1920s gay

During Prohibition, gay nightlife and culture reached new heights—at least temporarily.

In the Early 20th Century, America Was Awash in Incredible Queer Nightlife Then Prohibition ended, and the closet was born.

Part of the fun of researching ’s and ’s Queer subculture in New York City was coming across a wide variety of specialized slang and coded terms that flourished among homosexual men and women of the time. Some of these terms are solely of their time, some have survived into the modern era, albeit often with modified meanings.

Learn about the hidden history of s gay speakeasies, where queer culture, resistance, and joy thrived amidst prohibition, organized crime, and societal defiance.

By the s, gay men had established a presence in Harlem and the bohemian mecca of Greenwich Village (as well as the seedier environs of Times Square), and the city’s first lesbian.

During the “Pansy Craze” from the s until , people in the lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer (LGBTQ) community were performing on stages in cities around the world, and New York City.

Part of the fun of researching ’s and ’s Queer subculture in New York City was coming across a wide variety of specialized slang and coded terms that flourished among homosexual men and women of the time.

In the vibrant yet turbulent s, New York City’s underground gay nightlife began to take shape in secretive, illicit spaces. These venues, known as gay speakeasies, became critical sanctuaries for LGBTQ+ individuals during an era that criminalized their existence.