Born in Philadelphia, PA, Gladys Bentley began dressing in boys clothing at the age of 9. She preferred her brother’s suits to the dresses her parents tried to get her to wear and noted later in life that her attraction to women was clear even at a young age. Her parents brought her to many different doctors attempting to cure her of this “affliction” but instead she moved to NYC when she had enough at the age of 16.
Gladys began performing in New York’s many underground nightclubs, displaying both unparalleled skill as a pianist and vocalist as well as the ability to wear a tuxedo as well as any man to cross the stage. By the late 1920’s she was recording music and performing full time in Harry’s Clam Bar - a well known gay bar in Harlem.
Gladys was very open about her lesbianism in a time when many did not look favorably upon it. She even had a well publicized “marriage” to a white woman in New Jersey that was well known among her peers. Her unconventional behavior and unmatched artistry gained her a place of honor among fellow entertainers. She was an integral part of the Harlem Renaissance, despite not being spoken of as much today.
Unfortunately, when Prohibition ended, society was already beginning to lean back toward a more reserved attitude, especially toward gay and black populations. Harlem took a big hit to its nightlife and entertainment industries as authorities came in and shuddered the more “unethical and disorderly” establishments. This pushed Gladys out of the spotlight as a queer black woman who dressed in a nonconforming way. She no longer felt at home in the New York nightlife scene and left for Los Angles.
She continued to perform in L.A. but as culture shifted she was forced to go back into the closet, wearing dresses and not speaking openly about her homosexuality. The much more repressive culture of the 1950’s made it very hard for her to exist and she claimed to have been cured of lesbianism while also marrying a man. The validity of both of these statements could never be verified and it’s believed she was attempting to conform to continue to exist in the public sphere of entertainment.
Gladys Bentley is a perfect example of intersectional history and paving the way for rights across the board. She was emboldened to speak out when the platform was given to her and she advocated for queer and gender nonconforming people, African-American Groups, and women. An article she published at the end of her life “I Am A Woman Again” has been used by anti-gay rights groups to attest her being cured. However, upon reading it with an open mind and from a modern lens of sexuality it is clearly a story of a person who was always a woman and felt the need to validate that consistently as she was left on the fringes of society.
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