Midtown in Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
The 1969 Miss Memphis Review
Photographed by Steve Masler, January 9, 2020
1. The 1969 Miss Memphis Review Marker
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The 1969 Miss Memphis Review. . To protest a city ordinance that banned cross dressing, members of the gay community organized a public drag pageant on October 31, 1969. They named the event the Miss Memphis Review. With a wide array of Memphis residents appearing publicly in Halloween costumes, this was the only day of the year when the crossdressing ordinance was not enforced. The first review took place at this site, then known as the Guild Art Theatre. The Guild's format was primarily foreign and art films. Bill Kendall, its flamboyant, longtime manager, fought repeatedly with the Memphis Board of Censors as films shown at the Guild became more daring and controversial. The first pageant was held without incident. Its organizers considered it a turning point in the decrease of harassment of gay men and lesbians in Memphis. The event later became the Miss Gay Memphis Pageant.
To protest a city ordinance that banned cross dressing, members of the gay community organized a public drag pageant on October 31, 1969. They named the event the Miss Memphis Review. With a wide array of Memphis residents appearing publicly in Halloween costumes, this was the only day of the year when the crossdressing ordinance was not enforced. The first review took place at this site, then known as the Guild Art Theatre. The Guild's format was primarily foreign and art films. Bill Kendall, its flamboyant, longtime manager, fought repeatedly with the Memphis Board of Censors as films shown at the Guild became more daring and controversial. The first pageant was held without incident. Its organizers considered it a turning point in the decrease of harassment of gay men and lesbians in Memphis. The event later became the Miss Gay Memphis Pageant.
Erected 2019 by Vincent Astor, Mark Jones, The Theater Board and the Shelby County Historical Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Civil Rights • Entertainment. A significant historical date for this entry is October 31, 1969.
Location. 35° 8.563′ N,
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90° 0.227′ W. Marker is in Memphis, Tennessee, in Shelby County. It is in Midtown. It is at the intersection of Poplar Avenue (U.S. 72) and North Belvedere Boulevard, on the right when traveling east on Poplar Avenue. The marker is on the east side of the Theaterworks at The Evergreen building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1705 Poplar Avenue, Memphis TN 38104, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in West Tennessee. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in the Upper South, in the Mississippi Delta, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 3, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 10, 2020, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 2,508 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on January 10, 2020, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
