Establishments that catered to people who were part of what we now call the LGBTQ community were frequently raided, and the owners, employees and patrons were routinely arrested simply because they were there when the place was busted. Their locations were shared on a need-to-know basis, and entering these places was reminiscent of drinkers slipping into unmarked Prohibition-era speakeasies strangers were eyed with suspicion. There had, however, been gay bars in Dallas, dating back to at least the early 1950s (one of the first was Le Boeuf Sur Le Toit, later renamed Villa Fontana). Homosexuals and lesbians were often forced to keep a very low profile, if only for self-preservation. Arrest, loss of one’s job, and social condemnation were very real possibilities to those whose secret was discovered. Still, as soul-crushing as news of extreme acts of violence can be, we can’t forget how much progress has been made.īefore the days of political activism, being gay was something one often kept to oneself or shared only with a close circle of friends. In the past few months, the United States has celebrated a few important milestones in the history of civil rights for gay Americans: the designation of the Stonewall Inn in New York City as a National Monument to Gay Rights and the first anniversary of the historic Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage in all 50 states.īut while there has been undeniable social and political progress in recent memory, there have also been stark reminders of continued hatred and intolerance against LGBTQ individuals by hateful and intolerant people - among them the recent mass shooting in Orlando and, here in Dallas, the ongoing physical attacks in and around Oak Lawn which have prompted Mark Cuban to donate one million dollars to the Dallas Police Department in order to increase patrols and to better protect the city’s LGBTQ community. Discovery and Sway are probably later and louder than we do anymore.A Photo History of Dallas’ Gay Bars of the 1970s. Will definitely be swinging by Satchemos and Chaps (what apparently became of Sidetracks). We popped in to Another Rumor in Hot Springs and that wasn't too bad. Part of what we're looking for is a place to, well, hold hands and shop without getting the stink eye (tho we ARE willing to get looks in Bryant and Benton, sometimes it's nice to relax). we didn't know about Hillcrest and Stifft's Station, will definitely wander through. Google and FB aren't turning up a ton of recent info.
I've often found that bars that aren't "official" gay bars have good populations, and maybe there are shops, restaurants, etc.
We're just looking for decent places to socialize and make friends. (hot springs? eureka springs? Dallas?) I don't even drink, but am not opposed to hanging out in a bar. Where do the gays congregate, besides late-night clubs? Do LGBT people just drive elsewhere. I see there is a bar in North LR, and a few dance clubs, mostly late night stuff. I know there are a million websites, but they're mostly out of date, and our Sunday afternoon wandering the River District turned up no gay bars, nothing community-wise. We're not exactly expecting that kind of community, but we've both lived in smaller communities before and are wondering about the LGBT community. Husband and I moved to LR (well, Bryant) from Seattle.