The LGBTQIA+ history of circus

Please note: The language used around gender ideology historically is quite archaic so for the purpose of this blog, has been interpreted to modern terminology. Please refer to the sources linked at the end of this blog for further reading. 

Circus Began

Some say the circus as we know it originated in 1768 (IN WATERLOO), designed by Calvary sergeant major Philip Astley. However the components of circus have been around globally for centuries longer. We know that the Romans enjoyed huge theatrical shows in their coliseums, Chinese artefacts from the Han Dynasty depict jugglers and contortion lends its origins to the Hindu doctrines of the practice of Yoga. As technology advanced and the world became more accessible, practices and performances were shared between cultures, gaining their own significance as the shows gained popularity. 

Queer culture within the circus

In the 1870s, P.T. Barnum set up a travelling circus which would evolve over the years to become the Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus in the modern day. This travelling circus included animals, such as Jumbo, the elephant that inspired the story Dumbo, acrobats and “freak” shows.

The phrase “run away to join the circus” is still prolific today, as in more recent history, travelling circuses gained the reputation of welcoming, hosting & displaying the ‘freaks’ and ‘outcasts’ of society. Circuses were communities of different genders, nationalities, ethnicities & sexualities in an era of segregation and oppression. In this way, circuses provided hope that multicultural and diverse communities could exist and thrive. This isn’t to say that the performers were treated equally or fairly, but from the outside, the shows presented an alternate reality to the confines of everyday life.

If you are at all familiar with the history of the circus, the name Ella Zoyara may be familiar as one of the few historical circus performers known to be Trans. While there were likely others like Ella, many have been lost in history as fascist ideologies wiped history ‘clean’ of such individuals. 

Ella was born Omar Kingsley in St Louis around 1840, running away from home to join a travelling circus aged 8. Ella went on to perform as an internationally acclaimed equestrian stunt rider, known for her skill and beauty. Ella both presented and identified as a woman throughout her career as a performer both in act and in personal life. It was only once she was arrested in Manila that her gender assigned at birth was forcibly revealed, leaving Ella no choice but to resume life as Omar until her death. Ella’s existence is immortalised by stories of her beauty, prowess and skill on horseback as well as countless tales of emperors, counts and even kings attempting to woo Ella and court her. While some say Ella was forced to present as a female as a child in order to perform, scholars believe there is enough evidence to prove that Ella was a trans woman. 

More contemporarily, Stormé Delarverie worked within the Ringling Brother’s circus as a teenager, performing stunts on horseback until an injury seemingly ended her performing career. It was during this time that Stormé, an androgynous figure, realised her sexuality as a lesbian. Stormés early career may have began in the circus, but she left the circus and became a Drag King in the 50s, over a decade before homosexuality was legalised in the states. Stormé, along with Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were credited with starting the Stonewall uprising in 1969, which led to the gay liberation movement of the 70s, and the formation of gay, lesbian and bisexual rights groups. 

On Saturday, April 30th, 1983, the Ringling Bros & Barnum and Bailey Circus hosted the first major fundraising event for AIDs - a benefit performance in Madison square garden sponsored by GMHC (a non-profit, founded the year before, known to be the world’s oldest Aids service organisation. The show sold out all 17,600 seats and went on to be known as “the biggest gay event of all time” which has been beaten since by pride events worldwide which were attended by millions. 

“This was the first time we were all in the same place,” Hal Moskowitz, the GMHC volunteer charged with selling the tickets, tells Marcus almost 40 years later. “We weren’t alone.”

Today

In the modern day at Flying Fantastic, our team is made up of a diverse array of genders and sexualities both in identity and expression. We love the community within our studios and the supportive, welcoming atmosphere we have grown since opening our doors in 2011. This LGBTQIA+ history month we want to celebrate those who paved the way to make circus such an inclusive and diverse art form.