The Lavender Blues

A Showcase of
Queer Music Before World War II

A hundred years ago, queer women and men were claiming their identities in the public sphere - and singing about it too. Created by performance artist Sarah Skinner Kilborne, The Lavender Blues introduces a little known yet revolutionary moment in music history when pioneering artists sang boldly about sexual and gender fluidity - brave even for today, and as deliciously fun and inspiring as ever.

“What a fantastic night!” - Pride Portland

“In the fall of 2023 I and the Brown Music Department invited Sarah Kilborne to campus for a mini-residency. Sarah Kilborne is an original extraordinary artist who models a rare integration of historical scholarship and artistic practice. Her cabaret-style show, The Lavender Blues, teaches a great deal about music, history and the position of queer people in a society that officially would not recognize them. Kilborne possesses a beautiful singing and speaking voice and she can sing the gamut of genres from quasi-operatic coloratura to folksy dance numbers. She combines these vocal virtues with a sophisticated array of gestures, postures, and dance movements that represent the best in the cabaret tradition. Her work has the power to inspire.”

Dana Gooley, Professor of Music, Director of Graduate Studies (Musicology and Ethnomusicology) Brown University

  • Books

    Sarah has written books for both children and adults, along with essays, short stories, poetry and works-in-translation.

  • Music

    A performer in multiple genres, Sarah works as a singer songwriter, performance artist, bandleader and voice-over artist.

  • Activism

    Founder of the Kiss for Equality™️ Campaign Sarah advocates for LGBTQ equality both at home and abroad.