In previous episodes, we discussed how gay men often found refuge in mafia-owned private bottle clubs, where they could drink and socialize without the fear of police raids or public hostility. These underground venues, while risky due to their illegal nature, offered a rare safe haven where gay men could express themselves more freely and form a sense of community away from the prying eyes of a largely unwelcoming society.
In this episode, crime writer Chris Holcombe joins us to discuss how gay speakeasies emerged during the Prohibition era as secretive, underground venues where LGBTQ+ individuals could gather away from the scrutiny and persecution of mainstream society.
Full Episode:
https://www.ajadedgay.com/136-closets-cocktails-the-secret-history-of-gay-speakeasies-with-chris-holcombe/
Related Episodes:
Listen to Episode 17. Mobsters & Mos: How the Mafia Owned Gay Nightlife
https://www.ajadedgay.com/17-mobsters-mos-how-the-mafia-owned-gay-nightlife/
Listen to Episode 63. The Stonewall Riots
https://www.ajadedgay.com/63-the-stonewall-riots/
Additional Resources:
Learn More About Chris Holcombe
https://www.chrisholcombe.com/
Follow Chris on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thechrisholcombe/
Support Chris on Patreon
http://patreon.com/ChrisHolcombeAuthor
Order the Hidden Gotham Series
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09N41NSDB?binding=kindle_edition&qid=1654001598&sr=1-1&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tukn
Subscribe to Chris’s Monthly Emails
http://www.chrisholcombe.com/sign-up
Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940
https://www.amazon.com/Gay-New-York-Culture-1890-1940/dp/1541699211/ref=sr_1_1?crid=WJSX56HPYMEV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.CUvBr017OJeT1f5qvGyrCz44QK34Ozr8HOeC8QwAR2A1fG0wOa5ZEXsXhBI0itKjm1VVZ2A-iIA1MuNKGzbZAtfllwS8jsVe5ug33VwAJEObjwCClxb2fLc52yyxNsmb8p7aFzSPIrvtkdD2_74z8iJnVmGdPJmhOQMCD0TQaIk5XY2jjtrQ2XddLSTBKiH2fjk4V57i5I189-8CzYvTniqbV2BdGPJx5qQZ5yc9dQY.hV4SSSrmof_Etfp9sZXN3z-vZfoLYjZEiSGmrhiseHE&dib_tag=se&keywords=george+chauncey&qid=1736167273&sprefix=george+chauncey%2Caps%2C97&sr=8-1
Bulldaggers, Pansies, and Chocolate Babies
https://www.amazon.com/Bulldaggers-Pansies-Chocolate-Babies-Triangulations/dp/0472034898/ref=sr_1_1?crid=8HW7MMDE8P9P&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.iPQRsZuf4wL2ztZUYynvc_7id-54vCg1fQnF21MtDik.7WQj57gOmTRzgGdF6s7s382c4D5Eg9sfRDthEBPvVgw&dib_tag=se&keywords=bulldaggers%2C+pansies%2C+and+chocolate+babies&qid=1736167332&sprefix=pansies+bullda%2Caps%2C116&sr=8-1
The Speakeasy Glossary – Queer Slang of the Prohibition Era
https://dannyashkenasi.com/2015/08/26/the-speakeasy-glossary-queer-slang-of-the-prohibition-era/
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