Stormé DeLarverie
Encyclopedia
Stormé DeLarverie, born in New Orleans in 1920 to a black father and a white mother, is a lesbian
whose scuffle with the police was one of the defining moments of the Stonewall riots
, and spurred the crowd to action. Some have referred to her as "the gay community’s Rosa Parks." During the 1950s and 60’s she toured the black theater circuit as the only drag king
of the Jewel Box Revue, America’s first racially integrated female impersonation show. In 1987 a movie by Michelle Parkerson was made about this, titled "Storme:
The Lady of the Jewel Box". In the 1980s and 1990s Storme worked as a bouncer
for several lesbian bars in New York City. As of 2010 she is living in a nursing home in Brooklyn
.
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
whose scuffle with the police was one of the defining moments of the Stonewall riots
Stonewall riots
The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City...
, and spurred the crowd to action. Some have referred to her as "the gay community’s Rosa Parks." During the 1950s and 60’s she toured the black theater circuit as the only drag king
Drag king
Drag kings are mostly female performance artists who dress in masculine drag and personify male gender stereotypes as part of their performance. A typical drag king routine may incorporate dancing and singing, live as in the Momma's Boyz of San Francisco's performances or lip-synching...
of the Jewel Box Revue, America’s first racially integrated female impersonation show. In 1987 a movie by Michelle Parkerson was made about this, titled "Storme:
The Lady of the Jewel Box". In the 1980s and 1990s Storme worked as a bouncer
Bouncer (doorman)
A bouncer is an informal term for a type of security guard employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs or concerts to provide security, check legal age, and refuse entry to a venue based on criteria such as intoxication, aggressive behavior, or attractiveness...
for several lesbian bars in New York City. As of 2010 she is living in a nursing home in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
.