Meet queer pioneer Stormé Delarverie! As a biracial woman born in New Orleans, Delarvarie made her way to New York City where she performed as a singer, often in drag, and would come to be known as the “Rosa Parks” of NYC’s LGBTQ+ community.
Identifying as a lesbian, Delarverie was on the forefront of “butch” fashion culture in the ‘40s and '50s, blurring the lines between a masculine and feminine appearance, and often performing on stage as a man.
While there are conflicting accounts as to who sparked the Stonewall uprising, some believe DeLarverie’s arrest and a subsequent scuffle with police ignited the action. She referred to the event not as a riot, but as “a rebellion, an uprising, it was a civil rights disobedience.” She would serve as a bouncer at many lesbian bars, and as a member of the Stonewall Veterans’ Association, being known as a rough-and-tumble protector and guardian of the local LGBTQ+ community.
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