GENDER JETSET: THE CARROUSEL CABARET AND TRANSFEMININITY ON TOUR, 1950-1969 - N. Bruseker (session 27)

Please, read our registration policy before signing up!!!

• Speaker: Dr Nancy Bruseker (University of Toulouse)
• Date: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
• Time: 18:00 (5:00 PM) Central European Summer Time (CEST / Rome Time)
• Platform: Zoom - Online
• Time Zone Converter: If you are joining us from outside the Rome/Central European time zone, please check your local time carefully to ensure you don't miss the session. You can convert the event time here: Dateful Time Zone Converter

Abstract

This paper considers the border crossing of the performers from the Parisian cabaret the Carrousel in the 1950s and 1960s. The cabaret was established in order to showcase travesti, or drag, performance. What made this venue exceptional was the fact that most of the performers were in fact transgender in modern parlance. On its own, this gender border crossing is worthy of examination; at a time when sex assigned at birth was considered immutable, the reality of these lives demonstrated the porosity of the boundary.

However, the Carrousel also sent its performers on tour around the world. When they arrived in Brazil, Japan, or Israel, they brought with them a culture of trans performance as well as knowledge of the technologies of transition. This culture and knowledge was eagerly embraced by the local transfeminine population, hybridising with local traditions to create a French-infused culture of transfemininity. With biographical examples from five different countries, this paper will demonstrate the impact of this border crossing, both geographical and biological, a generation before Stonewall.

About the Speaker

Nancy Bruseker was awarded a PhD from the University of Liverpool for her work on 19th-century music hall star Vesta Tilley and her audience. She is an associate researcher at the University of Toulouse and works as a librarian in France. She is currently working on an upcoming book project exploring the cabarets of Madame Arthur and the Carrousel and their global impact in the 1950s and 1960s.

⚠️ REGISTRATION & SECURITY POLICY (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY)

To ensure a secure environment for all participants, this event is subject to strict vetting protocols. By registering, you agree to the following mandatory conditions:

• Verifiable Institutional Affiliation: When filling out the form, you must provide your full, current institutional affiliation, university, or specific profession (e.g., Independent Researcher + field). Incomplete, vague, or blank fields (such as 'student', 'retired', or single-word entries) will lead to the immediate cancellation of your ticket.
• Identity Checks: Casual or anonymous registrations (e.g., nicknames, incomplete names, or fantasy emails) will be flagged and automatically rejected by our security team. Your Zoom display name must exactly match your full registration name.
• English Language Requirement: For security and administrative purposes, all communications, inquiries, and form entries must be completed in English.
• Strict Registration Deadline: Registrations will close exactly 15 minutes before the event begins (at 17:45 Rome time on June 24). No Zoom links will be generated or sent after this absolute cutoff time.
• Link Delivery: Please note that the Zoom access link is not included in the confirmation email. It will be sent to verified ticket holders exactly 15 minutes before the start of the seminar (at 16:45 Rome time).