Harlem in the 1920s.
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Harlem, New York, experienced a renaissance of culture during the 1920s, introducing some of the most famous Black writers and performers. But history often forgets about Gladys Bentley, a woman who performed as a man in a popular Harlem Prohibition bar. Slowly, Bentley became so popular that she was the best known Black performer in the country and considered "Harlem's most famous lesbian figure," according to The New York Times.
Bentley would sing, dance, and play the piano during her performances while wearing a tuxedo and a hat. Although her music never made it to the radio, celebrities from all over the world would come to watch her performance in Harlem.