A send act for the Double Hear, the Pneer Square gay bar that lnched a thoand stori | The Seattle Tim

oldest gay bar in seattle

The story of LGBTQ Seattle is over 130 years the makg. In the 1880s same-sex relatns were of ltle ncern to most rints. Later, 1893, they were clared a crime, and the late 1960s, activists polilly anized around same-sex timacy. Gay Seattle fought for …

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SEATTLE HAD ONE OF THE OLST GAY BARS THE UNTRY, SO WHY DID NO ONE NOTICE WHEN CLOSED?

* oldest gay bar in seattle *

This is signifint, bee the Double Hear was one of the olst, if not the olst, gay bar Lanier is the -thor of the book “Bucket List Bars: Historic Saloons, Pubs and Div of Ameri. Seattle's first gay-owned gay bar, was equented by men and women and featured female impersonators and vville entertament.

This isn’t a subtle place: Imag of nu gay people are plastered on the walls, papier-mâchéd male parts hang om the ceilgs, vtage smut plays off VHS tap, and there’s a suggtive hole the bathroom.

They’re the same owners of Thumper’s (RIP), a former “piano bar for gay daddi tweed ats, ” and that vibe has spirually rried over to Unn.

WHERE TO FD THE GHOSTS OF SEATTLE'S FIRST GAYBORHOOD

This chill and flirty bar featur a full kchen wh burgers, tas, and even baked brie, which is not somethg I ually expect to see at a gay bar. Unr s prev ownership, The Cuff tered to a mostly gay male crowd, but recent chang have seen all typ of LGBTQ+ people hangg out at the venue. The gay bar was followed by other gay-foced bars, like Swallow (which has sce closed) and Unirn 2 (which has yet to open), and Whe Center’s Pri celebratn (which jt celebrated s fifth year).

QUEEN CY COM OUT: EXPLORG SEATTLE'S LBIAN AND GAY HISTORY, BY THE NORTHWT LBIAN & GAY HISTORY MM PROJECT

Bars, Cabarets, Clubs, and DancefloorsIn the 1920s and 1930s, early tablishments open to homosexuals were ncentrated areas of ill repute. Pneer Square, also known as "Skid Road" or "Fairyville, " wh s bars, clubs, and barets probably was the center of early public gay life Seattle.

A SEND ACT FOR THE DOUBLE HEAR, THE PNEER SQUARE GAY BAR THAT LNCHED A THOAND STORI

The Caso, opened 1930 on the rner of Washgton Street and 2nd Avenue, was known as "the only place on the Wt Coast that was open and ee for gay people", and where same-sex dancg was allowed.

SEATTLE GAY BARS

The Double Hear above The Caso, opened 1934, possibly the olst ntuoly operatg gay bar the Uned Stat, and The Spng Wheel on Unn Street and 2nd Avenue, a baret featurg female impersonators, were open to both gay and straight clientele durg the 1930s. The Greyhound b pot, Volunteer Park on Capol Hill, and the rtrooms the Universy Plaza Hotel and at the Universy of Washgton were also known as meetg spots for gay men. In the 1950s and 1960s, Seattle's dance clubs served as important pots for the gay muny to meet and strategize, which acrdg to Gary Atks, thor of Gay Seattle.

Owners of such tablishments would equently bribe law enforcement to ensure their survival as well as prevent harassment of their mostly gay clientele and pe legal nsequenc themselv. Seattle cy officials believed that the cy was not dog enough to enforce laws discrimatg agast homosexualy and feared that eventually would be as openly acceptable as ci such as San Francis.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* OLDEST GAY BAR IN SEATTLE

A send act for the Double Hear, the Pneer Square gay bar that lnched a thoand stori | The Seattle Tim.

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