National Geographic USA – June 2019

MANHATTAN

QUEENS

BROOKLYN

GREENWICH VILLAGE

Stonewall

National

Monument

Stonewall

National

Monument

HELL’S

KITCHEN

MIDTOWN

CENTRAL

PARK

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BOWERY

0 mi 1

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LGBTQ LOCATIONS

Year of establishment

Before 1950

1950—1979

1980—1999

2000—2018

1890 1920 1950 1980 2000 2018

200

40 0

AN EVOLVING SCENE

Average number of active locations

documented per five-year period*

*DATA MAY NOT REPRESENT ALL LGBTQ NIGHTLIFE.

RILEY D. CHAMPINE, NGM STAFF. SOURCES: JEFF FERZOCO, OUTGOING NYC; GEORGE CHAUNCEY, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

Before 1950

Before World War II consumed cultural

life, drag balls were openly attended by

thousands, and many cafés and saloons

central to “fairy” culture were in vogue.

1950—1979

As oppression of marginalized people

and relationships reached a fever pitch

after World War II, communities resisted

with activism and open expression.

1980—1999

The rise of HIV/AIDS, which deeply

affected the community, exacerbated a

cultural backlash in the ’80s and possibly

led to a dip in nightlife locations.

2000—2018

As the community grows more connected

through social media and other technol-

ogy, some argue the pressure to meet in

LGBTQ-specific venues has lessened.

BY RYAN WILLIAMS AND ROSEMARY WARDLEY

EXPLORE | ATLAS

STONEWALL INN, 1969—When lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,

and queer (LGBTQ) people resisted a police raid at this Greenwich

Village tavern, they brought a growing liberation move ment to

light. Today, LGBTQ cultural life in New York City is more visible

than ever, and researchers are reconstructing its hidden history.

To create a map of nightlife, Jeff Ferzoco of the project OUTgoing

NYC scoured libraries and collected personal anecdotes to find

where people could meet openly or in secret.

PREJUDICE

AND PRIDE IN

NEW YORK CITY

Work in factories

brought many

lesbians to

Brooklyn during

World War II.

By the mid-

2000s, many

new venues

had opened in

Hell’s Kitchen.

The Ramble in

Central Park

was a discreet

place to meet

for much of the

20th century.

Greenwich

Village, home of

the Stonewall Inn,

hosts one of the

world’s largest

pride parades.

Other historic cen-

ters of LGBTQ life

beyond the borders

of this map include

Jackson Heights

and Harlem.

Midtown’s clubs

and dance halls

helped define

the disco era

in the 1970s.

Global Inspiration

In 2016 the Stonewall area was

designated a national mon-

ument for its historic impact.

This June, 50 years after the

uprising, revelers from around

the world will join New York

City’s annual pride events.

The number of LGBTQ

nightlife venues in New

York peaked in the late

1970s, with some 400

known locations.

“Fairy resorts” were

located in the Bowery,

which was popular

with bohemians in

the late 19th century.