Mama Gloria Allen Dies at 76: Listen to Her Last Interview

"My mother knew the hard times that were out there for me, but she told me, 'If you have any problem, you can come to me.' And I did."

I had the honor of recording with Gloria Allen last month for the podcast.

The interview was posted this morning, a few hours before I learned that she died yesterday. She was 76. A legend in Chicago's trans community, Gloria made a name for herself running a charm school for LGBTQ+ youth in Chicago, many of whom lived on the street.

"Manners are important to me. You have to know how to talk to a person, listen to them, and have fun with them," she said, but this wasn't an ordinary charm school. She took them under her wing, acting as a mentor to them in almost every aspect of their lives and quickly earned the nickname "Mama Gloria." 

"At first, I didn't like it. I just didn't like being called nobody's mom. I ain't got no babies and that's the way I would think," she said. "And then I thought about it. I said, You know what? There's nothing wrong with being called Mama Gloria because I am their mother. I am their mother. They pick up a lot of the things from me."

Gloria is the subject of the GLAAD Award-nominated documentary, Mama Gloria (now streaming on PBS). Directed by Luchina Fisher, the film is an essential record of trans history, a time capsule documenting Gloria's journey from the South Side of Chicago where she declared her trans identity in the 1960s, and all the way to Off-Broadway where Charm premiered in 2017, a play inspired by Allen's life and the impact she had on the LGBTQ+ community in Chicago.

This is one of the last interviews that Gloria did.

We talk about how much the trans experience has changed since she came out in the 1960s, why her family's support was so transformational in her life, and the extraordinary impact of her charm school.

Gloria had an extraordinary spirit, which I think comes across in the interview. A large part of that stemmed from her family's constant, unwavering love. "My mother said that she knew the hard times that were out there for me, but she said, 'If you have any problem, you can come to me.' And I did."

It’s a message that I hope more people will hear given the current nationwide assault on trans rights.

Thanks for listening and sharing.

Jeffrey
@jeffmasters1
@lgbtqpod