THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF OKLAHOMA’S 2SLGBTQ+ by Jazz Wolfe
opposite-sex couples on the same level in terms of sodomy, stating the use of “mankind” in the law implied both sexes. “As long as you didn’t talk about it,” said Jennifer Holland, an OU history professor specializing in queer history of the west, “it was enough.” Outside of Oklahoma, parts of queer culture were celebrated more openly by the community and its allies. Despite harassment and protests from morality groups around the country, Harlem became a “homosexual mecca” with its drag balls. The events — beginning in 1869 — were places for queer individuals to congregate and be themselves, dressing how they wanted and openly discussing their lives. As time went on, some of the balls began to attract international attention, bringing in artists and members of the queer community from around the world, Holland said. Wider public attention was given to the balls, particularly by international heterosexual artists, in the 1920s as the younger generation began to move away from older ideals after the 1918 flu pandemic. In contrast, various morality groups called for the end of the balls, but because of the general public support, politicians were unable to stop them. The Committee of Fourteen, founded in 1905 to investigate the spread of prostitution in New York, also investigated the drag balls in 1916 and released a report describing the “scandalous behavior” at the event. Before the 1950s, Oklahoma’s laws reguDuring the 1920 prohibition era, gay and lating the lives of queer citizens were mostly lesbian bars also saw a rise in popularity, nonexistent. Holland said. Oklahoma City contained While some sodomy bans existed in the many queer bars and speakeasies, including state at the time, they were not specific to queer couples. In 1943, the case of LeFavour the Mayflower Lounge, which was “overtly v. State found that sodomy was a lewd sexual queer” compared to other locations. Queerness, along with alcohol, went underground act between both same-sex couples and at the time for safety from rising morality opposite-sex couples. based laws and regulations. Oklahoma’s Court of Criminal Appeals In contrast, Oklahoma had been a dry clarified the language by placing same- and The oil beneath the earth Oklahoma rests on has a past, present and future. The wheat that spans across miles of land has a past, present and future. The scissortail flycatchers that soar over the state have a past, present and future. Queer people in Oklahoma share that past, present and future. The state’s 2SLGBTQ+ community was present long before its borders were drawn, and it remains a prominent group in the state. In Oklahoma, the past of queer people is not clearly defined — but it exists. Everyone has a history. Some are just better known than others. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Pride events around the U.S. have been canceled, postponed and canceled again. Norman’s Pride event was postponed until May 2022 in light of the delta variant. In the absence of that formal event this year, The Daily wants to explore the broader history of the 2SLGBTQ+ community across generations as a way of gaining a better understanding of the event’s importance to not just the queer community, but also Oklahoma as a whole.
state since as early as 1907, when it entered the union, and did not repeal its prohibition laws until 1959. Beer became available in 1933 after a push in other states to legalize non-liquor alcohol. At the same time, Oklahoma drag queens — referred to as “female impersonators” at the time — found places to perform through local speakeasies or secret bars
‘QUEERNESS HAD GONE UNDERGROUND’
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Drag queen Taylor Bryan lip-syncs while performing for a meeting of OU’s former Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Alliance chapter. Bryan was featured in the Nov. 11, 1992 issue of The Oklahoma Daily, now The OU Daily. Photo by Steve Lineham/The Oklahoma Daily