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.
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