Gladys Bentley was a Harlem Renaissance trailblazer, unapologetic performer, and one of the first public figures to challenge gender norms in 20th-century America. With her signature tuxedo, top hat, and booming voice, Bentley captivated crowds at speakeasies and underground clubs, belting blues lyrics that were as bold as her presence.

But behind the spotlight was a woman navigating the complex intersections of race, sexuality, fame, and personal identity in a deeply conservative era. From her rise to fame at the legendary Clam House to the pressures that led her to publicly renounce her queerness during the McCarthy era, Bentley’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and radical self-expression.

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