El Daña. As someone who started performing in drag in 1965, she’s now considered one of the oldest drag kings still performing in the U.S. Over the course of her long performance career, many forces have converged that could have stopped her from taking to the stage. But today, almost 60 years after her debut, she hasn’t stopped yet.

This story was originally reported and produced through the audio program at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism by Celeste Hamilton Dennis. Celeste is a solutions journalist based in Portland, Ore. You can follow her work here.

This episode was reported by Celeste Hamilton Dennis.