Dorian Gray

After gaining more confidence, Edith made the decision one night to go out alone to a well known gay bar. The Dorian Gray was very famous for having lesbian nights, and this evening happened to be one. Trechkov was performing on stage in an extravagant yellow dress with lots of sequins. People where dancing on top of the bars screaming and clapping their hands. This environment was one Edith had never seen before. She ran to the bar to join the fun of the night. After a few drinks, she started talking to another woman sitting at the bar. Her name was Charlotte. She had short hair and a fiery personality. Eventually, another woman approaches Charlotte. They seem to be old friends. She catches Edith's eye and asks her to dance. When dancing at this club, Edith felt freer than ever before. She liked the feeling of dancing with another woman and being kissed by her. At the end of the night, the woman mentioned she had to go and left Edith and Charlotte alone at the club. Charlotte admired Edith's personality and told her about a job she might be interested in at another club where Charlotte works.

The Dorian Gray was one of the oldest and best-known homosexual clubs by Weimar era (Weimar era allowed for social groups to be in contact when they weren’t before). The club served as a cultural and social hub for the lesbian community. It opened in 1921 and had a stage program or live music to dance to every night. They also had a famous carnival costume ball occasionally that required a personal invite. On the weekends, famous stars performed like dancer Ilonka Stoyka. The Dorian Gray was forced to close down in 1933 when the Nazis came to power.

Whisnant, C. (2016, July 19). A peek inside Berlin's queer club scene before hitler destroyed it. ADVOCATE. Retrieved December 1, 2021, from https://www.advocate.com/books/2016/7/19/peek-inside-berlins-queer-club-scene-hitler-destroyed-it. 

History of homosexuality in Berlin. visitBerlin.de. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2021, from https://www.visitberlin.de/en/history-homosexuality-berlin.