The Jewel Box Revue

In 1939, a time when gay people were 'a threat to society', two lovers, Danny Brown and Doc Benner, created and produced America's first racially inclusive traveling revue of female impersonators. It was staffed almost entirely by gay men and one gay woman and was known as the Jewel Box Revue. In many ways, it was America's first gay community.

More detail in an article at The Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wayne-anderson/the-jewel-box-revue-americas-first-gay-community_b_2228790.html

Other sources:
http://www.queermusicheritage.us/fem-jewl.html
http://www.tgforum.com/gallery/jbr.html - with broken image links
http://worldofwonder.net/2010/01/08/The_Jewel_Box_Revue/