She simply added the word “Miss” in front of it.Īlthough many of the gay bars would not let her in, Miss Major became a frequent customer at the Stonewall Inn - probably at least in part because of her and Stormé DeLarverie‘s shared association with the Jewel Box Revue. (As an aside, I’m definitely a 90’s kid because I definitely first thought that was “Powerpuff” but it isn’t.) During these years she experimented with a handful of names, but settled on the one her parents had given her: Major. She became a performer at the famous Jewel Box Revue, as well as the Cherries and the Powder Puff Revue. She briefly had a job as a secretary for the Mattachine Society, but even that didn’t last too long.Īfter a run in with the law, and a six month bout in a mental institution, Miss Major moved to New York City. She transitioned, using hormones she purchased on the black market - something that became a booming business following the very public transition of Christine Jorgensen. Her parents attempted to curb this, but eventually just kicked her out.Īfterwards, she was homelessness - getting by as best she could through sex work and the occasional theft. But they were, and Miss Major was fairly open about it. She later explained that, without the terminology we have today existing, she did not realize that she and her peers were questioning their gender identities. It didn’t last too long - while she was still fairly young, she discovered the drag ball scene and began participating regularly. She was assigned to the male gender at birth. Miss Major Griffin-Gracy was born in Chicago on Octoin the south side of Chicago at St.
Miss Major - can’t find a date for it but this is such a fantastic picture