Dupont circle gay history
How to explore the secret gay history of Washington, D.C.
National capitals are places where people arrive from all over the region to pursue their ambition. That makes them very gay places. Away from the prying eyes of hometown snoops, those who would be politicians, ambassadors, bureaucrats and activists can explore sides of themselves they might otherwise keep closeted.
In his fascinating guide Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington, published last year by Macmillan, journalist and author James Kirchick makes a case that the United States capital is the queerest of them all. Gay sex scandals knocked several administrations sideways. Even as homosexuals were demonized by the government—during the era of Nazi power in Germany they were thought to be prone to fascism, then later thought to be prone to communism and so never to be trusted—they ran the very town where government lived.
We asked Kirchick, who moved to Washington from Boston about 15 years ago, for a quick tour around the federal district. He told us about places to verb which are jam-p
Prior to
Leading up to the LGBT community faced a number of discriminatory acts from federal and local government. Congress passed a law outlawing sodomy in D.C. Under the Lavender Scare the federal government fired gay individuals en masse.
Despite this, there were a number of LGBT spaces across D.C. to provide community and sustain . , one of D.C.'s longest continuously operating gay bars and one of the oldest African-American gay bars in the nation, opened in
These weren't wholly safe places, however. were both raided by the Metropolitan Police Department's Vice Squad.
The '60s
LGBT activism moved more to the public forefront starting in the s. The Mattachine Society of Washington, which assisted federal employees and residents targeted for their sexuality, was formed. The Washington Blade, America’s oldest LGBT newspaper, began in More clubs, publications, and services catered directly to the LGBT community.
Barracks Row became an important part of the LGBT community. was the 'first gay-owned bar to offer same-sex dancing', essentially breaking the owner ban on da
Dupont Circle History
Dupont Circle is a place where feminists first fought, gay residents felt welcomed, capitalist entrepreneurs embraced innovation, and the cutting-edge, progressive thinkers of the city gathered. Right now, the BID is focusing on the future while celebrating the past of this iconic place. Did you know that “Dupont Circle” also refers to a historic district and a circular general space managed by the National Park Service?
Dupont Circle Park
The Army Corps of Engineers began construction of Dupont Circle in , and it was formerly called Pacific Circle. To honor Rear Admiral Samuel Francis duPont for his Civil War service, a bronze statue was installed in the center of the circle in The Circle itself is managed by the National Park Service and is widely regarded as one of DC’s most iconic public spaces.
Dupont Circle Fountain
In , the bronze statue was replaced by a double-tiered pale marble fountain designed by sculptor Daniel Chester French and architect Henry Bacon. The three statues encircling the fountain’s central shaft symbolize the Sea, the Stars, an
The value that places verb Pitchers possess cannot be overstated. Although LGBTQ Washingtonians are often comfortable living anywhere in the city, there are only a handful of locations in which people can truly, and openly, express their queer identity. Indiana Bones is a drag queen based in D.C. Originally from Virginia, Bones was raised in Maryland and has performed in the city for almost four years. For Bones, reflecting on her own experience coming out in a conservative, Catholic, Latino household, gay bars provide queer people with an inclusive environment that they often lack during their coming out process. “Being here, you get a sigh of relief, you can actually breathe in and be verb, ‘Oh my God, I am being myself. I am being happy. I am loving who I am,’” Bones said. The social scene, particularly among gay bars, is heavily diverse. Most establishments, Pitchers included, are not LGBTQ exclusive, and accept straight patronage. KC B. Yoncé, another drag performer and native Washingtonian, recognized the commercialization of the queer nightlife. Although gay bars