Lee Brewster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lee Greer Brewster
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Brewster in drag
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| Born | April 27, 1943 |
| Died | May 19, 2000 (aged 57) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Drag queen and New York City boutique |
| Movement | LGBT rights |
Lee Greer Brewster (April 27, 1943 – May 19, 2000) was an American drag queen, transgender activist, and retailer. He was a founding member of the pre-Stonewall activist group, Queens Liberation Front. In the 1970s and 1980s, he published Drag magazine. Brewster helped to raise funds for the very first U.S. celebration of Pride, Christopher Street Liberation Day in 1970. He continued to help raise funds and organize Christopher Street Liberation Day for several years.
Personal life
Lee Brewster was born in a log cabin in Honaker, Virginia on April 27, 1943. He was primarily raised in West Virginia, where his father was a coal miner.
He moved to New York City in the 1960s after being fired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation for being a homosexual.
Brewster died of cancer on May 19, 2000 in New York City. He was survived by a sister and three brothers.
West Virginia University has created an online exhibit dedicated to him, and his work.
Professional life
Brewster worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a file clerk in the early 1960s, until he was fired for being a homosexual.
In the 1970s and 1980s, he published Drag magazine.
Lee's Mardi Gras Boutique
Brewster owned Lee's Mardi Gras Boutique (now Michael Salem Boutique), a 5,000 square feet (460 m2) clothing store in a loft on West 14th Street in New York City's Greenwich Village. The store catered heavily to drag performers. Initially, the business was mail order based, but after so many people began coming directly to his apartment, he opened a store around the corner from his Hell's Kitchen apartment. It included a bookstore with a comprehensive collection of books. After some years, the store was relocated to a larger space on West 14th Street.
His boutique made efforts to provide privacy to its customers, including never having a street-level entry. However, some customers have been public about utilizing the store. Among its public and notable customers were Lady Bunny, and costume designers for The Birdcage, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, and Tootsie.
Activism
Brewster became active in the Mattachine Society after moving to New York City in the 1960s, and was even nominated for the position of Secretary of the organization. He coordinated the organization's drag balls and fundraising events. He began holding the balls at the Diplomat Hotel on West 43rd Street. The balls, held from 1969 to 1973, became notable enough that the final one was attended by Carol Channing, Shirley MacLaine and Jacqueline Susann.
In the 1970s, Brewster financed a successful legal challenge to a New York City ordinance that allowed people to be removed from public places because they were homosexuals. Though seldom enforced, he felt the regulation gave law enforcement an opportunity to harass LGBT people.
Queens Liberation Front
At his first ball in February 1969, he announced plans to form what would become known as the Queens Liberation Front, with October 31, 1969 to be its formal founding date.
In 1971, the Queens Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance in support of Intro 475, to end discrimination based upon sexual orientation in New York City. Eventually these efforts were successful, and the early involvement of transgender organizations, helped to guarantee that transgender rights were respected in resulting gay rights legislation.
