How the Mob Helped Establish NYC’s Gay Bar Scene | HISTORY

Contents:

• THE 30 BT GAY BARS NYC
• THE ULTIMATE LGBTIQ+ TRAVEL GUI TO NEW YORK CY: OM QUEER HISTORY TO THE BT GAY BARS
• HOW THE MOB HELPED ESTABLISH NYC’S GAY BAR SCENE
• GREENWICH VILLAGE, STORIED HOME OF BOHEMIA AND GAY HISTORY
• MOVG TO LGBT NEW YORK CY, NEW YORK? HOW TO FD YOUR PERFECT GAY NEIGHBORHOOD!
• GAY STREET

THE 30 BT GAY BARS NYC

The Stonewall Rts, also lled the Stonewall Uprisg, began the early hours of June 28, 1969 when New York Cy police raid the Stonewall Inn, a gay club loted Greenwich Village New York Cy.

For stance, solicatn of same-sex relatns was illegal New York such reasons, LGBT dividuals flocked to gay bars and clubs, plac of refuge where they uld exprs themselv openly and socialize whout worry. However, the New York State Liquor Authory penalized and shut down tablishments that served alhol to known or spected LGBT dividuals, argug that the mere gatherg of homosexuals was “disorrly. But engagg gay behavr public (holdg hands, kissg or dancg wh someone of the same sex) was still illegal, so police harassment of gay bars ntued and many bars still operated whout liquor licens— part bee they were owned by the Rights Before StonewallThe first documented U.

Police raids forced them to disband 1925, but not before they had published several issu of their newsletter, “Friendship and Freedom, ” the untry’s first gay-tert newsletter.

THE ULTIMATE LGBTIQ+ TRAVEL GUI TO NEW YORK CY: OM QUEER HISTORY TO THE BT GAY BARS

In 1966, three years before Stonewall, members of The Mattache Society, an anizatn dited to gay rights, staged a “sip-” where they openly clared their sexualy at taverns, darg staff to turn them away and sug tablishments who did. When The Commissn on Human Rights led that gay dividuals had the right to be served bars, police raids were temporarily Stonewall Inn The crime syndite saw prof terg to shunned gay clientele, and by the mid-1960s, the Genove crime fay ntrolled most Greenwich Village gay bars. And was one of the few—if not the only—gay bar left that allowed were still a fact of life, but ually rpt ps would tip off Mafia-n bars before they occurred, allowg owners to stash the alhol (sold whout a liquor license) and hi other illegal activi.

HOW THE MOB HELPED ESTABLISH NYC’S GAY BAR SCENE

Stonewall's LegacyThough the Stonewall uprisg didn’t start the gay rights movement, was a galvanizg force for LGBT polil activism, leadg to numero gay rights anizatns, cludg the Gay Liberatn Front, Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD (formerly Gay and Lbian Alliance Agast Defamatn), and PFLAG (formerly Parents, Fai and Friends of Lbians and Gays) the one-year anniversary of the rts on June 28, 1970, thoands of people marched the streets of Manhattan om the Stonewall Inn to Central Park what was then lled “Christopher Street Liberatn Day, ” Ameri’s first gay pri para. ”In 2016, then-Print Barack Obama signated the se of the rts—Stonewall Inn, Christopher Park, and the surroundg streets and siwalks—a natnal monument regnn of the area’s ntributn to gay Gallery The Stonewall Inn is a bar loted New York Cy’s Greenwich Village that served as a haven the 1960s for the cy’s gay, lbian and transgenr muny. At the time, homosexual acts remaed illegal every state except Illois, and bars and rtrants uld get shut down for havg gay employe or servg gay patrons.

Most gay bars and clubs New York at the time were operated by the Mafia, who paid rptible police officers to look the other way and blackmailed wealthy gay patrons by threateng to “out” them.

GREENWICH VILLAGE, STORIED HOME OF BOHEMIA AND GAY HISTORY

Here, protters monstrate outsi the New York gay bar, Christopher's the early hours of June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Inn was raid by police wh no warng. As -founr of the Gay Liberatn Front, Rivera was known for participatg the Stonewall Rts and tablishg the polil anizatn STAR (Street Transvte Actn Revolutnari). After the Stonewall Rts, a msage was pated on the outsi of the board-up bar readg, "We homosexuals plead wh out people to please help mata peaceful and quiet nduct on the streets of the village.

" This sign was wrten by the Mattache Society–an early anizatn dited to fightg for gay unintified group of young people celebrate outsi the board-up Stonewall Inn after the rts. ”Over the next several nights, gay activists ntued to gather near the Stonewall, takg advantage of the moment to spread rmatn and build the muny that would fuel the growth of the gay rights movement.

They are pictured here marchg Tim Square,, Sylvia Ray Rivera (ont) and Arthur Bell are seen at a gay liberatn monstratn, New York Universy, 1970 Marsha P. Johnson is seen at a Gay Liberatn Front monstratn at Cy Hall New York, a large crowd memorat the 2nd anniversary of the Stonewall rts Greenwich Village of New York Cy 1971.

MOVG TO LGBT NEW YORK CY, NEW YORK? HOW TO FD YOUR PERFECT GAY NEIGHBORHOOD!

Hell’s Kchen and Chelsea offer the most “tradnal” gay bars and clubs, where visors n check out venu wh hunky shirtls bartenrs, a mostly-gay-male clientele, and thumpg hs gog late to the night.

GAY STREET

It’s a fun and totally ridiculo experience that’s like a gay Coyote Ugly llid wh a down-home honky-tonk, but the fact that Flamg Saddl don’t take self serly is exactly why ’s such a fun bar to go to, offerg an unpretent experience that’s pecially good for anyone visg a gay bar for the first time. Other mils wh queer them clu Come From Away, which clus the te story of Kev Tuerff and his partner, both of whom bee strand Newfoundland wh hundreds of others durg the 9/11 attacks, and The Book of Mormon, which often mocks relig bigotry agast gay people. One of the most important facilators of muny for LGBTIQ+ New Yorkers is The Lbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgenr Communy Center, referred to by lols simply as “The Center”.

“Cisg” Central Park is also very real, and if you're g om somewhere that don't have much of a gay muny, thgs like this might e as a b of a culture shock. Although certaly has petn om ci such as San Francis and Los Angel, one nnot ny that ’s one of the most welg and flourishg gay pals of the Uned Stat (and the world). If you do fd yourself any suatns that need assistance om LGBTQ legal, health, or advocy groups, The Gay Centre and the New York Anti-Vlence Project n offer substantial help.