Stormé Delarverie | Historical Lesbians

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─ 𐄁⎨ 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 ! ⎬𐄁 ─

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( 𓃠 ) table of contents

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                      i                           intro !

                      ii                          childhood !

                      iii                         career !

                      iv                         stonewall !

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#featurethis

      ⤷ intro ! ✧ ⋆  . ˚✦

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Stomré Delarverie was a biracial, butch

lesbian. She lived from December 24,

1920 to May 24, 2014 as a singer, gay

rights activist, bouncer, and drag king.

She's most well known for throwing the

punch that started the Stonewall Riots.

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According to Stormé, she realized she

was gay when she was 18. She lived

with her partner, Diana, for 30 years

until she died in the 1970's.

      ⤷ her childhood ! ✧ ⋆  . ˚✦

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Stormé was born to a white father

and an African American mother in

New Orleans. She was never issued

a birth certificate and said she was

unsure of her actual birthday despite

always celebrating it on the 24th of

December.

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Growing up, Stormé was often bullied

and attacked for being biracial. Her

father eventually sent her to a private

school for her own safety.

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As a teenager she spent time riding

jumping horses in the Ringling Brothers

Circus. She stopped riding after she was

injured in a fall from a horse.

      ⤷ her career ! ✧ ⋆  . ˚✦

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While Stormé begin performing

dressed as a woman, she later toured

the Black theater circuit as a drag king

and a baritone singer. During shows

audience would try to guess

which one of the performers was a

woman. Stormé would usually reveal

herself as the woman during a musical

number, often while wearing tailored

suits and sometimes a mustache.

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There were few drag kings during her

time, and Stormé's unique drag style

became celebrated and inspirational.

She is believed to have inspired other

lesbians to dress in masculine clothing.

              

      ⤷ stonewall & activism ! ✧ ⋆  . ˚✦

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According to Stormé and other eye

witnesses, she was the lesbian who

sparked the Stonewall Riots. She

was stuck in the head with a baton

by a police officer and reportedly

yelled "why don't you guys do something?"

a phrase that encouraged the crowd to

fight back. Stonewall was an important

event in American gay rights history.

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Later, she was a member of the

Stonewall Veterans' Association where

she held positions such as Chief of

Security, Ambassador, and Vice President.

Stormé was also a regular at gay pride

parades and was even known as the

"Rosa Parks" of the gay community.

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Furthermore, Stormé organized and

performed at benefits for battered

women and children.

She was known for protecting fellow

women and lesbians as a volunteer

street patrol worker.

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Stormé Delarverie - Wikipedia

Stormé Delarverie, Early Leader In The Gay Rights Movement

A Drag King's Journey From Cabaret Legend to Iconic Activist

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