But the LGBTQ community had an unlikely ally, the Mob. Cruisy areas were heavily patrolled and regular arrests were made.
Even meeting in public places was dangerous. Touch a man that looked intimate, cops showed up and probably smashed your head. All it took was for a bartender to assume you were gay for them to not serve you and even have you arrested. Until that point, there were laws in place, in most of the country that gay men could not be served in public. In the 1960s, as New York’s gay community started coming into its own, we needed a place where we could come together without fear of reprisals. As we move forward through our history, we are seeing a decline in those establishments. They have been sanctuary, front lines of rebellion, keystones to neighborhoods, and starts of our “out lives”. Say what you want, but gay bars have been the cornerstones of LGBTQ culture for a very long time.
Share with me in this and know that each of you are a part of this. While we still have a fight ahead of us, acknowledging where we have made advances gives us strength to fight on. Our city, Cleveland, has had a few victories this year that definitely need celebrating. With this being National LGBTQ History Month, I also think it is important to celebrate the present.
