Remembering Darcelle XV: Portland's Legendary Drag Queen

Walter Cole, better known as Darcelle XV, the world's oldest working drag queen, has died at the age of 92 in Portland, Oregon. Darcelle was a fearless advocate for Portland's LGBTQ+ community and hosted the longest-running drag show on the U.S. West Coast. The nightclub that Darcelle opened more than 50 years ago, Darcelle XV Showplace, was listed in 2020 on the National Register of Historic Places, making it the first site in Oregon to be nominated specifically for its significance in LGBTQ+ history.