Anyone uld tell you the “typil” dis tras: the synthizer, the twirlg ball, and the funky pants—but fewer know the te origs of dis, which emerged om the gay unrground of New York.
Contents:
- DANCE PRI: THE GAY ORIGS OF DANCE MIC
- THE IMPACT OF DIS ON THE GAY SUBCULTURE THE 1970S
- TURNS OUT, BARBIELAND ISN'T AS GAY AS S QUEER FANS HAD HOPED
DANCE PRI: THE GAY ORIGS OF DANCE MIC
It gave a powerful platform to artists of lour who were often female or gay – perhaps that’s why attracted such hostily, wr Arwa Hair. * disco gay culture *
The Stonewall Inn NYC was a precursor to the clubs, and was the se of a key event that shaped the future for LGBTQI rights and gay liberatn.
Many members of the prott were part of the re formatn of the Gay Liberatn ont, creatg the world’s first gay muny centre. Lbians and gay men started to be elected to public offic and civil rights protectns for gay people were adopted many ci.
This was aid by the groups like the Natnal Gay Task Force, who hired profsnal lobbyists to fluence media verage and legislatn regardg gay people and their rights.
THE IMPACT OF DIS ON THE GAY SUBCULTURE THE 1970S
* disco gay culture *
This forward approach was one of the key reasons that queer dividuals were enuraged to be seen and heard by society – image-nscns, acmodatn, and assiatn beme pillars of the Gay Liberatn movement. As dis beme more mastream, clubs terg for heterosexual people also began to pop up across the US, which further fluenced youth culture and the growg populary of gay clubs. The llaboratns wh Sylvter provid a platform of mil stat that Cowley ed when releasg his own dis hs 1981 such as ‘Menergy’, a distct celebratn of the gay club scene, and ‘Megatron Man’, which h #1 and #2 on the Billboard Hot Dance Mic/Club Play chart 1981.
The 1970s was an excg and challengg time for LGBTQI liberatn, and dis clubs planted the seeds for strength, visibily and solidary the face of homophobia. Behd velvet rop, blacks, Latos, and wh, women and men, rich and poor, gays and straights were enuraged to wear whatever they wanted, kiss whoever they wanted and — of urse — dance however they wanted. The movement really began wh the Stonewall Rts of 1969, the first major cint which gay men took a llective and forceful stand agast police btaly.
“If you don’t have the gays you wouldn’t have the culture, ” Joey Arias, a gay performg artist told the mm.
TURNS OUT, BARBIELAND ISN'T AS GAY AS S QUEER FANS HAD HOPED
Donna Summer simulated asms songs and the Village People would flg off police uniforms, nstctn hats, and wboy outfs a celebratn of gay culture. The dis movement, as origally was, end the ’80s, as the AIDS epimic stormed through the gay muny and fear settled over the formerly jubilant clubs.
But vtig rema: Velvet rop still part for the chict outf, style mavens still fill gay clubs and paras, and mic trends ntue to transcend race and sexualy. (Image cred: Alamy)It gave a powerful platform to artists of lour who were often female or gay – perhaps that’s why attracted such hostily, wr Arwa was never signed to grow old gracefully – stead, has endured wh brilliant fiance. It ntu to spire mic, movi and fashn, as well as events like London’s Brixton Dis Ftival (28 April); the aren’t retro trips but a regnn that dis still do somethg for backlash was anti-gay, but also anti-women and anti-lour – Nicky SianoDis stemmed om a seri of epiphani and muni, rather than a sgle birthplace; key New York nightspots ranged om David Manco’s open-hearted hoe party The Loft (early ‘70s), to the late ‘70s exclive-chic of Stud 54 and the dancefloor hedonism of Paradise Garage.
Pneerg DJ/producer Nicky Siano rells beg a gay Brooklyn youth, drawn to the “social and affirmg” atmosphere of Greenwich Village; he was 18 when he found Manhattan’s The Gallery (where stars like Grace Jon buted), and he later beme a Stud 54 rint.