#WomensHistory #transgender #homosexuality #BlackGayHistory #LGBTQ #STOPLYING Before Jesus found me and called me out of the sin of lesbianism in 2006, I considered Gladys Bentley one of my SHEroes. Her historically outrageous reputation as an out-of-the-closet, piano playing vocalist and night club entertainer who openly flirted with the wives of famous men as a part of her act, was wildly intriguing to me, an out-and-proud '80s Black lesbian publisher. I clearly remember the excitement and anticipation of running the Gladys Bentley's story as a feature in VENUS, our nationally distributed mag. Trouble is, we had not researched Bentley's story quite deeply enough. It wasn't until years later, after I had repented and given Christ my whole heart that I happened upon an Ebony Magazine article published in 1952 about Bentley's REPENTENCE. Remember, this was written well before my coming of age, before my rise in the lesbian community. And saddly, my research was WELL before the internet!
Like a fool, I believed most of what I read in the gay history archives. However the only part of Gladys Bentley's 'history' recorded and promoted by homosexuals was her famous 'bulldagger' antics. Homosexual historians deceitfully left off that Miss Bentley had DEEP REGRETS about her "trans" lifestyle, suffered severe loneliness and debilitating depression. She finally looked to Jesus for a way out, and REPENTED, giving ALL to Christ; tongue, time, talent and tenth! She married and became an evangelist, and eventually opened her own church. A few modern gay writers have chosen to paint her latter days as tragic and self denying which is how they describe anyone who leaves homosexual death in favor of new life in Christ. We say Happy Women's History Month Evangelist Gladys Bentley. Your testimony is immortal! You are STILL an inspiration to legions of FORMER homosexuals. Yes, I said 'legions'. As the world is now discovering, there are tens of thousands of us; set free and delivered! Here's an excerpt of an article Evangelist Bently wrote, in first person, just before the release of her Book.
