On October 31, 1969, members of the gay community organized a public drag pageant called the Miss Memphis Review to protest a city ordinance that banned cross dressing. Because Memphis residents could appear publicly in Halloween costumes on the only day of the year when the ordinance was not enforced, the event drew a wide array of participants. The first review took place at this site, then known as the Guild Art Theatre, a venue primarily devoted to foreign and art films. Its flamboyant longtime manager, Bill Kendall, repeatedly fought with the Memphis Board of Censors as the films shown there became more daring and controversial. The first pageant was held without incident, and its organizers considered it a turning point in the decrease of harassment of gay men and lesbians in Memphis. The event later became the Miss Gay Memphis Pageant.
