Nashville's first gay bars — The Jungle, Juana's — get historil marker

Contents:

• A PLACE 'WHERE YOU FELT SAFE': NASHVILLE'S FIRST GAY BARS REMEMBERED WH HISTORIL MARKER
• MOVG TO LGBT NASHVILLE, TENNSEE? HOW TO FD YOUR PERFECT GAY NEIGHBORHOOD!
• THE BEST NASHVILLE GAY CLUBS & BARSSEE ALL THGS TO DOGAY CLUBS & BARS NASHVILLE
• THE BEST NASHVILLE GAY CLUBS & BARSSEE ALL THGS TO DOGAY CLUBS & BARS NASHVILLE
• MOVG TO LGBT NASHVILLE, TENNSEE? HOW TO FD YOUR PERFECT GAY NEIGHBORHOOD!

A PLACE 'WHERE YOU FELT SAFE': NASHVILLE'S FIRST GAY BARS REMEMBERED WH HISTORIL MARKER

The Jungle and Juana's opened the 1950s on Commerce 1963, 27 men were arrted at Juana's for "disorrly nduct, " a term police ed at the time for same-sex historil marker will be only the send the cy that mentns Nashville's LGBTQ a wild stretch of Commerce Street, next door to Ira's Barber Shop and jt blocks om Ryman Audorium, stood a pair of unique bars surround by a slew of beer l and filled wh cigarette smoke, The Jungle was a one-room club wh a grill where cktails were mixed and a piano often spired a round of rtrant had a straight clientele durg the day for lunch — but the eveng, morphed to a gay door, Juana's, a skny, shotgun-style jot wh only a handful of tabl, served as The Jungle's sister tablishment. In the 1960s, at a time when same-sex relatnships were nsired unlawful, was a welg place where gay men Nashville uld hang out together.

MOVG TO LGBT NASHVILLE, TENNSEE? HOW TO FD YOUR PERFECT GAY NEIGHBORHOOD!

"On Friday, the Metro Historil Commissn will unveil a plaque regnizg The Jungle and Juana's as the cy's first gay the bars have long sce been molished, the place where they stood on the rner of Commerce and Seventh will now be permanently marked for passers-by, rememberg an era when police raids and arrts sometim end  vlence agast the LGBTQ muny.

THE BEST NASHVILLE GAY CLUBS & BARSSEE ALL THGS TO DOGAY CLUBS & BARS NASHVILLE

"Gay people g up today, they don’t know what was like back then, " says Peek, who is 76.

THE BEST NASHVILLE GAY CLUBS & BARSSEE ALL THGS TO DOGAY CLUBS & BARS NASHVILLE

"A place where gay men uld be themselvJohn Bridg' first boyiend took him to The Jungle the 1970s. "Gay men ught holdg hands out the open would be handcuffed and htled downtown and possibly jailed if they didn't make bail. In 1955, she got her own beer license, and renamed the place after herself, openg the next 's hard to say when the two bars beme a gay hangout, but by the 1960s, they were a favore spot for whe men — and a target for law Juana: a powerhoe of supportPeek remembers beg there when police me to the the time, men weren’t allowed to touch — "you uldn’t even put your hand on somebody’s shoulr, " he said.

Progrs and perspective on the fight for gay rightsThe historil marker, which was fund by the H.

Frankl Brooks Fund of the Communy Foundatn of Middle Tennsee, will be only the send the cy that mentns Nashville's LGBTQ first was stalled a year ago regnizg the work of gay rights and mental health advote Penny Campbell, dghter of civil rights activist Will Campbell. "Today, gay bars are ls clanste.

MOVG TO LGBT NASHVILLE, TENNSEE? HOW TO FD YOUR PERFECT GAY NEIGHBORHOOD!

"Reach Jsi Bliss at or 615-259-8253 and on Twter HISTORIC MARKER UNVEILING FOR NASHVILLE'S FIRST GAY BARSWhat: Historil marker for The Jungle and Juana's, Nashville's first gay barsWhen: 11 a. Popularly known as the pal cy of untry mic, the cy is a shg liberal buckle on the tired Bible Belt, and is home to a peculiar mix of aspirg artists and micians, rhtone wboys, closeted policians, and down-and-dirty gay nightlife.