Queer Country on a Motorcycle
September 17, 2013 5:02 PM
Please help me think of historical LGBT locations in the United States.
I am in the very beginning stages of planning a motorcycle trip around the United States and would like to tie my interest in LGBT history into my love of riding two wheels. The grand plan is something like me riding around the US documenting not only my experiences riding, but the places I visit and their impact on current queer culture/history (a la "Long Way Round"). Places I have come up with so far:
Stonewall Inn (NYC)
Castro St (San Francisco)
Massachusetts (1st state to legalize gay marriage)
Laramie, WY
No place is too small to be considered, however, it would be nice to stay within the contiguous US (sorry Alaska and Hawaii!).
I am in the very beginning stages of planning a motorcycle trip around the United States and would like to tie my interest in LGBT history into my love of riding two wheels. The grand plan is something like me riding around the US documenting not only my experiences riding, but the places I visit and their impact on current queer culture/history (a la "Long Way Round"). Places I have come up with so far:
Stonewall Inn (NYC)
Castro St (San Francisco)
Massachusetts (1st state to legalize gay marriage)
Laramie, WY
No place is too small to be considered, however, it would be nice to stay within the contiguous US (sorry Alaska and Hawaii!).
Vicco, KY, the smallest city in the US to pass a law outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation. I'd imagine there are some great MC roads around that area, too.
posted by ltisz at 5:16 PM on September 17, 2013
posted by ltisz at 5:16 PM on September 17, 2013
Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA.
posted by oceanjesse at 5:27 PM on September 17, 2013
posted by oceanjesse at 5:27 PM on September 17, 2013
141 Chartres St., New Orleans
And on a happier note, Key West
posted by Monsieur Caution at 5:31 PM on September 17, 2013
And on a happier note, Key West
posted by Monsieur Caution at 5:31 PM on September 17, 2013
The Tretter collection at the University of Minnesota. Tretter himself (a super nice dude!) is retired now, but it looks like if you contact the curator of the collection ahead of time you can probably get a tour.
posted by clavicle at 6:03 PM on September 17, 2013
posted by clavicle at 6:03 PM on September 17, 2013
Ultimately dorky, but you could visit the Lavender Legacies Guide (Society of American Archivists) - and stop by different universities and spaces with historical records - for example, Smith College in Massachusetts.
posted by anya32 at 6:20 PM on September 17, 2013
posted by anya32 at 6:20 PM on September 17, 2013
And Fire Island, NY and the Russian River in Sonoma County.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:21 PM on September 17, 2013
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:21 PM on September 17, 2013
If you're coming to MA you should probably also swing by Vermont. We were the first state to introduce civil unions (July 2000) and the first state to introduce same-sex marriage by legislation (not court decision). The RU12 community center is worth a visit.
posted by jessamyn at 7:48 PM on September 17, 2013
posted by jessamyn at 7:48 PM on September 17, 2013
Provincetown, MA (Ptown) has been a gay destination for almost a hundred years.
posted by beccaj at 8:13 PM on September 17, 2013
posted by beccaj at 8:13 PM on September 17, 2013
Compton's Cafeteria. Should be as famous as Stonewall, especially because the riot there happened before Stonewall.
Hartford Street Zen Center, founded by Issan Dorsey.
Minnesota is notable as the first state to outlaw discrimination on the basis of gender identity. And unfortunately as the place where Cece McDonald was sentenced to prison for defending herself against a transphobic attacker.
Might want to visit the Baton in Chicago.
Camp Trans, if your schedule works.
posted by jiawen at 8:14 PM on September 17, 2013
Hartford Street Zen Center, founded by Issan Dorsey.
Minnesota is notable as the first state to outlaw discrimination on the basis of gender identity. And unfortunately as the place where Cece McDonald was sentenced to prison for defending herself against a transphobic attacker.
Might want to visit the Baton in Chicago.
Camp Trans, if your schedule works.
posted by jiawen at 8:14 PM on September 17, 2013
Tales of the City was fiction, but set in a very real San Francisco. Tours of the Tales documents locations in the series.
posted by mumkin at 1:25 AM on September 18, 2013
posted by mumkin at 1:25 AM on September 18, 2013
You mention MA but not VT. VT had civil unions a couple of years before MA legalized gay marriage outright. I think that was the first state to even have any form of legal recognition of same-sex pairings, even if it wasn't for full-on marriage.
In MA itself, Northampton (in the western part of the state) and Provincetown (at the very tip of Cape Cod) are very LGBT-friendly/oriented destinations. I lived in MA for many years and owned a motorcycle for some of those years. I can recommend Route 2 as a scenic bike route, particularly in the western part of the state and in the fall. Though not LGBT-specific, I enjoyed taking in the scenery while riding around the Wachusett and Quabbin Reservoirs. Route 9 passes through Northampton.
posted by tckma at 10:24 AM on September 18, 2013
In MA itself, Northampton (in the western part of the state) and Provincetown (at the very tip of Cape Cod) are very LGBT-friendly/oriented destinations. I lived in MA for many years and owned a motorcycle for some of those years. I can recommend Route 2 as a scenic bike route, particularly in the western part of the state and in the fall. Though not LGBT-specific, I enjoyed taking in the scenery while riding around the Wachusett and Quabbin Reservoirs. Route 9 passes through Northampton.
posted by tckma at 10:24 AM on September 18, 2013
Not necessarily historical, but Saugatuck Michigan is an LGBT mecca of sorts. My partner and I are going to be staying at the Camp-It Campground for our (big gay) honeymoon in October.
http://gaysaugatuckdouglas.com/
As a transplant to Michigan, I don't know the history of WHY it became an LGBT welcoming place, but now I'm going to do some digging...
posted by custardfairy at 2:34 PM on September 18, 2013
http://gaysaugatuckdouglas.com/
As a transplant to Michigan, I don't know the history of WHY it became an LGBT welcoming place, but now I'm going to do some digging...
posted by custardfairy at 2:34 PM on September 18, 2013
Ah, found a possibly useful link on Gay History in Saugatuck:
http://sdhistoricalsociety.org/projects/gay_history.php
posted by custardfairy at 2:44 PM on September 18, 2013
http://sdhistoricalsociety.org/projects/gay_history.php
posted by custardfairy at 2:44 PM on September 18, 2013
Thank you everyone for such great ideas, I want to go to all of these places! Please keep em' coming!
posted by carnivoregiraffe at 3:18 PM on September 18, 2013
posted by carnivoregiraffe at 3:18 PM on September 18, 2013
The White Horse Inn in Oakland may be the oldest gay bar in the US. It's been in the same location since 1933. Very Oakland- divey, and anyone is welcome.
posted by oneirodynia at 7:12 PM on September 18, 2013
posted by oneirodynia at 7:12 PM on September 18, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Wordwoman at 5:05 PM on September 17, 2013