Oldest drag queen (male)
- Who
- Robert "Rose" Levine
- What
- 91:322 year(s):day(s)
- Where
- Mexico (Puerto Vallarta)
- When
- 05 February 2025
The oldest drag queen is Rose Levine (USA, b. Robert Levine, 20 March 1933), who is still performing at the age of 91 years 322 days as of 5 February 2025.
Robert first performed as his drag alter-ego, Rose Levine, in Fire Island, New York, USA, in 1955. He would borrow wigs, dresses and heels for his performances, and replicate the looks of popular actresses of the time such as Ethel Merman.
To this day, Rose still performs and remains a key part of the Fire Island drag community.
On 5 February 2025, Rose took to the stage at Act2 in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, with pianist Mark Hartman. She performed classic Broadway numbers by the likes of Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter and Jerry Herman.
The oldest drag king is El Daña (USA, b. Elsie Saldaña, 15 October 1944), who was 80 years 40 days old when she performed at Clovis Senior Activity Center’s Pre-Thanksgiving event in Clovis, California, USA, on 24 November 2024.
How does it feel to be the oldest drag queen?
"I don't know what an old drag queen feels like. I feel young and I love what I'm doing. I don't feel old."
What does drag mean to you?
"Drag has been a part of my life for more than half of it. It means show business. It means entertaining. It means fun. It started off as just a little thing. Now, it has become a little more serious because as I have performed, I have developed my own persona. I have my own look. I have that ladylike look and many other drag performers are all glitzy."
How do you feel when you're performing as Rose Levine?
"I feel great when I'm in drag. It feels wonderful. You are like another person performing. Irving Berlin once said, "the audience lifts you when you are down". It's amazing when you're up there and you have the audience participating with you and on your side. If they like you, they're with you. It's terrific."
Every summer since 1955, you’ve performed in drag on Fire Island, an outer barrier island off the South Shore of Long Island in New York, USA. This is where the longest-running drag queen competition, the Miss Fire Island Pageant, has been held annually since 1966. How have you been involved with the pageant since it began?
"I was one of the first ones to be involved with it. They had maybe 10 people on a runway at that point and I was one of them. I never won. I never cared about winning it. I did participate as a judge a few times, including the year Tennessee Williams and TV news anchor Sue Simmons were [on the panel]."
Any last thoughts on receiving this Guinness World Records title?
"I'm thrilled to receive this and I hope to do many things with it. I just love it. Thank you all."