Gigi’s, one of the most beloved and rpected gay bars on the Michigan map, is celebratg a tone few venu manage to reach — 50 years the
Contents:
- WH THE WOODWARD’S FUTURE UNCERTA, TAKG STOCK OF DETRO'S DISAPPEARG GAY BARS
- HUNDREDS REMISCE ABOUT HISTORIL DETRO GAY BAR SCENE
- GIGI’S CELEBRAT 50 YEARS: THE OLST GAY-OWNED GAY BAR DETRO IS NOW A HALF-CENTURY OLD
- DETRO GAY BARS
WH THE WOODWARD’S FUTURE UNCERTA, TAKG STOCK OF DETRO'S DISAPPEARG GAY BARS
When The Woodward, Detro's olst-nng gay bar, burned a massive fire last week, spurred a nversatn about the history of the bar self and how to remember and celebrate s signifince the gay muny while lookg toward the future. * old detroit gay bars *
When The Woodward, Detro's olst-nng gay bar, burned a massive fire last week, spurred a nversatn about the history of the bar self, but also where was suated Detro gay history more broadly — and how to remember and celebrate s signifince the gay muny while lookg toward the future. The fire happened the middle of Pri Month, and not jt any Pri Month Detro: This year marks 50 years sce the cy's first Pri march, held June 24, 1972 to mand "full civil rights for gay people" and a repeal of all anti-gay laws, the Free Prs reported back then. The march, officially lled Christopher Street '72, was self a remembrance of the uprisg at the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street New York Cy on June 28, 1969, when protts broke out rponse to a police raid at a gay bar.
In s 70-odd years, The Woodward has been part of many tersectg stori of gay life and culture Detro, cludg policg of gay spac, ownership shifts, racial segregatn and populatn trends the cy. The owners said they never set out to open up a gay bar.
"We jt opened up and whichever way went, went, " Andy Karagas told "Gayzette" 1973 (as reported Andy's obuary 1997).
HUNDREDS REMISCE ABOUT HISTORIL DETRO GAY BAR SCENE
* old detroit gay bars *
"And when went gay all the way, we kicked out all the straights that night. He later me out as the time, owners of gay bars Detro were mostly not gay themselv. Gay sex was a crime Michigan — as had been sce the 1800s — and police equently harassed and arrted gay people and raid gay bars.
"It was technilly illegal to operate a bar that was a renzvo for homosexuals, " said Tim Retzloff, adjunct assistant profsor of history and LGBTQ studi at Michigan State Universy.
Bars at the time, gay and otherwise, sometim paid off police to be left alone. The Woodward provid a safe haven for whe gay men.
GIGI’S CELEBRAT 50 YEARS: THE OLST GAY-OWNED GAY BAR DETRO IS NOW A HALF-CENTURY OLD
From downtown Detro to Royal Oak, Gay-Friendly nightlife reigns supreme. Check out the gay-iendly bars and nightclubs. * old detroit gay bars *
Like many gay bars of s era, did not embrace people of lor.
DETRO GAY BARS
In that way, The Woodward was not unlike most other early gay bars Detro. Startg after World War II and to the 1960s, several gay bars were cltered around Farmer and Bat streets downtown Detro, cludg Club 1011, La Rosa's and The Silver Dollar. Very few gay bars at the time tered to Black patrons, although there were two Paradise Valley that Retzloff has intified his rearch: The 705 and the Ra-bo Mic Club.
Their place was known as "The Gay Spot. More gay hangouts began to crop up beyond downtown the '50s and '60s.
Gay ownership of gay bars beme more mon this era. Menjo's, which still exists, was gay-owned when Mike Crawford, Henry Trent and Joe LaRosa, Jr.