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Elyssa Goodman

Elyssa Goodman is a writer and photographer specializing in arts and culture, specifically drag and photography. Her work has been published in Vogue, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Vanity Fair, ELLE, i-D, Town & Country, Photograph, InsideHook, and many others online and in print. Elyssa has also written about LGBTQ+ history and culture for Conde Nast’s them, where she was the site’s “Drag Herstory” and Queer Women's History columnist. She has contributed drag journalism to VICE, CR Fashion Book, Billboard, Out, and more. She has been a freelance writer for 19 years, and in love with drag for 27 years, since the age of seven.

How NYC’s Cabaret Laws Tried to Crack Down on Drag

The passage of NYC's cabaret laws in the late 1920s and the creation of the New York State Liquor Authority pushed drag and queer culture back to the fringes of society—but the backlash couldn't stop drag from existing.

September 12, 2023