Gay and Lesbian History Spotlight: Gladys Bentley

Being gay, black, and female would not have been an easy task for any human being in our homophobic, racist, and misogynistic history - imagine being "out and proud "to boot...

Gladys Bentley made no secret of her passion for women during her heyday in the 1920's and 1930's. She sang the blues during the Harlem Renaissance, and Prohibition era speakeasies provided the backdrop for her shows. Bentley's performances highlighted her "unnatural affection" for women as she shamelessly displayed the constant cravings of her lesbian lifestyle. At a time when most homosexuals hid their desires, Gladys Bentley flaunted her lesbian leanings, megaphone style - and she did so with bravado and class, in a top hat and tails.

In an Ebony magazine article, Gladys Bentley once boldly wrote, "It seems I was born different. At least, I always thought so....From the time I can remember anything, I never wanted a man to touch me...Soon I began to feel more comfortable in boys clothes than in dresses."

The Clam House in Harlem is one of the most popular "underground" gay and lesbian clubs in American History. At The Clam House, Bentley belted out popular songs of the day with a rich, growling voice, and she put a homosexual twist on the lyrics to suit herself and her audience. At one point, Langston Hughes, a Clam House regular, referred to Bentley as "An amazing exhibition of musical energy."

The Harlem Renaissance provided a safe haven for many popular figures in gay and lesbian history. On any given night, one could find the likes of Bessie Smith or Tallulah Bankhead up front and in center amongst the colorful theater crowd (along with Langston Hughes). When the Renaissance era began to fade, and prohibition ended, Gladys Bentley, like many others, headed for the sunny shores of the pacific coast.

Once she was in California, Gladys Bentley rode her fame until the 1940's. Then came the McCarthy era, a time when America's second famous "witch hunt" made it even more impossible to walk outside of the straight and narrow. In response to the constant danger of "the wrong people" catching wind of her sexual orientation, the 250-pound woman began to don feminine clothing, and eventually, she married a man, and claimed that Christianity had saved her from her sinful lesbian ways.

Gladys Bentley died in a flu epidemic in 1960; but during her time amongst the living, she made a huge contribution to the rich culture of gay and lesbian history, black history, and American History overall.

Duberman, Martin B. Hidden from History: Reclaiming the Gay and Lesbian Past, New York: Penguin,1990.

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug97/blues/garber.html

http://www.outhistory.org/wiki/Singing_the_Blues:_Masculine_Female_Performers