Stormé DeLarverie

Stormé DeLarverie ( December 24, 1920 – May 24, 2014) was an American known as the lesbian whose scuffle with police was, according to DeLarverie and many eyewitnesses, the spark that ignited the Stonewall uprising, spurring the crowd to action. Born in New Orleans, to an interracial couple, She is remembered as a gay civil rights icon and entertainer who performed and hosted at the Apollo Theater and Radio City Music Hall.

Personal life DeLarverie's mother was Black and worked as a domestic worker in her white father's home. but she celebrated birthdays on December 24, Christmas Eve.

Her father paid for her education and she was largely raised by her grandfather. She described realizing her attraction to women near the age of eighteen. The sole argument raised against this lesbian being DeLarverie is that some witnesses reported this person was "caucasian." However, being biracial, DeLarverie could appear Black, white, or biracial, depending on lighting, dress, and the expectations of the audience.

The Jewel Box Revue From 1955 to 1969, DeLarverie toured the Black theater circuit as the MC (and only drag king) of the Jewel Box Revue, North America's first racially integrated drag revue. The revue regularly played the Apollo Theater in Harlem, as well as to mixed-race audiences, something that was still rare during the era of racial segregation in the United States.

In 1987, Michelle Parkerson released the first cut of the movie, Stormé: The Lady of the Jewel Box, about DeLarverie and her time with the revue. as confirmed by Michele Zalopany, one of DeLarverie’s neighbors , saying DeLarverie didn't "identify as anything but chose to live her life as a Black man." Long-time friend Lisa Cannistraci has gone on record saying that she believes DeLarverie was non-binary.

Illness and death DeLarverie suffered from dementia in later life. Though she seemingly did not recognize being in a nursing home, her memories of childhood and the Stonewall Uprisings remained strong. Her funeral was held May 29, 2014, at the Greenwich Village Funeral Home.