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83-670: The Cock is a gay dive bar in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City . It is noted for its exhibitionist atmosphere and popularity as a cruising destination. Opened in 1998, the venue has been described by them. magazine as "a rarified taste of old New York and the cruisy gay scene that existed [there] in the '80s and '90s". In the late 1990s and early 2000s, it experienced frequent police raids under Mayor Rudy Giuliani 's anti-nightlife crackdowns. The Cock has relocated twice, and its 2015 move along Second Avenue
166-737: A bar in Kips Bay , and who used to manage Superdive, a now-closed establishment in the East Village . The Cock opened in 1998 and was originally on Avenue A in Manhattan. Since then, it has relocated twice: first to 29 Second Avenue and then slightly northward to 93 Second Avenue. In its early years, the venue hosted exhibitionist shows organized by promoter Mario Diaz. According to New York magazine, "[the] sordid acts and general carefree air ... [attracted] not only horny young men but also plenty of spectacle-seeking celebrities," including Christina Aguilera , Boy George and George Michael . The bar
249-534: A blood alcohol level of 0.02% or higher while driving. Like every other state in the United States, driving under the influence is a crime in New York and is subject to a great number of regulations outside of the state's alcohol laws. New York's maximum blood alcohol level for driving is 0.08% for persons over the age of 16 and there is a "zero tolerance" policy for persons under 16. Minors caught with any alcohol in
332-634: A body blow. If you are merely looking for sex or a date, the Web is now the first stop for most gay men". June Thomas explained the decline by noting that there is less need for gay-specific venues like bars because gay people are less likely to encounter discrimination or be made unwelcome in wider society. Entrepreneur magazine in 2007 included them on a list of ten types of business that would be extinct by 2017 along with record stores, used bookstores and newspapers. Some commentators have argued there has been some recent decline in gay-specific venues mainly due to
415-516: A centre for gay culture in the 19th century, making the city a queer capital during the early 20th century, when the Montmartre and Pigalle districts were meeting places of the LGBTQ+ community. Although Amsterdam , Berlin , and London had more meeting places and organizations than Paris, the latter was known for the "flamboyance" of LGBTQ+ quarters and "visibility" of LGBTQ+ celebrities. Paris retained
498-452: A common feature in many gay bars, even men-only spaces. Some gay bars and clubs which have a predominantly male clientele, as well as some gay bathhouses and other sex clubs , may offer occasional women-only nights. A few gay bars attempt to restrict entry to only gay or lesbian people, but in practice this is difficult to enforce. Most famously, Melbourne 's Peel Hotel was granted an exemption from Australia's Equal Opportunities Act by
581-423: A conversation, where they didn't feel like sexual freaks or somehow not part of the larger social fabric; from that came culture, politics, demands for equal rights." Gay bars traditionally preferred to remain discreet and virtually unidentifiable outside the gay community, relying exclusively on word of mouth promotion. More recently, gay clubs and events are often advertised by handing out eye-catching flyers on
664-528: A few gay bars in the first quarter of the 20th century. The best known was The Empire [ nl ] , in Nes , which was first mentioned in 1911 and existed until the late 1930s. The oldest that still exists is Café 't Mandje , which was opened in 1927 by lesbian Bet van Beeren . It closed in 1982, but was reopened in 2008. After World War II , the Amsterdam city government acted rather pragmatic and tolerated
747-851: A gay bar in the 1950s. It now claims to be one of the oldest gay bars in Europe. The main Copenhagen gay district is the Latin Quarter . The very first gay bar in Europe and probably in the world was the Zanzibar in Cannes on the French Riviera. The Zanzibar was opened in 1885 and existed for 125 years, before it was closed in December 2010. Among its visitors were many artists, like actor Jean Marais and comedians Thierry Le Luron and Coluche . Paris became known as
830-479: A gay bar is the nature of its clientele. While many gay bars target the gay and/or lesbian communities, some (usually older and firmly established) gay bars have become gay, as it were, through custom, over a long period of time. The serving of alcohol is the primary business of gay bars and pubs. Like non-gay establishments they serve as a meeting place and LGBTQ+ community focal point, in which conversation, relaxation, and meeting potential romantic and sexual partners
913-510: A haunt for the wealthy, aristocratic and bohemian. Its creator Frida Strindberg née Uhl set it up as an avant-garde and artistic venture. The club provided a solid model for future nightclubs. After homosexuality was partially decriminalized in the UK in 1967, gay bar culture became more visible and gradually Soho became the centre of the London LGBTQ+ community, which was "firmly established" by
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#1732899145899996-670: A hotel open year round. Seventeen disallow only special on-premises consumption. The town of Spencer in Tioga County allows only off-premises and special on-premises consumption. Williamson , in Wayne County , bans on-premises sale of beer at race tracks, outdoor athletic fields, and sports stadia where admission is charged. In all, there are thirty-nine partially dry towns. In 2019, the Town of Argyle in Washington County voted to repeal
1079-408: A license to sell liquor for off-premises consumption. Grocery and drug stores may obtain a license to sell beer alone or beer and "wine products", such as wine coolers (but not wine). Minors visiting a liquor store must be accompanied by an adult at all times; a violation can lead to the owner or manager being charged with second-degree unlawfully dealing with a minor, a Class B misdemeanor . Until
1162-564: A place of refuge and support for gay men and the HIV-affected community impacted by the virus. Cure fundraising, testing, support group, and free condom events have been present at gay bars. Some commentators have suggested that gay bars are facing decline in the contemporary age due to the pervasiveness of technology. Andrew Sullivan argued in his 2005 essay "The End of Gay Culture" that gay bars are declining because "the Internet dealt them
1245-522: A rarity around the world. Many articles have been published discussing possible reasons as to why lesbian bars struggle to exist despite a growing lesbian population. Like most bars and pubs, gay bars range in size from the small, five-seat bars of Tokyo to large, multi-story clubs with several distinct areas and more than one dance floor. A large venue may be referred to as a nightclub , club , or bar, while smaller venues are typically called bars and sometimes pubs . The only defining characteristic of
1328-418: A set of laws specific to manufacturing, purchasing, serving, selling, and consuming alcohol in the state of New York. Combined with federal and local laws, as well as vendor policies, alcohol laws of New York determine the state's legal drinking age , the driving under the influence limit, liquor license requirements, server training, and more. The New York State Liquor Authority (NYSLA) and its agency arm,
1411-608: A shebeen in Soweto , for example, was used as a meeting place for black gay men who were part of the Gay Association of South Africa (GASA) but did not feel welcome in the GASA offices. With the establishment of the post-apartheid 1996 constitution that outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation as well as race, South Africa's gay night life exploded, though many bars continued to be segregated by race, and fewer blacks than whites go to
1494-494: A state tribunal, on the grounds that the exemption was needed to prevent "sexually-based insults and violence" aimed at the pub's patrons. As a result of the decision, the pub is legally able to advertise as a "gay only" establishment, and door staff can ask people whether they are gay before allowing them inside, and can turn away non-gay people. New York State Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control Alcohol laws of New York (or commonly Alcohol Beverage Control Law ) are
1577-526: A suspected case of COVID-19 in March 2020. In the midst of all this corporate sterility, The Cock stands out like a precarious red light in a city without a red light district .... It is a distinctly European-feeling space. –Alexander Cheves, them. magazine The Cock's reputation with patrons and critics is one of a raunchy, uninhibited space; some comment that it contrasts with the "corporate sterility" of New York and that similar venues are not common in
1660-587: Is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian , gay , bisexual , transgender or queer ( LGBTQ+ ) clientele; the term gay is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBTQ+ communities. Gay bars once served as the centre of gay culture and were one of the few places people with same-sex orientations and gender-variant identities could openly socialize. Other names used to describe these establishments include boy bar , girl bar , gay club , gay pub , queer bar , lesbian bar , drag bar , and dyke bar , depending on
1743-477: Is a law prohibiting other substances. Any person found under the influence of a substance other than alcohol in public who is endangering themselves and others is guilty under the New York State Penal Code. This also applies to those found under the influence and bothering others or damaging public or private property. Drinking in public was outlawed in New York City by Ed Koch in 1979. The law
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#17328991458991826-497: Is not licensed with the SLA unless the establishment is currently applying, or will apply in the future, for a liquor license. Research has been conducted into the association between closing times and crime in New York. Counties with later closing times tend to have greater rates of violent crime (except gun violence), but not non-violent crime. This was true even after adjusting for socio-demographic factors. Only liquor stores may obtain
1909-553: Is not unusual for gay bars to sponsor teams in local sports/game leagues, and many otherwise traditional gay pubs are well known for hosting post-game parties—often filling with local gay athletes and their fans on specific nights or when major professional sporting events are broadcast on TV. Some of the longest established gay bars are unofficial hosts of elaborate local 'Royal Court' drag pageants and drag-related social groups. Gay bars and nightclubs are sometimes segregated by sex. In some establishments, people who are perceived to be of
1992-420: Is prohibited inside. The interior consists of two levels, with the basement serving as a dark room . New York magazine describes the venue as having "a rollicking backroom sex scene", while the main room features theme parties, go-go dancers and DJs. The bar's street presence is minimal, marked only by a neon sign of a rooster. It is owned by Allan Mannarelli, a straight proprietor who also operates Albion,
2075-675: Is the Half-and-Half, which in 2004 had been open over ten years. The first lesbian bar in China (also in Beijing) was Maple Bar, opened in 2000 by pop singer Qiao Qiao . The On/Off was a popular bar for both gay men and lesbians. The increase in China's gay and lesbian bars in recent years is linked to China's opening up to global capitalism and its consequent economic and social restructuring. The bar Centralhjørnet in Copenhagen opened in 1917 and became
2158-471: Is the primary focus of the clientele. Historically and continuing in many communities, gay bars have been valued by patrons as the only place closeted gay men and lesbians can be open and demonstrative about their sexuality without fear of discovery. Gerard Koskovich of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society explains that "[Gay bars] were a public place where gay people could meet and start to have
2241-443: The 2003 statewide smoking ban , but its only formal citation was dismissed. Mannarelli attempted to move The Cock from 29 Second Avenue to Avenue B in 2014, but Manhattan Community Board 3 rejected his application after learning that the venue would offer " drag shows , 'art performances', and meat pies ". The following year, the bar successfully relocated up Second Avenue, into a space formerly occupied by Lit Lounge . This move
2324-479: The Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABC), were established under New York State Law in 1934 to "regulate and control the manufacture and distribution within the state of alcoholic beverages for the purpose of fostering and promoting temperance in their consumption and respect for and obedience to law." The SLA is also authorized by statute to "determine whether public convenience and advantage will be promoted by
2407-512: The Schöneberg district around Nollendorfplatz there were many cafes, bars and clubs, which also attracted gay people who had to flee their own country in fear of prosecution, like for example Christopher Isherwood . The gay club Eldorado in the Motzstraße was internationally known for its transvestite shows. There was also a relatively high number of places for lesbians. Within a few weeks after
2490-476: The "wrong" sex (for example, a man attempting to enter a women's club) may be unwelcome or even barred from entry. This may be more common in specialty bars, such as gay male leather fetish or BDSM bars, or bars or clubs which have a strict dress code . It is also common in bars and clubs where sex on the premises is a primary focus of the establishment. On the other hand, gay bars are usually welcoming of transgender and cross-dressed people, and drag shows are
2573-460: The 17th century record the existence of bars and clubs that catered to, or at least tolerated, openly gay clientele in several major European cities. The White Swan (created by James Cook and Yardley, full name unknown) on Vere Street , in London , England, was raided in 1810 during the so-called Vere Street Coterie . The raid led to the executions of John Hepburn and Thomas White for sodomy . The site
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2656-514: The 18th century, molly houses were clandestine clubs where gay men could meet, drink, dance and have sex with each other. One of the most famous was Mother Clap's Molly House. The first gay bar in Britain in the modern sense was The Cave of the Golden Calf , established as a night club in London . It opened in an underground location at 9 Heddon Street, just off Regent Street , in 1912 and became
2739-456: The 1980s made Munich "one of the four gayest metropolises in the world" along with San Francisco, New York City and Amsterdam. In particular, the area around Müllerstraße and Hans-Sachs-Straße was characterized by numerous gay bars and nightclubs. One of them was the travesty nightclub Old Mrs. Henderson , where Freddie Mercury , who lived in Munich from 1979 to 1985, filmed the music video for
2822-443: The 1980s, police raids on white gay clubs lessened as the apartheid government forces found itself dealing with more and more resistance from the black population. In the black townships, some of the shebeens , unlicensed bars established in people's homes and garages, catered to LGBTQ clients. During the struggle against apartheid, some of these shebeens were important meeting places for black gay and lesbian resistance fighters. Lee's,
2905-612: The Carlton Hotel in downtown Johannesburg in the late 1940s, catering exclusively to men of wealth. In the 1960s, other urban bars began to open that drew more middle and working class white men; lesbians were excluded. The language of Gayle had its roots in the Cape Coloured and Afrikaans -speaking underground gay bar culture. In 1968, when the government threatened to pass repressive anti-gay legislation, queer culture went even further underground, which meant clubs and bars were often
2988-504: The LGBTQ+ capital image after the end of World War II , but the center of the meeting place shifted to Saint-Germain-des-Prés . In the 1950s and 1960s the police and authorities tolerated homosexuals as long as the conduct was private and out of view, but gay bar raids occurred and there were occasions when the owners of the bars were involved in facilitating the raids. Lesbians rarely visited gay bars and instead socialized in circles of friends. Lesbians who did go to bars often originated from
3071-713: The Nazis took over government in 1933, fourteen of the best known gay establishments were closed. After homosexuality was decriminalized in 1969, many gay bars opened in West Berlin , resulting in a lively gay scene. In Munich , a number of gay and lesbian bars are documented as early as the Golden Twenties . Since the 1960s, the Rosa Viertel (pink quarter) developed in the Glockenbachviertel and around Gärtnerplatz , which in
3154-613: The Pimpernel), Inge Meysel and Hildegard Knef . The oldest continuously operating Japanese gay bar, New Sazae, opened in Tokyo in 1966. Most gay bars in Tokyo are located in the Shinjuku Ni-chōme district, which is home to about 300 bars. Each bar may only have room to seat about a dozen people; as a result, many bars are specialized according to interest. Because of a raid on a Mexico City drag ball in 1901, when 41 men were arrested,
3237-469: The SLA to admonish the community board and warn it that it would be held responsible for any future problems at The Cock. Like other New York City nightlife venues, The Cock shut down temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic . Ahead of its reopening, Mannarelli applied to transfer the establishment to an address on Rivington Street . This was met with protest by area residents, and Community Board 3 struck down
3320-492: The United States. Of the bar's current location, New York magazine said: "Despite the new space, [the bar] retains its penchant for irony-laced depravity." Alexander Cheves of them. magazine called The Cock "the last filthy gay bar in New York", and he stated, "[T]here is—alarmingly—no other bar like it in the city and very few bars like it left in the country." ShermansTravel places The Cock among "the best gay and queer bars in Manhattan", branding it "the most cruise-y of all
3403-516: The alert for bullying and attacks. In 2013, Moscow's largest gay bar, Central Station, had its walls sprayed with gunfire, had harmful gas released into a crowd of 500 patrons, and had its ceiling nearly brought down by a gang who wanted to crush the people inside. Nonetheless, gay nightlife is increasing in Moscow and St. Petersburg, offering drag shows and Russian music, with some bars also offering discreet gay-only taxi services. The first recorded use of
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3486-648: The blood (defined legally as 0.02% or more) are subject to license revocation for six months or more. Other penalties for drunken driving include fines, license suspension/revocation, possible imprisonment, and in some cases the implementation of an ignition interlock device . A lesser charge, driving with ability impaired (DWAI), may apply when a driver's BAC exceeds 0.05%. Research suggests that misdemeanor drunk driving offenses, but not felony drunk driving offenses, are related to county-based closing times for on-premises licensed venues. New York State has no law against being intoxicated from alcohol in public , but there
3569-492: The case of towns, the decision would also be binding on any villages within them. Cities and towns may become totally dry, forbidding any on- or off-premises alcohol sales, or partially dry by forbidding one or the other or applying those prohibitions only to beer or to wine and spirits. As of 2024, there are six dry towns in the state, all in lightly populated rural areas upstate : Ten towns forbid on-premises consumption but allow off-premises purchases; four allow both only at
3652-467: The earliest closing times in the state at 1 a.m. For a complete list of closing hours by county, see. The SLA does not permit establishments to allow patrons to " B.Y.O.B. " if the establishment does not have a license or permit to sell alcoholic beverages. The only exception to this rule is that establishments with fewer than 20 seats can permit B.Y.O.B. Nonetheless, the SLA does not have authority to take any direct action against an establishment that
3735-676: The early 1990s. Gay bars, cafes, restaurants and clubs are centred on Old Compton Street . Other cities in the UK also have districts or streets with a concentration of gay bars, like for example Stanley Street Quarter in Liverpool, the Merchant City in Glasgow, Canal Street in Manchester and the Birmingham Gay Village . There are many institutions in the United States that claim to be
3818-530: The early 2000s, the human rights of gays and lesbians in Taiwan improved significantly. The gay nightlife entertainment scene shifted from being a scene opened by gays and only having gay customers. Some non-gay-only nightclubs were considered gay nightclubs because they gathered a large number of gays. Representative stores are TeXound and 2F. Starting in 2007, gay bars began to move into the Ximen Red House, which
3901-488: The existence of gay bars. In the 1960s their number grew rapidly and they clustered in and around a number of streets, although this was limited to bars, clubs and shops and they never became residential areas for gays, like the gay villages in the US. Since the late 1950s the main Amsterdam gay street was Kerkstraat , which was succeeded by Reguliersdwarsstraat in the early 1980s, when the first openly gay places opened here, like
3984-534: The famous cafe April in 1981, followed by dancing Havana in 1989. Other streets where there are still concentrations of gay bars are Zeedijk , Amstel and Warmoesstraat , the latter being the center of the Amsterdam leather scene , where the first leather bar already opened around 1955. The Queen's Head is a gay bar located at Zeedijk 20 in the centre of Amsterdam. Because of the high prevalence of homophobia in Russia, patrons of gay bars there often have had to be on
4067-428: The first increase of the drinking age to 19 on December 4, 1982.) Persons under 21 are prohibited from purchasing alcohol or possessing alcohol with the intent to consume, unless the alcohol was given to that person by their parent or legal guardian. There is no law prohibiting persons under the age of 21 consuming alcohol that was given to them by their parent or legal guardian. Persons under 21 are prohibited from having
4150-451: The foreign zones, which were traditionally more tolerant. One male bar patron said Korean bar culture was not as direct as in the United States, with customers indicating their interest in another customer by ordering him a drink through a waiter. The oldest lesbian bar in Seoul is Lesbos, which started in 1996. Under the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco from 1939 to 1975, homosexuality
4233-485: The gay bars in the city". In a list titled "The Absolute Best Gay Bar[s] in Manhattan", Mike Albo of GrubStreet.com ranked The Cock second with the following remark: "Rough-edged, covered in band stickers, and carved with little weird nooks and dark corners, this place is like a filthy, seductive, alluring alleyway." Time Out magazine, which placed the bar 14th on its 2022 compilation of "the 24 best gay bars in NYC", wrote that
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#17328991458994316-475: The increase in excise taxes collected would help the state close its budget deficit. The proposed law garnered so much opposition from liquor store owners that it was never voted on by either chamber of the New York State Legislature . New York law requires that every license to sell wine or spirits at retail for off-premises consumption be held by a single individual who lives within a few miles of
4399-510: The issuance of licenses to traffic in alcoholic beverages … and to carry out the increase or decrease in the number thereof and the location of premises licensed … in the public interest." The DABC is a division of the New York State Executive Department . In New York, for purposes of state law, there are only four hours Monday through Saturday in which alcohol may not be served: 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. On Sundays
4482-570: The limitation is six hours: 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. This was designed to accommodate both New York City nightlife and late-night workers statewide. Some upstate areas such as Buffalo , Albany , and Saratoga Springs retain the 4:00 a.m closing time, although individual counties are free to set an earlier "last call". In Binghamton , this is at 3:00 a.m.; in Syracuse , Plattsburgh , Oneonta , Rochester and Watertown , bars close at 2:00 a.m.; and Elmira , Geneva , and Ithaca , have some of
4565-491: The mid-2000s, sales of beer before noon on Sundays for off-premises consumption were prohibited statewide, a remnant of a royal decree during the Colonial era , and between 3–6 a.m. any other day. Changes to the law made in the last years of Governor George Pataki 's administration loosened those restrictions, and now beer sales are only prohibited from 3–8 a.m. Sundays. Counties are free to adjust those hours in either direction, all
4648-407: The modern effects of gentrification . But despite the decline, gay bars still exist in relatively strong numbers and thrive in most major cities where male homosexuality is not heavily condemned. They also asserted many gay men (especially men new to gay nightlife) still find some value in gay-specific venues and being in the company of other gay men. Unlike gay bars, lesbian bars have become
4731-499: The niche communities that they serve. With the advent of the Internet and an increasing acceptance of LGBTQ+ people across the Western world, the relevance of gay bars in the LGBTQ+ community has somewhat diminished. In areas without a gay bar, certain establishments may hold a gay night instead. Gathering places favoured by homosexuals have operated for centuries. Reports from as early as
4814-526: The number 41 has come to symbolize male homosexuality in Mexican popular culture , figuring frequently in jokes and in casual teasing. The raid on the "Dance of the 41" was followed by a less-publicized raid of a lesbian bar on 4 December 1901 in Santa Maria. Despite the international depression of the 1930s and along with the social revolution overseen by Lázaro Cárdenas (1934–1940), the growth of Mexico City
4897-431: The oldest gay bar in the country. Since Prohibition ended in 1933, there are a number of notable gay bars that have opened. In alphabetical order: Gay bars have been heavily impacted by the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS with both potential risk and crucial community support and education. San Francisco had over 100 gay bars when the epidemic first hit in the early 1980s; by 2011 there were only about 30 remaining. During
4980-657: The oldest lesbian bar in Singapore. Today, many gay bars are located on the Neil Road stretch, from Taboo and Tantric, to Backstage Bar, May Wong's Café, DYMK and Play. Mega-clubs like Zouk and Avalon are also a big draw for the gay crowd. The history of gay and lesbian bars in South Africa reflects the racial divisions that began in the Apartheid era and continue, to some extent, in the 21st century. The first white gay bar opened in
5063-454: The only places to meet. These bars were often the targets of police raids. The decade of the 1970s was when urban gay clubs took root. The most popular gay club of Johannesburg was The Dungeon, which attracted females as well as males, and lasted until the 1990s. The 1979 police assault on the New Mandy's Club, in which patrons fought back, has been referred to as South Africa's Stonewall . In
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#17328991458995146-752: The owners paid bribes . A fairly visible presence was developed in large cities such as Guadalajara , Acapulco , Veracruz and Mexico City. Today, Mexico City is home to numerous gay bars, many of them located in the Zona Rosa , particularly on Amberes street, while a broad and varied gay nightlife also flourishes in Guadalajara, Acapulco, in Cancun attracting global tourists, Puerto Vallarta which attracts many Americans and Canadians, and Tijuana with its cross-border crowd. However, there are at least several gay bars in most major cities. In Amsterdam , there were already
5229-490: The request. Mannarelli resolved to reopen the 93 Second Avenue location during New York City's 2021 Pride week , at which time it was announced that the bar would require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for entry. A May 2021 Queerty article indicated that, later in the year, Mannarelli intended to "spruce up an unused space [inside that location] and open it as the Celebration Room" in honor of Wooden, who died of
5312-492: The song Living on My Own at his 39th birthday party. Other gay venues include Pompon Rouge , Mandy's Club , Pimpernel nightclub, the bar Mylord , the Ochsengarten , which was "Germany's first bar for leather men ", as well as the gay hotel-pub Deutsche Eiche . Regulars in many of these bars and nightclubs include, for example, Freddie Mercury, Rainer Werner Fassbinder , Walter Sedlmayr (who met his later murderer in
5395-551: The store and who holds no other such licenses in the state. It was intended to prevent any chain liquor stores from doing business in the state. Some proprietors open additional stores in the names of their family members while maintaining complete control over all the stores. Collaboration is not only limited to families; for example, Premier Group or Global Group in western New York has three locations, with each individually owned and operated. State law prohibits dry counties . Individual cities and towns may choose to be dry. In
5478-595: The street, in gay or gay-friendly shops and venues, and at other clubs and events. Similar to flyers for predominantly heterosexual venues, these flyers frequently feature provocative images and theme party announcements. While traditional gay pub-like bars are nearly identical to bars catering to the general public, gay dance venues often feature elaborate lighting design and video projection, fog machines and raised dancing platforms. Hired dancers (called go-go girls or go-go boys ) may also feature in decorative cages or on podiums. Gay sports bars are relatively unusual, but it
5561-606: The term "gay bar" is in the diaries of homosexual British comedian Kenneth Williams : "16 January 1947. Went round to the gay bar which wasn't in the least gay." At the time Williams was serving in the British Army in Singapore . In the 1970s, straight nightclubs began to open their doors to gay clients on designated nights of the week. In the 1980s, a lesbian bar named Crocodile Rock opened in Far East Plaza, which remains to this day
5644-665: The town's dry status. Argyle had made 11 attempts prior to do so. As a result, there are now only six remaining dry towns in New York State. In response to the National Minimum Drinking Age Act in 1984, which reduced by up to 10% the federal highway funding of any state that did not have a minimum purchasing age of 21, the New York Legislature raised the drinking age from 19 to 21, effective December 1, 1985. (The drinking age had been 18 since 1933, before
5727-566: The urban bars. The 2005 inaugural gay shebeen tour was advertised as a gay pub crawl that would provide an opportunity for South Africans and foreigners to "experience true African gay Shebeen culture". In Seoul, most gay bars were originally congregated near the Itaewon area of Seoul , near the U.S. military base. But in recent years, more clubs have located in the Sinchon area, indicating that "safe spaces" for Korean LGBTQ+ people have extended beyond
5810-446: The venue "is just the sort of dark, sketchy dive where you can unleash your inner sexy beast. The dearth of uptown attitude (or any apparent concern for cleanliness) pulls artists, musicians, writers, fashionistos [ sic ], tourists and closeted rebels, all of whom can appreciate a little dirty fun." Politico called The Cock "the neighborhoods [ sic ] most notorious gay bar". Gay bar A gay bar
5893-456: The way to midnight and noon, and allow 24-hour beer sales on other days of the week. The law also changed for liquor stores. They may now open on Sundays (although not before noon) and in a 2022 change they may now open on Christmas should they choose to do so. A few years after the Pataki administration changes, Governor David Paterson sought to allow supermarkets to sell wine. He argued that
5976-614: The working class. Chez Moune , opened in 1936, and New Moon were 20th-century lesbian cabarets located in Place Pigalle , which converted to mixed music clubs in the 21st century. Since the 1980s, the Le Marais district is the center of the gay scene in Paris. In Berlin , there was gay and lesbian night life already around 1900, which throughout the 1920s became very open and vibrant, especially when compared to other capitals. Especially in
6059-524: The worst years of the epidemic (before affordable and effective treatment), millions of gay men around the world died; consequently fewer persons owned or patronized gay bars. A 2009 study revealed a correlation between gay bar attendance and certain high-risk sexual behaviors. Specifically, the research indicated that individuals who frequented gay bars were more likely to engage in insertive unprotected anal intercourse, including with partners whose HIV status differed from their own. Gay bars have always been
6142-667: Was a member of the Ones . Wooden also worked there as a bartender. During the same period, pornographic actor Boomer Banks began his career as a go-go dancer at the bar. In January 2020, there was a reported slashing outside The Cock's entrance. Police responding to the incident entered the premises, and they issued summonses for sexual exposure by the venue's go-go dancers. The following month, Mannarelli attempted to change The Cock's liquor license to that of "a nightclub with live music and dancing". The state liquor authority (SLA) denied this request, but Community Board 3 approved it. This caused
6225-717: Was accompanied by the opening of gay bars and gay bathhouses . During the Second World War , ten to fifteen gay bars operated in Mexico City, with dancing permitted in at least two, El África and El Triunfo. Relative freedom from official harassment continued until 1959 when Mayor Ernesto Uruchurtu closed every gay bar following a grisly triple-murder. But by the late 1960s several Mexican cities had gay bars and, later, U.S.-style dance clubs . These places, however, were sometimes clandestine but tolerated by local authorities, which often meant that they were allowed to exist so long as
6308-635: Was illegal. However, in 1962, Spain's first gay bar, Tony's, opened in Torremolinos and a clandestine gay bar scene also emerged in the 1960s and early 1970s in Barcelona . In Taiwan, Gay bar culture was first brought to Taiwan by the US military stationed in the 1960s. In the 1970s, the first gay bar "Take" appeared in Taipei. At the same time, lesbians often held activities in American military bars and gay bars. It
6391-502: Was met with opposition by nearby residents and Manhattan Community Board 3 . Two other attempted moves, in 2014 and 2021, were blocked by the community board. Critics characterize the bar as "filthy", "seductive", and "alluring", noting that it is an unusual find in the United States and bears resemblance to European red-light district establishments. The Cock is one of a few remaining cruising spaces in New York City, and photography
6474-565: Was met with resistance by the East Fifth Street Block Association, which opposed new venues in the nightlife-saturated neighborhood, and the community board, which attempted to block the bar's liquor license. Displeased residents of nearby dwellings organized a "Block the Cock" campaign. Throughout the 2010s, The Cock was managed by Nashom Wooden , a fixture of the New York City nightlife scene who performed in drag as Mona Foot and
6557-515: Was not operating well at that time. Relying on the gay customer base, this place gradually gathered a lot of popularity and became the first openly gay business district in Taiwan. Nowadays, Ximen Red House Bar Street is a must-visit attraction for gays from all over the world when visiting Taiwan. Currently, the representative gay bars include Abrazo Bistro, Bacio Taipei, Belle's, Commander D, Fairy Taipei, G-Star, Ganymede, Hunt and Locker Room. There are also many small gay bars in Ximen Red House. In
6640-462: Was not until 1985 that the first lesbian bar "Forgettable Valley" appeared. After the mid-1980s, Gay bars and T-bars sprouted up like mushrooms after a rain. In addition to Taipei, they also began to appear in Taichung and Kaohsiung. The style has also become diversified from simply drinking and chatting. For example, Funky in the 1990s divided its business hours into singing hours and dancing hours. In
6723-571: Was originally pitched as targeting antisocial derelicts congregating in parks and on sidewalks, with Frederick E. Samuel, one of the measure's proponents in the New York City Council , stating "We do not recklessly expect the police to give a summons to a Con Ed worker having a beer with his lunch". By the end of the year similar laws had spread to municipalities in Westchester County . On March 7, 2016, drinking in public in Manhattan
6806-403: Was raided frequently during Rudy Giuliani 's tenure as mayor of New York City. That "anti-nightlife" era saw "cops and inspectors ... swarming the Cock as often as twice a week, ticketing for anything they could find". The venue was temporarily shuttered in 2000 for being a public nuisance . After the business reopened, it ran into legal trouble when patrons continued to smoke indoors after
6889-686: Was the scene of alleged gay marriages carried out by the Reverend John Church . It is not clear which place is the first gay bar in the modern sense. In Cannes , France, such a bar had already opened in 1885, and there were many more in Berlin around 1900. In the United Kingdom and the Netherlands gay bars were established throughout the first quarter of the 20th century. The oldest gay bar in Beijing
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