Was Kay Thompson a drag queen?

She was not a drag queen. The drag queens studied HER.

This kind of comment why I resent the whole drag/trans thing, because the men in that community have appropriated the mannerisms of divas like Kay Thompson to such an extent that it's now seen as "drag" and the original women who created these mannerisms as being drag queens. Kay Thompson was not drag; she was all woman.

No, she was just a normal human woman, one who didn't look like most of the women who are allowed onto Hollywood screens.

Her primary job was actually doing vocal arrangements for MGMs music department, and in her spare time she wrote the "Eloise" children's books. She'd been a singer when she was young and had never been a star, and this was her only prominent film role. So I still wonder what the hell went into that casting, it's like "This role requires a total diva who radiates camp and star quality! So let's NOT cast a veteran stage or screen star, let's use someone with no acting experience - someone who already has a 9-5 job at the studio!". Seriously, she's great in the role, but I would LOVE to know the story of how she got cast.