A history of L.A.’s gay bar scene, told matchbooks   - Los Angel Tim

gay clubs 1980s

Geni Pictur has optned Emmett Monterey’s memoir about growg up gay and disabled 1980s London for TV adaptatn.

Contents:

A HISTORY OF L.A.’S GAY BAR SCENE, TOLD MATCHBOOKS

While there have, undoubtedly, been signifint ton LGBT history earlier s, I believe the Eighti was a particularly important perd. That saw a major shift towards the emergence of a global gay culture. The gay genie me right out of s ltle pk bottle and to the streets (and the * gay clubs 1980s *

Throughout the later 20th century, the LGBTQ muny took thgs to their own hands and created their own nighttime scene cludg gay bars and ballroom. Throughout the later 20th century, the LGBTQ muny took thgs to their own hands and created their own night time scene cludg gay bars and ballroom. (Image source: Michael Nagle/For The Tim)What was gay club culture like?

The small wareho (averagg around 3, 000 square feet) beme home to the the gay club scene at night. (Image Source: Anja Matth)Gay bars provid a safe space for LGBTQ muny members to go whout fear of beg harassed for their inty, and allowed them to meet other members of the muny.

NIGHTCLUBBG: GAY CLUBBG ’70S LONDON

Rememberg the Lost Gay Bars of NYC Like The Vlt Me Shaft Nth Circle * gay clubs 1980s *

However, gay bars were still not fully accepted to societal norms and were kept very small wh bland ont opengs. Gay bars have also been the startg se of many historil LGBTQ tragedi cludg the Black Cat Tavern, Stone Wall, and Pulse Night Club, all of which sparked revolutns for the rights of the LGBTQ club culture origated the early to mid-1900s but tly began to thrive and grow the ’70s and ’80s.

Many popular terms such as “ballroom”, “vogue” and “dis” origated through Mic of the Gay Club Scene. For example, the song YMCA, known by dividuals om the cy to the untrysi, was ially wrten to attract gay dienc and ptivate the club and bar scen. A look back at Hollywood’s unrground gay club culture of the 1970s.

A survey of 200 matchbooks om a bygone era of L.A.'s gay bar scene at the downtown Central Library. * gay clubs 1980s *

That saw a major shift towards the emergence of a global gay culture. The gay genie me right out of s ltle pk bottle and to the streets (and the media…and polics…and the arts…).

For example, the US, the Court of Appeal led that there was no ‘fundamental right’ to be gay. In the UK, the Thatcher ernment created Sectn 28 of the Lol Government Act, makg illegal for lol thori to support anythg that might promote homosexual relatnships as a viable alternative to heterosexual ‘fay life’. And, unsurprisgly, the Catholic Church ntued ’s attack on gays.

In 1986 Pope John Pl II labelled “evil” and orred the Church to whdraw all support om gay Catholic anisatns. And even the US Army, who had clared homosexualy to be “patible wh ary service” 1982, were forced to adm 1989 that gay recs were “jt as good or better” than heterosexuals. The 1980s era saw a major shift society towards more morn global gay culture.

* gay clubs 1980s *

However, there were still storms ahead for the battle of equaly seen amongst gay rights. The tholic church ntued their attack on the gays and legislatn plac like the UK and US surely didn’t help. For example, the UK’s ernment add Sectn 28 to their Lol Government Act that ma illegal for lol thori to support anythg that promoted homosexual relatnships as an alternative to a heterosexual “fay life”.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY CLUBS 1980S

Mappg Boston's Former Gay Bars .

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