Between 1920 and 1933, thousands of people gathered in the most emblematic clubs and theaters of New York City, such as the Savoy, the Rockland Palace in Harlem, the Astor Hotel and Madison Square Garden; where men "dressed like women" (called pansies) and women "dressed like men" (called bull-daggers or bull-dikers) found a safe space.

 

At these clubs, musicians sang songs such as “ Masculine Women, Feminine Men ” and many famous blues songs with lyrics about female relationships, such as the popular song “Boy in the Boat".

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Tonight, in addition to dressing in a gender-fluid way, we want to encourage you to practice both dance roles. We recommend using neutral language when talking about dance roles and asking "Do you want to lead or follow?" in addition to saying “¿Quieres bailar?” .