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What Kind of Queen?
A Royal Biography of Drag Queen and Activist José Sarria
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A joyous picture book biography of José Sarria, a pioneering activist, drag queen, and the first openly gay candidate to run for public office in the United States
Once upon a time, there lived a boy named José who dreamed of becoming royalty—and of a queendom where everyone would be treated fairly and with respect.
A child of immigrants from Colombia, José Sarria was born in San Francisco in 1922. With the support of his family, he grew up to discover what it means to be a queen: he fought against evil by serving in WWII, helping to liberate a Nazi concentration camp; he inspired others to be their authentic selves by performing at San Francisco’s Black Cat Café, a haven for artists and activists; and he cared for his community through his LGBTQ+ advocacy work, including the establishment of the Imperial Court System, a global charitable organization that still thrives today.
Sarria led by example, joyfully giving back to his community while challenging the status quo. With a fairy-tale feel and radiant illustrations, this picture book biography celebrates his legacy of seeing the world not as it is but as it could be.
Once upon a time, there lived a boy named José who dreamed of becoming royalty—and of a queendom where everyone would be treated fairly and with respect.
A child of immigrants from Colombia, José Sarria was born in San Francisco in 1922. With the support of his family, he grew up to discover what it means to be a queen: he fought against evil by serving in WWII, helping to liberate a Nazi concentration camp; he inspired others to be their authentic selves by performing at San Francisco’s Black Cat Café, a haven for artists and activists; and he cared for his community through his LGBTQ+ advocacy work, including the establishment of the Imperial Court System, a global charitable organization that still thrives today.
Sarria led by example, joyfully giving back to his community while challenging the status quo. With a fairy-tale feel and radiant illustrations, this picture book biography celebrates his legacy of seeing the world not as it is but as it could be.
Praise for What Kind of Queen?
***STARRED REVIEW***"Renowned Colombian American drag queen and political activist José Sarria (1922-2013) takes center stage in this inspirational portrait...Royally fabulous."
Kirkus Review
Search the internet for José Sarria, and you will see him simply defined as an American drag queen, but this engaging picture-book biography introduces readers to an LGBTQ+ pioneer in America's fight for equality.
Booklist
Inspirational...Conversational text and kinetic illustrations with airbrush textures showcase the subject's royal generosity in this informative, resistance-minded story.
Publishers Weekly
This picture book biography of San Francisco activist and drag royal Sarria takes on a fairytale tone right away, complete with a "once upon a time" introduction to the young child of Colombian immigrants.
The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
About the Authors
Kyle Casey Chu, also known as Panda Dulce, is a San Francisco-born-and-raised writer and a founding queen of Drag Story Hour. Her first novel, The Queen Bees of Tybee County (2025), was named an Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature - Children's Literature Honor title. Andrew W. Shaffer is a San Francisco-based historian of LGBTQ community and culture. His background includes graduate work at the University of San Francisco and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he helped to build the city's first permanent LGBTQ archives. Cindy Lozito is a mixed Latina illustrator, cartoonist, and muralist based in Philadelphia, originally from Queens, New York. Her murals and artwork have appeared at the World Trade Center and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. When she is not illustrating, you can find Lozito giving her terrier mix belly rubs, singing in her local choir, or drinking too much cold brew.
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