She was active in the organization, holding the offices of Chief of Security, and Ambassador. Two weeks after the rebellion, DeLarverie was part of the official formation of the Stonewall Veteran’s Association on July 11, 1969. DeLarverie was opposed to calling Stonewall a riot: “a rebellion, an uprising, a civil rights disobedience,” she said, but definitely not a riot. Either way, DeLarverie was a large part of what is seen as the catalyst for the protests that set off the gay rights movement. While some witnesses say that DeLarverie threw the first punch, and she made the claim as well, there were many people involved in the uprising which made it difficult to determine who the instigator was. Notably, the Jewel Box Revue was the first integrated drag revue, and drew crowds of both black and white audiences, even performing at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.ĭeLarverie is best known for possibly throwing the first punch of the Juprising at Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village. The revue featured men dressed in drag while DeLarverie was the only male impersonator in the show. DeLarverie grew up in the South, but eventually her parents married and the family moved to California.ĭeLarverie spent the years between 19 as the MC of the Jewel Box Revue, a touring variety performance showcasing both black and white entertainers. Stormé was born to an African American mother who was a servant to a white homeowner, her father. She celebrated her birthday on December 24, but she was not certain of her true date of birth. Stormé DeLarverie, a gay rights activist best known for her part in the Stonewall uprisings, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1920.
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