NORTHAMPTON – A century before same-sex marriage, the Gay Pride March and RuPaul's Drag Race reality TV show, Marion Turner walked the streets of Northampton—dressed as a woman.

Turner, who came to Northampton by way of North Carolina, was among the 130 or so black people living here at the turn of the 20th century. He worked as a nurse and housekeeper for wealthy white people in the Utopian community based in Florence. And occasionally, he dressed as a woman, for all the world to see.

"He openly wore female attire," said Bet Power, founder of the Northampton-based Sexual Minority Archives. "He was referred to sometimes as 'she.' The free-thinkers didn't blink."

Power and Smith College intern Ollie Schwartz will give a presentation on Turner at the Smith Campus Center on Nov. 11, one in a series of events sponsored by the archives to shed light on local gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people whose stories have gone untold.

Power unearthed Turner's story with help from Steve Strimer of the David Ruggles Center, which focuses largely on the rich history of the Abolitionist Movement in Florence. As Power explained it, a woman had come to Strimer with some documents about people who had attended Cosmian Hall, an auditorium in Florence Center that served as a meeting place for Utopians and free-thinkers.

“Steve said he had something interesting to show me,” said Power, who met Strimer for lunch. “He showed me two photos of Turner.”

In one, Turner is staring into the camera in a jacket and vest, clothes common to a man of that time. In the other, he’s in a dress. His arm is also in a cast.

“He has a broken arm,” said Power, who helped research Turner’s life. He learned that Turner sustained the injury while riding a bicycle when he was hit by a man on horseback.

“We’re trying to figure out if it was intentional or an accident,” he said.

The dress photo was taken in front of 115 Pine St., the home of Mrs. J.D. Atkins, a wealthy woman for whom Turner worked. Atkins, according to Power, was part of Florence’s Utopian community, which advocated gender equality as well as equality of the races. Turner did similar housework for other free-thinkers in Florence and Williamsburg.

“He liked it that people didn’t know if he was a man or a woman,” Power said. “He embodied everything they believed in.”

Atkins died in 1903. Researchers got some of their information by visiting 115 Pine St. and talking to the current owners. Turner lived into his 90s and died in 1958. He never married and had no heirs.

The Nov. 11 presentation is at 7 p.m. and is co-sponsored by Smith College. General admission is $10; $5 for students. Those 18 or under will be admitted free.