Tuckahoe NY Pride

Stormé DeLarverié was a New Orleans–born, mixed-race lesbian performer best known as a drag king and as the charismatic emcee for the integrated touring troupe the Jewel Box Revue. Presenting in tailored suits and singing in clubs across North America, she challenged rigid gender norms long before “nonconforming” was common language. In New York, she also worked as a bouncer and became a fierce protector of queer women in the Village. During the 1969 Stonewall uprising, witnesses recall her resisting arrest, an act often cited as a spark for the revolt. Her legacy endures in LGBTQ+ history and activism.

Quote: “I’m a human being that survived. I’ve helped other people survive.”