Stormé DeLarverié papers

1980-2014

Stormé DeLarverié was born on December 24, 1920, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to an African American mother and a white father. She is known for being a singer, male impersonator, bouncer, and gay rights activist.

From the mid-1950s through the 1960s, DeLarverié was the master of ceremonies of the Jewel Box Revue, America's first racially inclusive traveling revue of impersonators. The show was called "25 Men and 1 Girl", as DeLarverié dressed as a man and the rest of the cast members, all men, dressed as women. She was one of the most successful male impersonator and drag kings of her day and a prized performer. On June 28, 1969, DeLarverié's name would become legendary in the gay community. At fifty years old, she is credited as having thrown the first punch against a policeman as they raided the Stonewall Inn, sparking a riot and igniting the modern gay rights movement. DeLaverié's role in the movement lasted long after 1969. For decades, she was a self-appointed guardian and supporter of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. She was a member of the Stonewall Veterans' Association, holding the offices of Chief of Security, Ambassador, and in 1998 through 2000, Vice President. DeLarverié was well-known in the community and participated in the annual New York City Gay Pride Parade with the Stonewall Veterans and "Stormé's baby", the historic 1969 Cadillac convertible, or the "Stonewall Car". In 2000, DeLarverié received a "Gay Lifetime Achievement Award" from Senior Action in a Gay Environment (SAGE). Often referred to as the "Rosa Parks" of the gay rights movement, DeLarverié was a fierce woman and advocate who stood up for the LGBT community on countless occasions. On May 24, 2014, she passed away in her sleep from a heart attack at the age of 93.