When I began to research Harlem Renaissance pianist and singer Gladys Bentley a little over a year ago, I was struck by her similarity to Janelle Monae, who had then just released her second album,“ArchAndroid.” Monae’s gender-queer look — black tuxedo, black-and-white saddle shoe — is strongly reminiscent of Bentley’s trademark black-or-white tuxedo, top hat and cane. And in each case, the spectacle of a Black woman performer disrupting the gender binary has prompted a flurry of speculation about her sexual orientation.
Author: Shantala Thompson
Shantala Thompson received her M.A. in Women’s Studies at State University of New York at Albany. She presented her research project entitled Gladys Bentley and A’Lelia Walker: Queering Black Women’s History at the National Women’s Studies Association conference in 2011. Her academic interests include Queer Black Women’s History, gender and sexuality, sci-fi, poetry and literature.