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This thread was really interesting. Although I am not gay myself it reminded me about the energy of the City in the 80's within the City's subgroups. I remember being a teen and growing up with Punk Rock Clubs, Hip Hop, Lafin Clubs, gay clubs, and other categories of inexpensive outlets of community expression centered around night clubs and bars. Neighborhoods were all hopping with activity around the Bronx, LES, Downtown. By the 90's it really diminished. The thread was also touching.
Much has been written about the white gay experience in NY, but not much about Black Gay America.
I'm wondering if anyone knows the names of ANY black gay clubs, lounges or "anything else" that are now CLOSED but were open prior to 1985?
Also looking for information on a black gay club called "The Hideaway" that was located off Hillside Ave & Parson's Blvd in Queens in the early 1980's.
According to an older co-worker try searching Peter Rabbit bar on West Street. He knows it was an all AA gay bar (and the white gay men that went with them), but cannot remember when it opened. It was open during the early 1980's because the guy used to hang out on Christopher as a teenager and graduated high school in that year and PR was open then he believes.
There were a couple of mainly or mostly "black" gay bars all over NYC at some time. This was mostly due to white/European bars and clubs not always welcomed minorities. In fact many engaged in outright discrimination.
Bugsy, no.
Peter Rabbit was largely white, but mixed. I know because I met my life partner and late husband there, circa 1974. Peter Rabbit had the best jukebox in town and the dancing Sunday afternoon was good swing.
At the time, and long afterwards, the BLACK bar was Keller's a block South at Barrow and West. Much later a black/PR bar opened near the Bus Station: it had a reputation for being HOT but I was never there and forgot the name. <I wish I had saved some old GQ's and Next's.>
From what one understands the Gen "X", Millennial and other young gays say <40 years old don't want to hear about the "old days" by and large and certainly aren't interested in learning about HIV/AIDS. To them marriage equality is the big thing and no one wants to talk about what went on in "the old" days as it were. This is what older gay male friends report and is often why so many say they don't bother any longer.
To some extent you can see how this is playing out in the West Village and Chelsea. There are still plenty of gay households down there, but their ages tend to influence many of their views. Know plenty of gay males that live down there who are making bank and couldn't be bothered with anything that smacks of the "old" Greenwich Village. They weren't bothered by Saint Vincent's closing (it was a dirty charity hospital for "poor people". Nor were they upset as once popular diners, bars and clubs were closed. They are more concerned with the property values in their area so the less "low lives" they have hanging around the better. As for bars and whatever, they have "Grinder" and other sites/apps so that takes care of that.
Ages ago an older gay male friend told a group of us hanging out at brunch one day that the biggest cardinal sin in the gay community is to grow old. Think the topic came up out of a discussion about older single women (spinsters) living in the City. Anyway the man's theme was once youth and or physical beauty go a gay man had better have tons of money otherwise.... He also volunteered that nothing really is totally "new" in the gay community just that each generation of young gays reinvent what came before and if they'd only listen they'd know what they claim is "new" had been around in some form or another before.
As to the reason for the apparent invisibility of gay African Americans one assumes it is put down to the same thing as other facets of NYC life, de facto segregation. By this one means outside of certain clubs/bars in certain areas of NYC nightlife resembled everything else in this City, to some extent segregated by race, ethnic background and of course class. When you add on top of this the historic taboo in the AA and Hispanic/Latino culture regarding homosexuality gay men from those groups had even more reason to "down low" as it were.
I think the (New York millenial) mentality of hatred for the lack of a better word is geared in part towards the Baby Boomer Generation. We are over 35 and therefore useless.
How SOON the millennials will find out they grow older too, and their Facebook relevancy diminishes to nothingness.
I remember over 20 years ago, when Xers were talking like they were the hot, new thing. Gen X was The Future, and nobody that came before was relevant anymore.
Remember Gex X angst? Films like Clerks and Reality Bites and Suburbia (1996), depicting the anxieties of a generation that had suffered like no other generation before?
Gen X "Queen of the Indies" Parker Posey turned 50 last year.
From what one understands the Gen "X", Millennial and other young gays say <40 years old don't want to hear about the "old days" by and large and certainly aren't interested in learning about HIV/AIDS. To them marriage equality is the big thing and no one wants to talk about what went on in "the old" days as it were. This is what older gay male friends report and is often why so many say they don't bother any longer.
George Santayana:
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
In fact, Millennials advanced LBGTQ (RSTUV) rights not a single iota. Even marriage equality was achieved with NO help from them. They are a useless bunch of spoiled brats, masturbating on their phones.
My generation stopped a genocidal war. What had their's done to stop the endless war in the Middle East? Elect Humpdy Trumphy?
George Santayana:
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
In fact, Millennials advanced LBGTQ (RSTUV) rights not a single iota. Even marriage equality was achieved with NO help from them. They are a useless bunch of spoiled brats, masturbating on their phones.
My generation stopped a genocidal war. What had their's done to stop the endless war in the Middle East? Elect Humpdy Trumphy?
Not all of them are like that. You just don't hear about them.
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