page_title: LGBT history
section_title: 1920s
hierarchical_section_title: LGBT history / United States of America / 1920s
caption_attribution_description: English: Sheet music cover picture for the song "We Men Must Grow A Mustache." 1922 Inset photo of bandleader Abe Lyman.
context_page_description: LGBT history dates back to the first recorded instances of same-sex love and sexuality of ancient civilizations, involving the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender peoples and cultures around the world. What survives after many centuries of persecution—resulting in shame, suppression, and secrecy—has only in more recent decades been pursued and interwoven into more mainstream historical narratives.
  In 1994 the annual observance of LGBT History Month began in the US, and it has since been picked up in other countries. This observance involves highlighting the history of the people, LGBT rights and related civil rights movements. It is observed during October in the United States, to include National Coming Out Day on October 11. In the United Kingdom, it is observed during February, to coincide with a major celebration of the 2005 abolition of Section 28, which had prohibited local authorities from promoting homosexuality.
context_section_description: The 1920s ushered in a new era of social acceptance of minorities and homosexuals, at least in heavily urbanized areas. This was reflected in many of the films (see Pre-Code) of the decade that openly made references to homosexuality. Even popular songs poked fun at the new social acceptance of homosexuality. One of these songs had the title "Masculine Women, Feminine Men." It was released in 1926 and recorded by numerous artists of the day and included the following lyrics:
  Masculine women, Feminine men
  Which is the rooster, which is the hen?
  
  It's hard to tell 'em apart today! And, say!
  
  Sister is busy learning to shave,
  
  Brother just loves his permanent wave,
  
  It's hard to tell 'em apart today! Hey, hey!
  
  Girls were girls and boys were boys when I was a tot,
  
  Now we don't know who is who, or even what's what!
  
  Knickers and trousers, baggy and wide,
  
  Nobody knows who's walking inside,
  
  Those masculine women and feminine men!
  Homosexuals received a level of acceptance that was not seen again until the 1970s. Until the early 1930s, gay clubs were openly operated, commonly known as "pansy clubs". The relative liberalism of the decade is demonstrated by the fact that the actor William Haines, regularly named in newspapers and magazines as the number-one male box-office draw, openly lived in a gay relationship with his lover, Jimmie Shields. Other popular gay actors/actresses of the decade included Alla Nazimova and Ramon Novarro. In 1927, Mae West wrote a play about homosexuality called The Drag, and alluded to the work of Karl Heinrich Ulrichs. It was a box-office success. West regarded talking about sex as a basic human rights issue, and was also an early advocate of gay rights. With the return of conservatism in the 1930s, the public grew intolerant of homosexuality, and gay actors were forced to choose between retiring or agreeing to hide their sexuality.
caption: Sheet music poking fun at the masculine traits many women adopted during the 1920s.
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