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Stormé DeLarverie
(1922 - )
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 Stormé:
The Lady of the Jewel Box
A
film by Michelle
Parkerson, 1987 “It
ain’t easy…being green” is the favorite expression of
Stormé
DeLarverie, a woman whose life flouted prescriptions of gender and
race. During the 1950’s and 60’s she toured the black theater
circuit as a mistress of ceremonies and the sole male impersonator
of the legendary Jewel Box Revue, America’s first integrated
female impersonation show and forerunner of La Cage aux Folles.
The multiracial revue was a favorite act of the Black theater
circuit and attracted mixed mainstream audiences from the 1940s
through the 1960s, a time marked by the violence of segregation.
Parkerson finds Stormé in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, now
working as a bodyguard at a women’s bar and still singing in her
deep silky voice with an “all girl” band. Through archival
clips from the past, Stormé looks back on the grandeur of the
Jewel Box Revue and its celebration of pure entertainment in the
face of homophobia and segregation. Stormé herself emerges as a
remarkable woman, who came up during hard times but always “kept
a touch of class.”
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Even though the Stonewall Rebellion took place in
1969 -- not 1869 -- the Rebellion was not photographed or filmed
by the media because they deemed it "unimportant".
Unless a treasure trove of forgotten images is one day unearthed,
there will be endless speculation of what exactly occurred during
those five, inconsecutive, steamy nights and early morning hours.
We must preserve the heritage we have before it is lost!
The Stonewall Veterans' Association (S.V.A.)
positively represents Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender
history and culture. The Board of S.V.A. consists
exclusively of actual participants in the Stonewall Rebellion.
We focus our organization as a viable group of Gay men, Lesbian
women, Bi people and Transgender people. We strive for the
facts and challenge the inaccuracies.
STONEWALL VETERANS' ASSOCIATION GOALS INCLUDE:
 | Allocate funds to assist Veterans of the
Stonewall Rebellion who are indigent and need financial
assistance with shelter, medical care, utilities, food,
transportation, etc.
| Creation of a free low-cost food/clothing
collective for the Gay, Lesbian, Bi and Transgender
Communities
| Allocate funds to assist or, if needed, pay
for funerals and burial expenses for Stonewall Veterans
and establish a central burial place at a local cemetery for
Stonewall Veterans where their memory will be collectively
honored by future generations. At this time we have one
limited plot accommodating six in Westbury, Long Island.
| Preserve our colorful and varied history by
updating our archive consisting of videos and audio tapes of
Stonewall Veterans and other notables of the Gay, Lesbian, Bi
and Transgender Communities.
| Establish a consistent, strong, persistent
and unified voice in politics and the media.
| Actively search and create a visual archive
of images relating to Gay, Lesbian, Bi and Transgender
movements throughout American history.
| Issue press releases and other promotional information
pertaining to the history of the Stonewall legacy to Gay and
non-Gay media, public officials and G.L.B.T. organizations.
| Create a permanent Stonewall Veterans
Memorial Monument in New York City's Greenwich Village. We
have presented this project to the New York City Parks
Department.
| Proudly lead in the historic 1969 Stonewall
Car, all New York metropolitan-area G.L.B.T. parades, marches
and other public displays, exhibitions and rallies. Another
project of S.V.A. is to maintain and garage this classic
convertible -- a visible, moving symbol of GLBT pride. |
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Stormé DeLarverie has served as vice-president
of the association.
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Stormé DeLarverie received the SAGE Lifetime
Achievement Award.
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Names Index:
A B
C D
E F
G H
I J
K L
M N
O P
Q R
S T
U V
W X
Y Z
| Authors
Index | Scholars
Index |
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