About the Program:
Join the Art Deco Society of New York and New York LGBT Center for a web-based event that gives a fascinating look back at Prohibition 100 years after it began!
As the ‘20s begin to roar again, there are a surprising number of similarities between the 1920s and the 2020s, particularly for LGBTQ Americans. In this Zoom presentation, historian and playwright Daniel Hurewitz invites us to reconsider the lost history of Prohibition.
In part, the story is one of widening tolerance for and even celebration of gender-defying performers. As a “Pansy Craze” swept from Times Square to Hollywood, it made celebrities out of folks like the drag performer Jean Malin, the bawdy tuxedo-clad singer Gladys Bentley, and the sexually adventurous Mother of the Blues, Ma Rainey; it even landed a lesbian drama on Broadway.
And yet, at the same time, the end of Prohibition in 1933 brought new forms of censorship and moral regulation into American popular culture and nightlife––ones that increasingly drove LGBTQ individuals out of the mainstream, and into segregated isolation.
So, join us for this engaging illustrated talk to explore how the Prohibition Era both brought to a peak a long era of American tolerance for same-sex intimacy, but then slammed the door loudly to mark the start of something new and less welcoming.
Even though this event will be online, it will include a live PowerPoint—with wonderful images that you will be able to see directly on your computer screen, tablet, or mobile device—as well as an interactive Q&A session, just like the format of our in-person talks.
Not able to join us at the time of the event? No problem! Those who register will receive a recording of the entire program a few days after the live presentation. When you sign up for the program you have the opportunity to watch, or rewatch, the recording at a time more convenient for your schedule.
Claim your space today!
About the Speaker:
Daniel Hurewitz is both a playwright and an associate professor of history at Hunter College. As a scholar, his work has focused on the development of 20th-century U.S. gendered and sexual identities and the emergence of LGBTQ politics. His first book, Stepping Out (1997), traced a history of LGBTQ life across Manhattan, presented as a series of walking tours. His second book, Bohemian Los Angeles and the Making of Modern Politics (2007), was named a Los Angeles Times bestseller and focused on the communities of L.A. artists, leftists, and queer activists who helped give birth to the American LGBTQ rights movement. More recently, he has been working to translate the scholarship of LGBTQ history to wider audiences. In part, that has involved working with the New York City Department of Education and local teachers to develop curriculum that they can bring into their classrooms. In addition, he has been writing plays about queer American history, such as “Reclamation” and “Nancy F***ing Reagan,” which was named “Best New Play” for the 2019 Los Angeles theater season.
About our Partner:
Established in 1983, New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center empowers people to lead healthy, successful lives. The Center celebrates diversity and advocates for justice and opportunity. Each year, The Center welcomes more than 300,000 visits to our building in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan from people who engage in our life-changing and life-saving activities. To learn more about our work, please visit gaycenter.org.
Registration:
How to Register for ADSNY's Web-based programs:
- Click the gold Register button located to the left of the "About the Program" section
- Enter the requested information in the registration form and follow the instructions to pay online and complete your registration
- In a few moments, you will receive an email confirmation of your registration
- Several days before the program, you will receive an email with the link and password to join your Zoom event
For more information on Zoom, check out our How-to webpage
If you are having difficulty registering for this program please check the settings on your web browser to make sure that cookies and cross-site tracking are enabled. We recommend registering for programs through a desktop. If you need further assistance registering for this event, please email Info@ArtDeco.org, let us know which events you would like to register for, and we will send you an invoice.
If you have a Household Membership and would like to take advantage of the reduced member ticket for both members, each ticket will need to be purchased separately under the name and email address of each member. If you are having difficulty, please email Info@ArtDeco.org, let us know which events you would like to register for, and we will send you an invoice.
All ticket sales are final. Sorry, there are no refunds or exchanges.
