Paris became known as a centre for gay culture in the 19th century, making the city a queer capital during the early 20th century, when the Montmartre and Pigalle districts were meeting places of the LGBT community. Among its visitors were many artists, like actor Jean Marais and comedians Thierry Le Luron and Coluche. The Zanzibar was opened in 1885 and existed for 125 years, before it was closed in December 2010. The very first gay bar in Europe and probably in the world was the Zanzibar in Cannes on the French Riviera. In the United Kingdom and the Netherlands gay bars were established throughout the first quarter of the 20th century. In Cannes, France, such a bar had already opened in 1885, and there were many more in Berlin around 1900. It is not clear which place is the first gay bar in the modern sense. The site was the scene of alleged gay marriages carried out by the Reverend John Church. The raid led to the executions of John Hepburn and Thomas White for sodomy.
The White Swan (created by James Cook and Yardley, full name unknown), on Vere Street, in London, England, was raided in 1810 during the so-called Vere Street Coterie. Reports from as early as the 17th century record the existence of bars and clubs that catered to, or at least tolerated, openly gay clientele in several major European cities. Gathering places favoured by homosexuals have operated for centuries. But, once the bar conquers its opening weeks it will be hosting regular events such as Underwear Night, which has been missed by many in the community since the Eagle closed its doors.The Mixei nightclub in Tammela, Tampere, is the oldest, still operating gay bar in Finland, having first opened its doors in 1990. Trade will open on Wednesday, April 20, and while they work out the kinks will not be hosting any big events for a few weeks.
“We just threw some lipstick on the pig if you will,” Chris said. In a month, the team of renovators has completely repainted the bar, installed paneling in the bathrooms, which give the bar a bit of a rustic Colorado vibe, reworked the liquor shelves and the fireplace, and added some upholstery to match the theme of the bar. Although they kept the carpet, the layout, and even some of the bar stools and tables, Ray, Chris, and a handful of willing volunteers have been working endlessly to whip the bar into their own space. “Since then everything has been just falling into place.”Įven though the plans have been “falling into place,” the amount of work that has been put into the building is huge.
“We saw this transition period in gay night life happening, so we sat down with each other and talked it over and eventually decided that now was the time,” Chris said. At the time, The Eagle had yet to announce that it would be closing its doors, but they knew that the bar would eventually be moving. In January, when the building went up for lease, Chris and Ray called the landlord right away. But he knew that he always wanted to open a bar of his own. For the past decade, Chris has been a bartender in Denver working first at the Eagle for three years before moving on to The R&R, where he has bartended for seven years. It was early this year that Ray, alongside his business and life partner Chris, saw an opportunity to pursue one of their dreams: owning a gay bar. “We want to harbor a gay community not just for gay men,” Chris said. Leather Colorado 2009, so it’s something we know well.
Chris was always in the leather scene and was Mr. “We decided on the Levi’s and leather theme because of our own personal affections for that certain community. “We want everyone to feel comfortable here,” Ray said.