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…).
THE BT LGBTQ+ AND GAY CLUBS LONDON
* 80s gay club scene *
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.
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 *
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.
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 *
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.