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But the proprietor, Betty Keller, was too quick for them. " 'Visiting a dive,' is what they'd call it," Warman said. Warman recalled being at Betty K's, a club that occupied a big old Victorian house at 17th and Central (since torn down) in the mid-'60s, when police came in to bust men for dancing with other men. "Young kids don't realize what it used to be like, what older people went through." "There's a lot of history behind where we are now," said Coby Palmer, 65, a florist and longtime gay civic leader. "Even way back there was a lot going on here," Bohr said. This at a time when Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, had just two each. He said that in 1970, the year he stopped concealing his homosexuality, Indianapolis had more than a dozen gay bars. Michael Bohr is the founder and curator of the Chris Gonzalez Library & Archives, a sort of gay museum whose inventory includes rare, original copies of Indianapolis' first gay publication, a mimeographed monthly from 1966 called "The Screamer." Some people wore masks to conceal their identities. Indianapolis' first Gay Pride event, in 1981, consisted of a semi-private dinner at the Essex Hotel. The difference now, said Shantel Sifuentes, who was sitting with the 44-year-old Bill but is 15 years younger - and who spelled out her last name slowly and clearly - is that "people want the city to know the LGBT community is out there." "They'd be afraid people would shoot them.
INDY EAGLE GAY BAR WINDOWS
He works now at Greg's Our Place, at 16th and Delaware streets, which opened up its windows in 2009. "People years ago wouldn't have been comfortable with windows," said Steve Warman, 65, who has bartended in gay bars in Indianapolis since the 1970s.
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Indianapolis gay bars used to be in the dark, not just figuratively but literally - they didn't used to have windows. "The afternoon light just came busting through and hit you," said Bill. Since the 1970s, when Downtown Olly's was a different gay bar called Brothers, the wall had sealed off two huge picture windows in front.
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Several years ago, he was at that same bar, during a remodeling, just as workers tore away a wall. He was 90 days sober and figured it would look bad to his AA sponsor, never mind he was drinking Diet Coke.īut he had something interesting, something metaphorical, to say, as "Rock me, Amadeus" played in the background at Downtown Olly's, 822 N. Not because he was in a gay bar, but because he was in a bar, period. This story was originally published in The Indianapolis Star June 7, 2012.īill declined to disclose his last name. Also, having better leaders for a better tomorrow.View Gallery: Indy's gay bars of bygone years I hope the city continues to build on the Indy Welcomes All motto. What do you hope for most in Indy’s future? I love the atmosphere and, hands down, their fries are the best in Indy. If you could only eat one meal in Indy what (and where) would it be?Ī great burger! BRU Burger on Mass Ave is amazing. Indianapolis represents the Midwest at its best. If you had to describe Indy in one sentence, what would it be? It's great for walking and offers views of the Indy skyline. Where do you take friends when they’re visiting?įountain Square! It has a diverse mix of restaurants and local shops. You get the best of a downtown lifestyle where you can go for a run or walk to some of the closer neighborhoods like Mass Ave for dinner and a show or keep heading right to the circle. In what neighborhoods do you spend more of your time in? Hoosier hospitality is strong in Indianapolis. No longer are we limited to just the gay bars. We can gather mostly anywhere and be accepted. What would LGBTQ visitors find most surprising about Indy? We are in our 35th year raising money for HIV/AIDS research and assistance. Aurora comes from a long line of great queens before her. So if you are there for Aurora, be ready for a great mix of campy, glamorous, and sometimes bearded, fabulousness. Well, Aurora is rarely seen without her Bag Lady sisters in tow. For those who have never experienced a drag show, what can someone expect at an Aurora Diamonds performance? Where would you send LGBTQ visitors looking for Indy’s best nightlife?įor good drinks and lots of different people, Tini on Mass Ave is the place to go! Indy Like a Local Who is Sam Cronk? Sam is a hair stylist and performs with the Indy Pride Bag Ladies as Aurora Diamonds.