Jump to content

Draft:Leigh Angelique

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Leigh Angelique poses next to a wall

Leigh Angelique (1947-2003)[1] was an American drag queen from the house of Sweet Evening Breeze. In addition to being a local hairstylist, she performed at what is now the Bar Complex and other venues throughout Lexington, Kentucky. She won several drag pageants.

She was born in Lexington, Kentucky.

On April 8th 1970, Lexington Police raided the Bar Complex and they arrested four queens, including at the time 22 year old Garland Hanley. Leigh was booked for the crime of "wearing a disguise," as there was a cross-dressing ordinance.She then sought refuge at the home of Sweet Evening Breeze. Afterwards, Sweets called the judge assigned to sentence Leigh and told him it was "in his best interest to drop the charges." The judge complied.[2] This event was the last time Lexington Police raided a gay bar for this reason. For the following years, Sweets and Leigh celebrated the date as their “Bastille Day.”[3] Leigh Angelique was one of many activists that challenged the ordinance and eventually led to it being overturned by 1969.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Garland Hanley Obituary (2003) - Lexington, KY - Lexington Herald-Leader". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  2. ^ "Blog". FMA. 2024-01-10. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  3. ^ "The Lasting Legacy of the House of Sweet Evening Breeze". Queer Kentucky. 9 October 2023. Retrieved 2024-03-03.