The Castro in San Francisco City and County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Gladys Bentley
— Rainbow Honor Walk —
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, December 13, 2023
1. Gladys Bentley Marker
Gladys Bentley
(1907-1960)
Pioneering pianist and blues singer of the Harlem Renaissance who challenged established gender roles with her appearance and choice of material
Erected 2022 by Rainbow Honor Walk.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Women. In addition, it is included in the Rainbow Honor Walk series list. A significant historical date for this entry is January 18, 1960.
Location. 37° 45.863′ N, 122° 25.96′ W. Marker is in San Francisco, California, in San Francisco City and County. It is in The Castro. Marker is at the intersection of Market Street and 16th Street, on the right when traveling east on Market Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3580 16th Street, San Francisco CA 94114, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Alvin Ailey (within shouting distance of this marker); Sylvia Rivera (within shouting distance of this marker); Divine (within shouting distance of this marker); Marie Equi (within shouting distance of this marker); José Sarria (within shouting distance of this marker); W.H. Auden
this page online
Also see . . .
1. Gladys Bentley (Wikipedia).
Overview: Gladys Alberta Bentley (August 12, 1907 – January 18, 1960) was an American blues singer, pianist, and entertainer during the Harlem Renaissance.(Submitted on December 13, 2023.)
Her career skyrocketed when she appeared at Harry Hansberry's Clam House, a well-known gay speakeasy in New York in the 1920s, as a black, lesbian, cross-dressing performer. She headlined in the early 1930s at Harlem's Ubangi Club, where she was backed up by a chorus line of drag queens. She dressed in men's clothes (including a signature tail coat and top hat), played piano, and sang her own raunchy lyrics to popular tunes of the day in a deep, growling voice while flirting with women in the audience.
On the decline of the Harlem speakeasies with the repeal of Prohibition, she relocated to southern California, where she was billed as "America's Greatest Sepia Piano Player" and the "Brown Bomber of Sophisticated Songs". She was frequently harassed for wearing men's clothing. She triedto continue her musical career but did not achieve as much success as she had had in the past. Bentley was openly lesbian early in her career, but during the McCarthy Era she started wearing dresses and married, claiming to have been "cured" by taking female hormones.Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, December 13, 20232. Gladys Bentley Marker - wide view
2. Gladys Bentley, 1907-1960 (BlackPast).
Intro: Gladys Bentley (stage name, Bobbie Minton) was a Harlem Renaissance blues singer and cross dresser. She was one of the most well-known and financially successful black women in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. She was a pioneer in pushing the envelope of gender, sexuality, class, and race with parody and exaggeration, personally and professionally.(Submitted on December 13, 2023.)
3. Meet Gladys Bentley, drag king of the Harlem Renaissance (YouTube, 6 min.). Meet Gladys Bentley, drag king of the Harlem Renaissance | Masters of Drag | American Masters | PBS: A gender-bending, famed blues musician and drag king who was a part of the Harlem Renaissance. She performed with drag queens and openly loved women, until later in life when she was pressured to conform to 1950s social standards. (Submitted on December 13, 2023.)
Additional keywords. LGBT, LGBTQ
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
3. Gladys Bentley
Credits. This page was last revised on December 13, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 13, 2023, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 62 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 13, 2023, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
