The bars are ours : histories and cultures of gay bars in America, 1960 and after

Gay bars have operated as the most visible institutions of the LGBTQ+ community in the United States for the better part of a century, from before gay liberation until after their assumed obsolescence. In The Bars Are Ours Lucas Hilderbrand offers a panoramic history of gay bars, showing how they served as the medium for queer communities, politics, and cultures. Hilderbrand cruises from leather in Chicago and drag in Kansas City to activism against gentrification in Boston and racial discrimination in Atlanta; from New York City's bathhouses, sex clubs, and discos and Houston's legendary bar Mary's to the alternative scenes that reimagined queer nightlife in San Francisco and Latinx venues in Los Angeles. The Bars Are Ours explores these local sites (with additional stops in Denver, Detroit, Seattle, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and Orlando as well as Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Texas) to demonstrate the intoxicating—-even world-making—-roles that bars have played in queer public life across the country. "Gay bars have operated as the most visible institutions of the LGBTQ community in the United States for the better part of a century, from before gay liberation until after their assumed obsolescence. In The Bars Are Ours Lucas Hilderbrand offers a panoramic history of gay bars, showing how they served as the medium for queer communities, politics, and cultures. Hilderbrand cruises from leather in Chicago and drag in Kansas City to activism against gentrification in Boston and racial discrimination in Atlanta; from New York City's bathhouses, sex clubs, and discos and Houston's legendary bar Mary's to the alternative scenes that reimagined queer nightlife in San Francisco and Latinx venues in Los Angeles. The Bars Are Ours explores these local sites-with additional stops in Denver, Detroit, Seattle, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and Orlando, as well as Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Texas-to demonstrate the intoxicating, even world making roles that bars have played in queer public life across the country"-- Provided by publisher Gay bars have operated as the most visible institutions of theLGBTQ+ community in the United States for the better part of acentury, from before gay liberation until after their assumedobsolescence. In The Bars Are Ours Lucas Hilderbrandoffers a panoramic history of gay bars, showing how they served asthe medium for queer communities, politics, and cultures.Hilderbrand cruises from leather in Chicago and drag in Kansas Cityto activism against gentrification in Boston and racialdiscrimination in Atlanta; from New York City's bathhouses, sexclubs, and discos and Houston's legendary bar Mary's to thealternative scenes that reimagined queer nightlife in San Franciscoand Latinx venues in Los Angeles. The Bars Are Oursexplores these local sites (with additional stops in Denver,Detroit, Seattle, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and Orlando as well asWisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Texas) to demonstrate theintoxicating---even world-making---roles that bars have played inqueer public life across the country Contents Preface Acknowledgments Plates Introduction Part I. Cultures 1. Nights in Black Leather 2. Show Me Love Part II. Politics 3. Somewhere There’s a Place for Us 4. Midtown Goddam Part III. Institutions 5. Welcome to the Pleasuredome 6. Proud Mary’s Part IV. Reinventions 7. Further Tales of the City 8. Donde Todo es Diferente Epilogue: After Hours Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Notes Bibliography Index