The Gay Way
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Images
A photo of Phase One, a historic lesbian bar on 8th Street SE. If you scroll left on the map, you'll be able to see it. It has permanently closed
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
That's what the LGBT community called this street in the 1960s-1980s due the large number of LGBT establishments. There were few safe spaces for the community during this period of time, but this was one of them for white gay men and lesbian women.
Unfortunately, even gay bars were often segregated. Black LGBTQ+ members were marginalized by the Black community, but also excluded by the white queer community. Consequently, Black LGBTQ+ members were forced to form their own communities. This is an early example of the movement being dominated by white gay men.
Many of the LGBT establishments on this street closed in the 2000s and 2010s due to gentrification. LGBTQ+ people and activities are slowly getting pushed out as a result. This incentivized the Dyke March to return in 2019 (after vanishing in 2007), with the slogan of "Dykes Against Displacement".
Sources
Bear, Carson. The Gay Way: History of Lesbian Bars in Southeast Washington, D.C., National Trust for Historic Preservation. June 18th 2018. Accessed December 8th 2020. https://savingplaces.org/stories/the-gay-way-history-of-lesbian-bars-in-southeast-washington-dc#.X8-3wVNKi3I.
Srikanth, Anagha. From Stonewall to the White House: the LGBTQ+ rights movement in DC, WTOP News. June 28th 2019. Accessed December 8th 2020. https://wtop.com/dc/2019/06/from-stonewall-to-the-white-house-the-lgbtq-rights-movement-in-dc/.
Lang, Marissa. ‘Pride and protest’: Dyke March returns to Washington after a 12-year hiatus, Washington Post. June 5th 2019. Accessed December 8th 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pride-and-protest-dyke-march-returns-to-washington-after-a-12-year-hiatus/2019/06/05/8eb58e12-86f4-11e9-a491-25df61c78dc4_story.html.