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.
Contents:
- WH THE WOODWARD’S FUTURE UNCERTA, TAKG STOCK OF DETRO'S DISAPPEARG GAY BARS
- THE BT LGBTQ+ AND GAY CLUBS LONDON
- AS A GAY MAN, THE '80S CRIPPLED MY INTY
- THE 13 GAYT MIC VIOS OF THE '80S
WH THE WOODWARD’S FUTURE UNCERTA, TAKG STOCK OF DETRO'S DISAPPEARG GAY BARS
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 * 80s gay club scene *
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’.
THE BT LGBTQ+ AND GAY CLUBS LONDON
* 80s gay club scene *
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.
Unrstandably, the packed Hoe of Y crowd – an imprsive ngregatn of young and old, black and whe, straight and gay – went wild.
AS A GAY MAN, THE '80S CRIPPLED MY INTY
Beg Asian Amerin and LGBTQ+ n feel lonely, wh stutns such as ethnic church often disavowg non-heterosexual relatnships while tradnal LGBTQ+ spac such as gay bars n be unwelg. * 80s gay club scene *
Photograph: Bill Bernste/ Garage, meanwhile, was home to not jt the gay, black dancers historilly placed there, but also young art-punks and nascent hip-hop kids, whose mic found life on Levan’s turntabl. 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.
THE 13 GAYT MIC VIOS OF THE '80S
Party the pal wh our gui to London's bt gay clubs, om Heaven to Dalston Superstore * 80s gay club scene *
"We jt opened up and whichever way went, went, " Andy Karagas told "Gayzette" 1973 (as reported Andy's obuary 1997).
"And when went gay all the way, we kicked out all the straights that night.