Scene: In this scene, Lily and Kath arrive at the Telegraph Club. They sit in a small space between a table and the wall, but Lily is jealous of the “people seated near the edge.” Tommy Andrews finally comes out and makes her way through the crowd. Lily is intensely aware of Tommy’s physical presence and entranced by the spotlight scintillating on “Tommy’s short hair, highlighting the way it was cut sharp against the nape of the neck, right above the white collar that was crisply framed by a black tuxedo jacket.” As Tommy sings with her “low and husky” voice, Lily realizes that “despite the clothes that Tommy wore, despite the attitude that invited everyone in the room to gaze at her, she was not a man,” and the fact that “Tommy was a woman made of flesh and blood,” frightens Lily (Lo 140-142).
Background: In Part II, Lily and Kathleen continue to spend time together and begin to talk about romantic love and female attraction. To avoid going to the school dance with Will, Lily volunteers to assist Shirley on the committee. At the dance, Lily leaves her station at the refreshments table to walk outside with Kath, who suggests that her friend Jean could acquire a fake ID for Lily so she can go to the Telegraph Club. Part III is set in November 1954. Chapter 19 begins with Lily getting out of bed on a Friday night with the intention of sneaking out to meet Kath and go to the Telegraph Club.
Analysis: Chapter 20 is significant as it establishes a new setting, expanding Lily’s character. The Telegraph Club is a bar, a performance venue that caters to queer women in San Francisco, and a major part of the book’s title—Last Night at the Telegraph Club. Apart from providing Lily with a sense of belonging that she was unable to find elsewhere, the club also serves as the indirect cause of Lily’s budding relationship with Kath. Lily first becomes aware of the club when she notices an advertisement for a performance by Tommy Andrews there, and the picture of Tommy, which falls into Kath’s hands by accident, sparks conversations between the two girls about queer love and attraction. When Lily and Kath attend Tommy’s performance at the club, Lily notices that she was the only Chinese girl in the room, which meant that there was no one from Chinatown to recognize her, but it also made her more noticeable. The oppressive context of the 1950s and certain expectations placed upon her by her family, friends, and the Chinatown community looms over Lily’s every decision. In this pivotal moment, Lily simply delights in taking courage and therefore control of her life, rather than expressing outright disdain or rebellion. The scene leads to Lily’s own gradual realization of her sexuality while she learns how to switch between being outwardly heterosexual Chinatown Lily and lesbian Telegraph Bar Lily. Ultimately, The Telegraph Club enables Lily to develop a sense of community and confidence that allows her to move forward in her relationship with Kath and her life.