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Historic Context Statement for Washington's LGBTQ Resources

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Historic Context Statement for Washington's LGBTQ Resources Historic Context Statement for Washington’s LGBTQ Resources Prepared for: District of Columbia Office of Planning Historic Preservation Office 1100 4th Street, SW, Suite 650 Washington, DC 20024 Prepared by: Louis Berger, U.S. Inc., A WSP Company 1250 23rd Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20037 September 2019 Cover Image Source A B A) Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty Images B) Wikimedia Commons C C) GPA Photo Archive. Taken June 26, 2015 This publication is funded in part by an Underrepresented Community grant from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. The contents and opinions contained in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of the Interior, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Historic Context Statement for Washington’s LGBTQ Resources Prepared for: District of Columbia Office of Planning Historic Preservation Office 1100 4th Street, SW, Suite 650 Washington, DC 20024 Prepared by: Rebecca Graham, PhD Kisa Hooks, MSHP Louis Berger, U.S. Inc., A WSP Company 1250 23rd Street, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20037 September 2019 District of Columbia Office of Planning, Historic Preservation Office Historic Context Statement for Washington’s LGBTQ Resources Table of Contents Chapter Page List of Acronyms and Abbreviations .................................................................................................. iii 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1-1 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 1-2 Study Terminology ............................................................................................................. 1-3 Research Limitations of the Study ..................................................................................... 1-4 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... 1-4 2 DC LGBTQ History ..................................................................................................................... 2-1 Theme 1: Historical Background on Human Sexuality ............................................................. 2-1 Eighteenth-Century: Colonial Beliefs About Queer Identity ............................................. 2-1 Nineteenth Century: The Sex Talk? ................................................................................... 2-2 The Effects of Racial Segregation and Geography on LGBTQ Community Development . 2-3 Race and Respectability Politics in the Black Community ................................................. 2-5 Gender Expectations ......................................................................................................... 2-6 Defining LGBTQ Identities .................................................................................................. 2-11 Theme 2: Politics and the Quest for Civil Rights ...................................................................... 2-13 Oppression, Persecution, and the Criminalization of Homosexuality ............................... 2-13 The District’s Gay Activism Roots in Civil Service Employment ......................................... 2-17 Challenging the Law: From Oppression to Protection ....................................................... 2-21 The Establishment of LGBTQ Politics in the District .......................................................... 2-25 Theme 3: Price: Activism and the Fight for Equal Rights ......................................................... 2-32 The Homophile Movement in DC ...................................................................................... 2-32 The Furies Collective .......................................................................................................... 2-35 National Organization for Women and the Sexuality Task Force ...................................... 2-36 The Committee for Open Gay Bars .................................................................................... 2-37 Gay Liberation Movement ................................................................................................. 2-38 Activism at the Intersection ............................................................................................... 2-45 Theme 4: Community Development – Social Spaces and Places ............................................. 2-55 Cruising in Parks and Theaters ........................................................................................... 2-55 Residences, Rooming Houses, and Apartments ................................................................ 2-56 Clubs, Restaurants, and Bars ............................................................................................. 2-58 Drag Venues ....................................................................................................................... 2-65 Mainstream Social Organizations ...................................................................................... 2-67 Gay-Owned and Gay-Friendly Businesses ......................................................................... 2-69 District LGBTQ Neighborhoods .......................................................................................... 2-73 Theme 5: Arts and Expression .................................................................................................. 2-78 Early Historical Figures....................................................................................................... 2-79 Drag in the District ............................................................................................................. 2-80 Howard University Influences............................................................................................ 2-82 African-American LGBTQ Artists and Supporters .............................................................. 2-83 District Arts and Expression ............................................................................................... 2-85 Other District Arts Performance Spaces ............................................................................ 2-93 Theme 6: Health Advocacy ....................................................................................................... 2-94 Early Historical Medical “Treatment” of Homosexuality ................................................... 2-94 Table of Contents i District of Columbia Office of Planning, Historic Preservation Office Historic Context Statement for Washington’s LGBTQ Resources Table of Contents (continued) Chapter Page Medical Community Influence .......................................................................................... 2-94 A Shift: Gay Health Comes to the Forefront ...................................................................... 2-98 The AIDS Epidemic in DC.................................................................................................... 2-99 Theme 7: Religion and Spirituality ........................................................................................... 2-107 District Churches and Ministries ........................................................................................ 2-107 Nature-Based Religions ..................................................................................................... 2-118 Local Religious Institutions’ Role in LGBTQ Activism and the AIDS Epidemic ................... 2-119 3 Guide to Determine, Evaluate, and Nominate Historic LGBTQ Properties .............................. 3-1 Evaluation Framework ....................................................................................................... 3-1 Recommended District LGBTQ Historic Properties ........................................................... 3-8 4 Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 4-1 Future Research Opportunities ......................................................................................... 4-1 District LGBTQ Sites: Continued Partnership, Identification, and Preservation ................ 4-4 Formal LGBTQ Tours and Publications .............................................................................. 4-5 Oral History Project ........................................................................................................... 4-5 5 References and Bibliography ................................................................................................... 5-1 APPENDIX A: Thematic Places and Spaces APPENDIX B: Themed Timeline Table of Contents ii District of Columbia Office of Planning, Historic Preservation Office Historic Context Statement for Washington’s LGBTQ Resources List of Acronyms ACLU American Civil Liberties Union LGBTQ Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender- Queer APA American Psychiatric Association LGBT-RAN LGBT-Religious Archives Network BWMT Black and White Men Together LSA Lambda Student Alliance CCW Community Church of Washington MCC Metropolitan Community Church CDC Centers for Disease Control MSW Mattachine Society of Washington CDF Congregation for the Doctrine of the NCBLG National Coalition of Black Lesbians Faith and Gays CHAP Commission for Historical and NCBG National Coalition
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