1970′s Gay History – The Christopher Street – West Side Highway Piers and Trucks Greenwich Village in New York City was a homosexual’s dream come true in the 1970′s and early 80′s. You could literally walk down Christopher Street and have sex as much as you wanted, anytime that you wanted to. Men fucked on the pier, in the trucks, in alleys and doorways and in bookstores, and bars backrooms, The sex was constant, boundless, free and liberating. This was after Stonewall and Pre-Aids.It was a sexual urban wilderness. Back then Christopher Street was our version of gay ancient Rome, [...]
How Many Times Did You Hear This at the Spike NYC?
When we first met back in 1993 this song was always being played at the Spike while we were there. It didn’t matter what time we were to get there this song would always be heard at least twice. Our friend Ray would go crazy when it would play as he was a huge fan of Ms. Jackson… Janet if you’re Nasty! This song was definitely a heavy on the Spike’s playlist and another memory of the bars that are no more. We also remember hearing C T (while this song was playing ) saying ” SQUEEL LITTLE PIGGY” from [...]
Back2Stonewall Activist Marsha P Johnson 1945 – 1992
LGBT Pride History – Remembering Marsha P. Johnson The Original Transgender Activist (1945 – July 6, 1992) Marsha P. Johnson (was an African American transgender activist and a popular figure in New York City’s gay scene from the 1960s to the 1990s. One of the city’s oldest and best known drag queens, Sometimes she worked as a waitress, but usually she worked the streets. She was known for helping other transvestites and street people and was regarded as a drag mother. Johnson participated in clashes with the police amid the Stonewall Riots. She was a co-founder, along with Sylvia Rivera, [...]
Taking a Stroll Down Christopher Street 1993
We remember walking down Christopher back in 1993 during the holidays when we first met. Some of the businesses that were still open back then from what we remember were: Pieces (1993 – still open) Abracadabra (opened 1981 – relocated 1997 to 21 street) Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop (opened 1967, moved to Christopher Street 1973 – closed 2009) The Stonewall Inn (1966 – still open) The Duplex (moved to Christopher Street in the 1980′s – still open) The Village Cigar (1939 – still open) Boots & Saddles (1976 – still open) The World clothing store (1990 – closed 1999) Kim’s [...]
Boots & Saddles 1980 Anniversary Button
Boots & Saddles New York City, the bar with the address number “76″ which is the year they opened. Before Bras & Girdles this Western style bar was George Herdt’s speakeasy, which was a hangout for the Village’s down & out crowd. B&SNY was one of the premier gay cowboy leather bars in New York City during the sexual revolution and continues to serve the West Village Community till this day. In 2007 Boots and Saddles changed ownership and was renamed B&SNY. Not to long after, B&SNY changed its name to Climax which was short lived. By 2009 Climax was [...]
The 1980′s and AIDS
The film Longtime Companion opened in 1989 at the Independent Feature Film Market and was generally released in New York City at selected Movie houses on May 11, 1990. This was the first wide release film to put a face on the subject of the AIDS epidemic. The title of the film refers to what the New York Times newspaper would refer to the surviving partner (Longtime Companion) of a person who had died of AIDS durning the 1980′s. The beginning of the film opens with various images of Fire Island New York’s beaches, woods, discos and brunches in a before HIV/AIDS world. [...]
Simon Doonan the Man Behind the Window
Simon Doonan born in Reading, England in 1952 grew up in a crazy family and worked for various department and specialty stores before moving to London in the early 1970′s. In 1973 Simon took a job with Aquascutum before moving over to Nutter’s of Saville Row, Simon’s crazy window dressing was seen by Tommy Perse of Maxfield a uber boutique specializing in designer fashion in Los Angeles. In 1979 Simon moves to Los Angeles to take a job with Maxfield to be their chief window dresser, while designing windows and scraping to get by he takes various jobs. In 1981 [...]