Stormé DeLarverie

#StormeDeLarverie (December 24, 1920 – May 24, 2014): Born in #NewOrleans to an African-American mother and a white father, DeLarverie faced bullying and harassment as a child. As a teenager, she had an early career as an equestrian for #RinglingBrothersCircus. Eventually she made her way to #NewYork, where she worked as an MC, bouncer, and bodyguard, becoming known as the “guardian of lesbians in #TheVillage.” She was present at the #StonewallUprising, and many believe it was she who ignited the spark that led to the clash with the #NYPD. For her actions at Stonewall, some have even called her “the gay community’s Rosa Parks.” When Stonewall was raided (a practice common for lesbian and gay bars who hadn’t paid off the police), the NYPD attempted to put a woman (who many believe was Stormé) in handcuffs, but she kept escaping from police custody. When she said that the handcuffs were too tight, she was beaten upon the head by a police baton. According to eyewitnesses, she then asked the crowd, “Why don’t you do something?” sparking the crowd into direct action against their oppressors. It is disputed on whether or not the woman described in these events was indeed Stormé, but she definitely was one of the women who fought back. In the years after Stonewall, she continued working as a bouncer for many lesbian bars in New York City, and later she organized and performed for benefits for abused women and children (a cause dear to her heart as she claimed that had she not had people to care for her and her mother in the Jim Crow South, she wouldn’t have survived). She was honored by many LGBTQIA organizations during her life, including Brooklyn Pride, Inc. and the Brooklyn Community Pride Center. She died in 2014 at the age of 93. #PrideMonth#LGBTQIA#LGBTQIAPride#Pride#LegendsOfPride#YouCannotEraseUs