Born Name:  Lynn Lavner

Born Date:  1948

Born Place:  Brooklyn, New York

Died Date: 

Died Place: 

Occupations:  Comedian, musician, activist

Brief Biography:  Lynn Lavner is from Brooklyn, New York, she became a major figure on the LGBTQ+ performance circuit in the 1980s and 1990s, frequently billing herself as "America's Most Politically Incorrect Entertainer". Her cabaret-style performances blended stand-up comedy, monologues, and piano-driven music, heavily drawing from her identity as a Jewish lesbian.

Early Career and Musical Style:
Before entering show business, Lavner worked as a schoolteacher. Her music career took off in 1981 when she composed the soundtrack for an off-Broadway, lesbian-themed musical titled Ladies! Don't Spit and Holler!. After a fan offered to fund the album production, the soundtrack became her debut release. Her musical style reflects early 20th-century Tin Pan Alley pop. She attributes her major creative influences to legendary songwriters like George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and Cole Porter. From 1983 to 1985, Lavner also hosted and wrote the theme music for a segment called "Girl Talk" on the New York City public access program Gay Morning America.

Comedy, Touring, and Activism:
Lavner expanded her act from Greenwich Village piano bars to major gay and lesbian comedy clubs across the country. Alongside her partner and manager of over 47 years, Ardis Sperber, Lavner toured 41 U.S. states and eight foreign countries. Notable tour stops included the Valencia Rose Cafe in San Francisco, which was the first dedicated gay comedy club in the United States. Her humor often subverted anti-gay rhetoric by using sharp, thought-provoking monologues. For her trailblazing work, she received the Christopher Street West Award for extraordinary creativity in lesbian and gay entertainment.

Discography:
Lavner released several albums throughout her career, transitioning from studio recordings to live comedy albums.