A Goddess Is Here

Lesbian Women of Color Unite!

Violet Collective is a new zine dedicated to the celebration, empowerment, and support of all lesbian women of color.

—

Maggie Smith, “Mary Oliver did something rare: She made poetry accessible. That’s not a bad thing,” published in the Washington Post (via mortuarybees)

me:

So here are some facts we should all know about Stormé DeLarverie:

Her name is pronounced stormy de-LAR-ver-ee

She was born to a black mother, who was a servant in the house of her white father, during a time when interracial marriage was illegal

She worked as a drag performer with the Jewel Box Revue, the first integrated touring drag performance - and was the first and only drag king among the group

Not long after the events at stonewall, she became part of the formation of the Stonewall Veteran’s Association. She was very active in the organization and held positions such as Chief of Security and Vice President

Described as a “gay superhero” and the “Rosa Parks of the gay community,” she worked to keep the streets safe and was a longtime defender of lesbians: “Ms. DeLarverie roamed lower Seventh and Eighth Avenues patrolling the sidewalks and checking in at lesbian bars. She was on the lookout for what she called ‘ugliness’: any form of intolerance, bullying or abuse of her ‘baby girls.’”

She also played an important role in the AIDS crisis, raising money for the patients and their families, as well as providing meals to dying patients

At age 93, she received a lifetime achievement award at a Brooklyn Community Pride Center gala alongside Edie Windsor, the plaintiff in the lawsuit that overturned the Defense of Marriage Act

The New York Times calls her “indisputably one of the first and most assertive members of the modern gay rights movement”

Happy pride month to Stormé DeLarverie and to all the lesbians she helped protect.

Sources:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2014/05/30/nyregion/storme-delarverie-early-leader-in-the-gay-rights-movement-dies-at-93.amp.html

https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/people-african-american-history/delarverie-storme-1920-2014/

https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5933c061e4b062a6ac0ad09e/amp