1920s lesbian black bentley

She was one of the most well-known and financially successful black women in the United States in the s and s. She was a pioneer in. Top: Cabaret singer and pianist Gladys Bentley, who performed in a Because of her, it became a place where black lesbians and gay men. She was a Black lesbian and bisexual singer and entertainer. For Bentley, her sexuality and the large Homosexual population in the s made her need.

According to a belated obituary published in , The New York Times said Bentley, who died in at the age of 52, was "Harlem's most famous lesbian" in Estimated Reading Time: 8 mins. Gladys Bentley, who was born one hundred and nine years ago today, built her singing career billed as a black, lesbian, cross-dressing wonder in the s and s. During the Prohibition era, Bentley's performances at Harlem's gay speakeasies--usually backed by a chorus line of drag queens, with Bentley donning her trademark white coat and tails--were infamous. Garber writes that Harry Hansberry’s Clam House “featured Gladys Bentley, a pound, masculine, dark skinned lesbian, who performed all night long .

Gladys Alberta Bentley (Aug – Janu) was an American blues singer, pianist, and entertainer during the Harlem Renaissance. Her career skyrocketed when she appeared at Harry Hansberry's Clam House in New York in the s, as a black, lesbian, cross-dressing performer. Gladys Bentley, who was born one hundred and nine years ago today, built her singing career billed as a black, lesbian, cross-dressing wonder in the s and s. During the Prohibition era, Bentley's performances at Harlem's gay speakeasies--usually backed by a chorus line of drag queens, with Bentley donning her trademark white coat and tails--were infamous. According to a belated obituary published in , The New York Times said Bentley, who died in at the age of 52, was " Harlem's most famous lesbian " in the s and "among the best-known.

During the Harlem Renaissance, she landed a job performing at a venue that was only looking to hire men, and she quickly became a well-known performer. She performed as an out lesbian, wearing her signature tux, impressing her audience with provocative lyrics. A point now eerily echoed by the revisionists who have been rewriting lesbian history. Bentley was the first prominent performer of her era to embrace a trans identity.