Queer African American Women and the History of Marriage
This photo and headline accompanied an article from the October 15, 1970 issue of Jet magazine. They reveal that long before the recent struggle for marriage equality began, African American women who love women have engaged with the institution of marriage and have fought to make it their own.
Edna Knowles, on the left, and Peaches Stevens were wed in Liz’s Mark III Lounge, a gay bar on the South Side of Chicago, “before a host of friends and well wishers.” The article ended by noting, “although the duo has a type of ‘marriage license’ in their possession, the state’s official marriage license bureau reported it had no record of their license.” This ending serves to remind Jet readers that Knowles and Stevens’ union was not legitimate in the eyes of the state, as does the use of quotes around the word “married” in the headline.
However, decades prior to this bold public display of queer affection, African American female couples in New York strategized alternative ways to obtain marriage licenses in the 1920s and 30s:
“Marriage ceremonies were held with large wedding parties which included several bridesmaids, attendants, and other wedding party members. Actual marriage licenses were obtained by either masculinizing the first name, or having a gay male surrogate obtain the license for the marrying couple. These marriage licenses were placed on file with the New York City Marriage Bureau.” - Luvenia Pinson, “The Black Lesbian: Times Past-Time Present,” Womanews, May 1980 p. 8.
Also during the 1930s, popular performer Gladys Bentley was making a living singing bawdy tunes and playing piano late into the night at various clubs all over New York, including one named after her.
Bentley married her white girlfriend in Atlantic City in a ceremony to which she invited friends in the entertainment industry:
“Columnist Louis Sobol remembered Bentley coming over to his table one night and whispering, 'I’m getting married tomorrow and you’re invited.’ When Sobol asked who the lucky man was to be, she giggled and replied, 'Man? Why boy you’re crazy. I’m marryin’ —-’ and she named another woman singer.” - Eric Garber, “Gladys Bentley: The Bulldagger Who Sang the Blues,” Out/Look, Vol. 1, No. 1, Spring 1988, pp. 52-61.
14012 Notes/ Hide
- darthlenaplant liked this
- labelleizzy liked this
- leatherfem reblogged this from blackfemmemagic
- darkness-falls-xo liked this
- louisa-malchance liked this
- emeraldinerosefaedragon reblogged this from breha
- emeraldinerosefaedragon liked this
- your-dads-filing-cabinet reblogged this from troubled-bog-witch
- 0monkfruit0 liked this
- profeministbro liked this
- buckhead1111 liked this
- megalunalexi-aesthetic liked this
- enchantingcolortacogarden liked this
- justaname441 liked this
- guy60660 liked this
- hreog-like-frog liked this
- masonpowellposts reblogged this from thequeerofdelphi
- masonpowellposts liked this
- thrillridr liked this
- thequeerofdelphi reblogged this from dionysiandevotee
- fruitypepples liked this
- dionysiandevotee reblogged this from leroi-prince
- dionysiandevotee liked this
- cheeseburgerbae890 liked this
- ithinkicantdie liked this
- sammicass liked this
- phasersonstoned liked this
- clovesmokeanddecaff liked this
- cunnilillith reblogged this from stormysapphic
- sulphuricsiren liked this
- packitandgo reblogged this from stormysapphic
- pallasinine liked this
- bumblero reblogged this from stormysapphic
- pyrovilian liked this
- gaydiesaster reblogged this from stormysapphic
- tennesseewilliamshakespeare liked this
- stormysapphic reblogged this from queermuseum
- queerdykes reblogged this from queermuseum
- princess-unipeg liked this
- nonsensikelly liked this
- tr4shbug liked this
- speggle liked this
- queermuseum posted this
- Show more notes