Was bert lahr gay

We thank you for your support! During the years before greater openness and understanding, members of the LGBT community sometimes resorted to coded speech or behavior as a safeguard. James Deutsch has never forgotten the first time when as a young child he watched The Wizard of Oz and the film suddenly changed from sepia to glorious Technicolor.

Reel Pride The Wizard : The pansy character originated in the nightclubs of

The phrase helped to maintain the stability, solidarity, cohesiveness, and identity of the group within the larger culture at a time when those qualities were much needed. Bert Lahr, American stage and screen actor who was best known for his dynamic portrayal of the Cowardly Lion in the film The Wizard of Oz.

Lahr was a star of burlesque and vaudeville and a comedy favorite on Broadway before being cast in the iconic role, after which he returned to the stage.

Judy Garland was all ours; she belonged to every gay guy and girl in the theatre. He was best known for his role as the Cowardly Lion, as well as his counterpart Kansas farmworker "Zeke", in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer adaptation of The Wizard of Oz (). Button image by Steve Waters — Friend of Dorothy.

Support Folklife. Culture of, by, and for the People. However, the explanation more commonly believed today is that the source is Dorothy Gale, the lead character played by actress Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz We not only listened, we felt all the lyrics of all the songs.

Browse By. October 25, James Deutsch Comments. Other community members could understand these codes, but not outsiders. Are you a friend of the Smithsonian? Donate Now. Irving Lahrheim (August 13, – December 4, ), known professionally as Bert Lahr, was an American actor and comedian.

Coming out as LGBT is often difficult even today, but throughout much of the twentieth century it could have dire legal and social consequences. Join our mailing list and help us with a tax-deductible donation today. Folklorists study folk speech, which includes expressions, pronunciations, and grammatical forms shared by members of a particular group—whether the group is based on region, religion, ethnicity, occupation, kinship, or gender identity.

The two primary writers are Y.E. Harburg and Noel Langley, but there are more than a dozen other writers listed as contributors, including Tin Man Jack Haley and Cowardly Lion Bert Lahr.