Fluid Sexuality and the Harlem Renaissance Anonymous College

According the George Chauncy’s book Gay New York: ”black gay men nonetheless turned Harlem into a homosexual mecca…they build an extensive gay world in their own community, which in many respects surpassed the Village’s in scope, visibility and boldness. The Village’s most flamboyant homosexuals wore long hair; Harlem’s wore long dresses. The Village had cafes where poets read their verse and drag queens performed; Harlem had speakeasies where men danced together and drag queens were regular customers. The Village’s Liberal Club ball was attended by scores of drag queens and hundreds of spectators; Harlem’s Hamilton Lodge ball drew hundreds of drag queens and thousands of spectators.” (244-245)

In popular history, gay culture was repressed until the Stonewall Riots when it exploded into the mainstream. However, Chauncey disputes this common belief by noting the enclaves where gay culture and gender challenges were common and even accepted. “The casual acceptance of drag queens at Cyril’s Café and the frequency of their appearance in Harlem’s streets suggest a high degree of tolerance for them in the neighborhood as a whole.” (249) Chauncey notes that several drag queens were arrested by police officers with many of them taking...