History of the LGBTQ community in Seattle

Introduction

AS PER NOW THIS IS A STUDENT PROJECT PLEASE DO NOT ADD OR DELETE UNTIL THE COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT ON MARCH 14TH 2009, THEN IT WILL BE OPEN FOR CHANGE. However, please fill free to write on the talk page for suggestions.--Kgearin (talk) 01:51, 11 March 2009 (UTC)

Hate Crimes

Seattle is well known for its tolerance and it was often considered a haven for the gay community. In 1970 when many hate crimes broke out in other parts of the country (such as the Stonewall riots) many gay men moved to Seattle. Although Seattle is a very open-minded location there is still a history of gay related hate crimes. Many incidents around Capitol Hill and around and in parks such as Volunteer Park have occurred.

• In 1975 a Seattle gay youth was walking through Volunteer Park and was set on fire by two aggressors. One attacker was quoted saying, “We want you faggots out of Capitol Hill”
• In 1976, outside of Seattle, about 10 mi away from Port Angeles, WA a farm in Elwha supported homosexuality and was firebombed with a Molotov cocktail.
• August 3rd 2001, an anti-gay hate crime occurs at the Seattle Club. The police were non-responsive until they were called multiple times. The unit that is responsible for bias crimes was embarrassingly understaffed at the time with only one detective.
• In January of 2009 eleven gay bars in Seattle were sent letters threatening ricin attacks.
  • The bars were: The Elite, Neighbours, The Wildrose Bar, The Cuff, Purr, The Seattle Eagle, R Place, Re-bar, C.C.Attle's, Madison Pub and The Crescent.[1]

The Seattle police have also been documented, in the 1975 Seattle Gay News[2],as heckling and harassing gay people walking through gay social areas and parks. They also have been allegedly unreceptive to some of the 911 calls regarding hate crimes. On the contrary, in the 70s the police created a group to work with bias crimes that were members of the gay community. The Q Safety Patrol was formed for both prevention and mediation. A deal struck with the police on November 19, 1958 has made Seattle gay bars and clubs a much safer summit of connection. "An injunction instructed the city police not to question customers in gay bars unless there was "good cause" in connection with an actual investigation.(Atkins)

Arts and Entertainment

Vaudeville

The Garden of Allah was the most popular homosexual Seattle cabaret in the 1940s and 1950s. Regular vaudeville and drag shows were held there with talented singers dressed in drag. Intriguingly this became a hotspot in the post war period, even with service-persons. In the 1960s the military made most gay establishments in Seattle off-limits. Later, in the 1970s vaudeville became something a little different. Seattle began the trend of courts.

By the 1970s public drag clubs called courts, with “emperors” and “empresses” …[and] Lip –synching would removed the need for singing talent and open the way to any man who could dance, quip, or even just costume. Performances would change, with ever-more flamboyant costuming, more energetic and choreographed dancing and even laser shows.

The 70s introduced new gay Seattle hotspots such as Mocambo, the Golden Horseshoe and the Golden Crown.

Dancefloors/Bars/Clubs

Seattle dance floors in general were considered a way to meet and organize the community, particularly in the 1950s and 60s. Gary Atkins says it’s analogous to how African Americans used churches to organize during the civil rights movement. Earlier, in the 1950s the gay bars, clubs and bathhouses saw a lot of backlash. At this time the century old sodomy law was still in place and bar owners were openly paying off the police to not question their establishments (based on the fact their patrons were mostly gay). Seattle city officials believed that the city was too “soft” on homosexuality and they didn’t want to see Seattle become San Francisco. As a result of the political upheaval regarding Seattle gay bars, the Armed Forces Disciplinary Control Board sent 14 gay establishments’ letters threatening to make them off-limits to military personnel. In 1966, the Seattle police chief suggested restrictions on gay bars such as withholding their liquor licenses. The current mayor, Dorm Braman also instructed the police to “discourage the inflow” of homosexuals to Seattle.

More recently gay bars and clubs have enjoyed being a central place of community organizing. For example, in 1987 Life Long AIDS Alliance created the Jars in Bars program which allows community volunteers to get involved doing educational outreach about AIDS and enables patrons of Capitol Hill bars to donate to a meaningful cause. The Seattle mayor and other city officials are also much more receptive to the gay community. Mayor Greg Nickles considers the January 2009 ricin threats a very serious problem. For more information on the ricin threats please watch this VIDEO [3]

List of Gay Clubs and Bars

• Madison Pub, previously Madison Tavern is a relaxed bar that has been a staple of the Central District/First Hill for decades.
• Golden Crown-no longer in service.
• Golden Horseshoe, formerly the Majestic...founded by the same original owner of the Madison. First regular hours bar that men could dance openly together.
• Madame Peabody's (School of Dance), on the same corner as the Majestic.
• Mocambo-no longer in service. Was considered elegant and high class establishment for Seattle's gay elite. Located at 203 Yesler Way. Lasted until the 70s and is now an apartment complex.Gay bar owner association met here as well as The Ebony Council, a black gay male organization. For more information, Seattle Gay News article [[4]]
• Garden of Allah (cabaret)
• Blue Note
• Double Header- A historic bar still in operation that was previously the center of gay Seattle's scene. For more information an article from the Seattle Times, [5]
• The Elite- A gay neighborhood pub in Capitol Hill on Olive Way. Seattle Weekly calls it a product of gentrification as it moved from Broadway a few years ago.
• Neighbours- A night club on Broadway, a staple for dancing since almost 20 years ago. Also, the location of much community outreach for organizations like Life Long AIDS Alliance.
• The Wildrose - A lesbian bar down on Pike St. One of the few places for lesbians to meet and connect in Seattle.
• The Cuff- A complex of three bars in Capitol Hill. Supports organizations like Poz Seattle the support HIV+ gay men.
• Purr-Upscale lounge in Capitol Hill with a Mexican flare. Owner also owns R Place.
• The Seattle Eagle- Biker bar style location in Capitol Hill.
• R Place
• Re-bar-Dance club, capitol hill.
• C.C.Attle's
• The Crescent-The Crescent Lounge is a karaoke bar located in Capitol Hill that has long been a meeting point for the gay community of Seattle. Advertisements for the Crescent the 1976 Seattle Gay News indicated it as mainly a lesbian bar. Now it's more of a general dive bar/ gay bar.On October 19, 1974 the Crescent hosted the first benefit for Lesbian Mother's National Defense Fund, one of the first organizations in the country to offer resources, legal advice and support to lesbians facing custody battles.^{Directly from Claiming Space Map}
• Shelly's Leg- 77 Main St. Hosted benefits for gay organizations in the 70s and was considered the first disco of Seattle.

Seattle's gay bars are generally very welcoming and inclusive the general public, in fact, an old Seattle spot called Shelly's Leg (which became a ragingly popular disco for not only homosexuals but also heterosexuals) had a sign posted "Shelly's Leg is a GAY BAR Provided for Seattle's Gay Community and Their Guests".

Pride Parade and other Pride Week Festivities

Seattle's Pride Parade started in 1984. This is part of Gay Pride Week that started in 1977 when declared by the mayor. The original Gay Pride Week was to commemorate the Stonewall riots. The activities originally included a "Gay-In" at Seattle Center. Zaney dress was encouraged and circle dance around the International Fountain was performed. The circle dance happens to still be a tradition (see video [6].The Pride Parade runs between Union St and 4th Ave. For more information watch this picture slideshow. [7] Endless parties, events, concerts occur during Pride Week including and Run and Walk with Pride, cruises, feeds and a massive event called Pride Fest that is similar to the "Gay-in" of the past.

Claiming Space: The Mapping of Seattle's Gay Meeting Locations

In 1996 Northwest Lesbian and Gay History Museum Project compiled a chronological map of locations that were used a public gay space in Seattle. The proceeding section will outline some important locations chronologically.

1930s/1940s	1950s/1960s	1970s
The Spinning Wheel 1334 1/2 Union St.- Opened mid 30s featured female impersonators and cabaret.	The Grand Union 104 4th Ave S. (mid to late 50s)- One of the earliest lesbian bars.	Time Out Cafe 2311 5th Ave- A popular cafe for lesbians in the 70s.
The Double Header 407 2nd Ave (1934-present)- Oldest continuously operating gay bar in the country. Gay clientele have come here since World War II.	Centurian Books 903 Pine St.- Male oriented paperbacks and other paraphernalia for the "discriminating few" were sold her.	Gay Community Center 102 Cherry St.- First GCC opened Oct 15th 1971. Major meeting space. Also housed Gay Community Social Services for queer projects.

1980s/1990s	1970s cont	1980S/1990s cont
ACT-UP- Staged a major demonstration in the 90s at Pike Place to demand greater fund raising for AIDS research & care.	Stonewall- Founded in 71' in Wallingford, Stonewall was the first gay residential treatment center in the country.	Alice B. Theater- 11th Ave, begun as the Gay Theater Project, first performance at New City Theater in 1983.
NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt- Quilt made its final stop in Seattle Center on its national tour.	KRAB Radio Broadcasting Studio- Harvard Ave E, between 70s and 80s hosted Lesbian Feminist Radio Collective.	Lambert House- Started 91', first drop in center for LGBT youth.

Sources

• Seattle gay standard. (2000). Seattle, WA: Seattle Gay Standard.
• Gay Community Center (Seattle, Wash.). (1976). Seattle gay news. Seattle, Wash: Gay Community Center.
• Seattle Gay News, "Seattle History:The Macambo." Seattle Gay News 3624 10 2008 9 Mar 2009 <http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews36_43/page11.cfm>
• Atkins, G. (2003). Gay Seattle: Stories of exile and belonging. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
• Northwest Lesbian and Gay History Museum Project. (1996). A historical map of lesbian and gay Seattle. Seattle, Wash: The Project.
• Collins, Andrew. "Seattle Gay Pride 2009." About: Gay and Lesbian Travel. About.com. 10 Mar 2009 <http://gaytravel.about.com/od/gaypridefestivals/qt/Seattle_Pride.htm>.