Queer Ancestor Spotlight: The Lady Chablis
I am so very excited to share a spotlight on The Lady Chablis! She is not only an iconic figure, but also part of the rich cultural legacy of one of my favorite cities - Savannah, GA - and my favorite book - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
The Lady Chablis, also known as The Grand Empress and The Doll, was born in Quincy, FL on March 11, 1957. Chablis did not prefer to go by any labels other than “The Lady Chablis” and did not personally identify as a drag queen. Through exposure in John Berendt’s best-selling 1994 book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and subsequent film adaptation Chablis became one of the first trans performers to be introduced to a national audience.
The Lady Chablis - Club One
Chablis was born in Florida and lived with her aunt and grandmother following the divorce of her parents until she was 12. She lived briefly with her father in New York City, but relocated to Tallahassee to live with new mother and her new husband. Her career began in Tallahassee at the Fox Trot gay bar where she met Miss Tina Devore, who offered to support Chablis should she ever move to Atlanta.
In 1974, at the age of 17, she moved to Atlanta and began working at the Prince George Inn. After frequent job hunting and a return to the stage at a bathhouse Chablis received a job offer from The Friends Lounge in Savannah. She left Atlanta in the late 1980'‘s after accepting the job.
Chablis performed at Club One on its opening night in 1988, and would remain a regular performer there until her death in 2016. Although she briefly relocated to Columbia, South Carolina for a few years she returned to Savannah and began work at a new club. Club One, however, would always remain her home nightclub where she was known as “The Grand Empress.”
Chablis became a popular national figure with the debut of John Berendt’s non-fiction novel, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, chronicling the story of an antiques dealer on trial for the murder of a male prostitute. She was a supporting figure in the novel and would go on to play herself in the 1997 film adaptation. This marks her as one of the first transgender performers to be introduced to a broad audience. The film adaptation also cemented her iconic line expressing the acceptance of misfortune: “It’s like my mother always said: Two tears in a bucket, mutha fuck it.”
Shortly before the debut of the film version of Berendt’s novel, Chablis published her own autobiography, Hiding My Candy: The Autobiography of the Grand Empress of Savannah.
The Lady Chablis died on September 8, 2016 from pneumonia. On November 5 a special screening of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was shown at Savannah’s Lucas Theatre for the Arts with many of Chablis’ gowns on display in the lobby. A reception was held at Club One following the screening.
On a more personal note, The Lady Chablis was the first overtly queer performer and/or character I can remember seeing in film that was a powerful, self-assured figure. She knew who she was and she owned it. Seeing that sort of depiction was incredibly powerful for me during a time where I was internally questioning my own sexuality and the only models I had were campy, tragic figures often the butt of cruel jokes.
Learn more about the the The Lady Chablis:
Hiding My Candy: The Autobiography of the Grand Empress of Savannah by The Lady Chablis
*Please note, the above link is an affiliate link with Bookshop.org. White Rose Witching will receive a commission from purchases made via this link.*
First transgender star The Lady Chablis dies at 59 - USA Today
The Lady Chablis - Club One Memorial Page
The Lady Chablis Obituary - Adams Funeral Service
