Gay bars elmira

By Rachel Dworkin, Archivist. Today, such establishments are gay known elmira gay bars, even though they cater to more than just gay men. In the United States, there are a number of bars all claiming to be the first gay bar, most of which date back to Prohibition and the s or 30s.

It was owned by Mrs. Marion Stumpf and opened on November 2, Westervelt himself was gay and wanted to create a space where people could come and be themselves. In addition to offering drinks and some food, The David hosted drag shows by the Legendary Children, a local troupe of drag performers.

The bar closed in when Westervelt retired. Historically, gay bars across the nation were heavily involved in the gay rights movement. When the gay rights movement began in the late s, homosexual acts were criminalized in every state except Illinois. Gay bars were frequently raided by police. Gay bars became a place, not just to drink and meet people, but to organize and resist.

Bar owner John Westervelt was himself part of the movement. During the s, he participated in a bar of panel discussions about homosexuality and the gay rights movement at Elmira College. It was huge in the drag scene, regularly hosting shows as well as the annual Mr. It closed in The club offered dancing, drinks, and regular drag shows.

It took over the Mr. The club regularly participated in local Pride events as well.

The Starlite Room

I believe the owners of angles is incorrect. It was originally owned by Steve west and Clinton Lewis. Both establishments did many fundraisers for many organizations such as S. Everything in this article is based on a pair of oral history interviews and what I could glean from the newspapers. If you have stories you would like to tell about any of the above-mentioned bars or have images or artifacts associated with the local gay community, I would love to hear from you.

I look forward to hearing from you. Newer Post Older Post Home. Subscribe to: Post Comments Atom. Angles bar, exterior, courtesy Star-Gazette.