Whites dressed in blackface to perform black music in white clubs where blacks were banned. Women are not banned from dressing as women, so men doing it is not the same.

Except, America had little or no garden, cabaret or cafe society to exclude blacks from until vaudeville came along. The circus was typically segregated seating. White males, young and old, were more common than females in the female roles... black or white. “Woke” abolitionist blackface was major box office. And folk complained.

The old word in cabaret and masque was vedette. Think drag staple Carmen Miranda and you've got the picture. Impersonating, queening and/or flaming it is just a matter of degree(s.) Victor, Victoria, Robert Preston or…?

PS: Drag king Mary Queen of Scots was known to butch it up a little now and then on the sly. American bad girls Lucille & Helen Western scandalized/thrilled audiences with the occasional male role in blackface or mustache.