Bar Fight: The Rise and Fall of Memphis' Gay Bars

Contents:

• THE BEST MEMPHIS GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS MEMPHIS
• BAR FIGHT: THE RISE AND FALL OF MEMPHIS' GAY BARS
• MEMPHIS GAY GUI AND EVENTS CALENDAR
• MOVG TO LGBT MEMPHIS, TENNSEE? HOW TO FD YOUR PERFECT GAY NEIGHBORHOOD!
• GAY BARS MEMPHIS
• MEMPHIS GAY MAP
• MEMPHIS GAY MAP
• D'S BARMEMPHISMENUHOTELSBARSGAY MAPD'S BAR

THE BEST MEMPHIS GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS MEMPHIS

Wele to Memphis' #1 Gay Bar.

The Pumpg Statn has been voted the #1 Gay Bar Memphis by the Memphis Flyer Bt of Memphis rear poll several years. On June 28, 1969, police raid the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar New York Cy’s Greenwich Village.

BAR FIGHT: THE RISE AND FALL OF MEMPHIS' GAY BARS

At the time, homosexual acts om hand-holdg to drsg outsi of one’s assigned genr were illegal across most of the U. The morn LGBT rights movement was born om that uprisg and gay and lbian bars throughout the untry served as hubs for the revolutn. But today, there are only two full-time, dited gay bars operatg Memphis.

MEMPHIS GAY GUI AND EVENTS CALENDAR

Cens bure showed a loss of nearly 6, 000 gay and lbian bars natnwi om 1997 to 2007 and the trend has ntued.

“Gay bars, they were everythg. But Memphis’ last gay bars are still well-loved spots to socialize. “That’s where gay rights started, a gay bar, and they’ve always been fought for the bars.

Montgomery said ’s still important that D’s keep s inty as a gay bar, but part of their succs has been their willgns to ter to a wir dience. “My petn has never been the other gay bars.

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

“The folks are gog through exactly what we went through as gays and lbians … It’s not safe for them walkg down the street.

Historilly, Memphis’ gay and lbian bars have been segregated down whe-Black l.

But wh only one men’s bar left, the Pumpg Statn’s clientele is ShiftsExamg Memphis’ historic LGBT newspapers and magaz giv sight to the rise and fall of the cy’s gay bars.

GAY BARS MEMPHIS

The first edn of Gaze, published 1979, lists a handful of gay bars and featur a small classified sectn advertisg odd jobs, rooms for rent and bs servic.

MEMPHIS GAY MAP

By 1990, the Triangle Journal featured dozens of gay bars, muny groups, sports leagu, retail stor and servic.

MEMPHIS GAY MAP

Historilly, rigid separatns wh the LGBT muny supported a plethora of niche bars cludg gay bars, lbian bars, leather bars, drag bars and bars for whe or Black patrons. “This ia that one space, ‘The Gay Bar, ’ is enough room for all of , only worked unr a ntext of extreme opprsn, ” said CaPece. Murphy and Montgomery note many of Memphis’ gay bars closed bee they were owned by the same handful of proprietors who eventually wanted to retire, but younger people were ls willg to pick up the mantle.

“[Wh] ls money beg spent the actual gay bars, you’d be stupid to open a bar and ll a gay bar, ” said Montgomery.

Stay’ AliveBoth Montgomery and Murphy say as long as there are LGBT people the Mid-South, there will be a place for at least a few gay bars.

D'S BARMEMPHISMENUHOTELSBARSGAY MAPD'S BAR

“We feel like we serve a purpose and we want to serve a purpose not only for the generatns that knew what gay bars were before, but the new generatns that aren’t sure what a gay bar is or haven’t been to one.

Although ’s one of the most populo ci the South, Memphis is a fairly low-key place, and s lbian and gay populatn is ls visible than most parably sized ci. As for gay nightlife, don’t e expectg the high-octane club scene of Atlanta and New Orleans, but you will fd some very fun bars.

The cy's Gay Pri event, Mid-South Pri tak place each October the heart of downtown, along the famed Beale Street, and Memphis Black Pri June, downtown's South Ma neighborhood (near the Lorrae Motel). And gays and lbians Memphis have played a val role the revalizatn of such eclectic neighborhoods as Midtown and funky Cooper-Young. : Memphis Gay Pri/Mid-South Gay Pri.

The neighborhoods wh most of the gay nightlife and retail scene are Midtown, a 10- to 20-mute drive east of downtown.