Pansy Craze

Pansy Craze
late-1920s–mid-1930s
Painting of "pansy" performer Karyl Norman, titled The Creole Fashion Plate (1923)
Location	Mainly the United States Chicago Los Angeles New York City San Francisco
Leader(s)	Gene Malin Karyl Norman Ray Bourbon

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The Pansy Craze was a period of increased LGBT visibility in American popular culture from the late-1920s until the mid-1930s.^[1][2] During the "craze," drag queens — known as "pansy performers" — experienced a surge in underground popularity, especially in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The exact dates of the movement are debated, with a range from the late 1920s until 1935.^[1][3][4]

The term "pansy craze" was first coined by the historian George Chauncey in his 1994 book Gay New York.^[3][5][6][7]