El Jardin, The Role of Bars in the oldest gay bar . Texas Gay and in Texas, was established in -ceJr Lesbian History 1947 in San Antonio. Leo Harper, people thought it outlet for gay and lesbian social and politi- a co-owner of EI Jardin would fail because cal activity, Longstaff said. The first local By Thomas Rockman Jr., since 1982, said that the bar it targeted a mixed gay rights organization, the Dallas Alliance TRIANGLE stoff has always served as a social lesbian/gay male clien- for Individual Rights started in a bar, as well club and a place that people come to tele. as the Dallas Gay Political Caucus. And the According to Dallas gay historian Phil after work to relax with friends. Being out in "We still have people who want to seg- money to pay for attorneys who fought for Johnson, gays and lesbians' often forget that 1947 could cause someone to lose his or her regate us," said Elliott. "[But] on the whole, the repeal of the Texas anti-sodomy statute gay and lesbian bars prospered long before job, Harper said, but he believes that today's most guys and girls get along. We're all gay (the 21.06 penal code) was raised at a bar any queer organizations, churches, publica- more tolerant climate has decreased the no matter what sex we are." fundraiser. tions, choruses, bands, cheerleading squads, amount of gay-bashing. Richard Longstaff, owner of Union The purpose of the bars hasn't swim teams, and square dance groups Harper added, though, that certain other Jack since 1971, said that the biggest impact changed, Longstaff said, they continue to appeared on the scene. old-fashioned attitudes persist: "San Antonio that the bars have had has been political. provide a venue for fundraising and AIDS If not for the bars "our history would is still in some ways a small town. The vice As an example, Longstaff points to awareness. But individuals don't have to have been decidedly different," said Johnson, squad likes to pick on the newer [gay] bars. Ray Hardin, the late owner of Eighth Day rely on bars to meet people because a vari- "Thebars are our roots and our foundation. It They like to come in and hold flashlights bar, who was the first openly gay person to ety of organizations serve that purpose now. was from them that everything else sprang." under the bottles (to check for impurities). appear on Dallas TV. Hardin also created a "Back then, we had nothing to guide us Johnson pointed out that any discussion They'll have one guy stand at the door like a coalition of gay and lesbian bar owners who in our civil rights history," he said. of gay history needs to recognize the under- sentry-we're practically under house arrest worked on the first 1974 boycott of Coors . "Everything was done by trial and error. lying elements of American history, elements until they leave." "Because of [Hardin's] efforts," said Right now, everything has to do with image that have affected the lives of gays and les- Jo Elliott, the matriarch of Dallas bars Longstaff, "[now] most big companies . and coming out. The bars are big, clean, and bians. One of the most important events was since the mid-I 970s, said that the biggest spend more money on [gay] advertising and profitable and a colossal amount of money the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century, change she's seen in the bar scene is the inte- donate more money to charity in the gay is spent in them." when working men and women moved en gration of lesbian and gay male clientele. community." masse to urban areas. It was in these urban Lesbians going to gay bars and gay men fre- In the early days the bars were areas that the seeds of gay and lesbian com- quenting lesbian bars was not common 20 the only munities were planted. years ago, she said. She recalled that when As gay people separated from their fam- Garry Monier (owner of the Crews Inn. in . ilies, they found that they could lose their Dallas) and the late Bob Strange opened a identities in large, metropolitan areas like drag show and dance bar called the Landing Dallas and Houston, Johnson said. (at Cedar Springs and Pearl) in the late 1970s "The bars were the first things that mid- dle American men from rural areas migrated to when they arrived at the urban centers," said Johnson. 'They wanted to be absorbed ~ into the gay culture." Maggie's Comer (at Commerce and AIbrrl) whprp n"II"" _(1a.v_in ••n_"Lth e._J~,)O" I>' '-.I1'-l-J.a.3 •• .l'-'••••...•••.a\'II.IIL.U'-l~~ l-"'-'1.3.3.... ~c::u.1 I"'1O.J.J.u •..••.••.••....• Lila" UIC uc:u.~ I.lave; 114U 11c1~ ~II pUI.1Ll ••...4J.. PIVVIUC; a v..:;;uuc; I.VI IUllUlal~1I1e. aJlU ~.L...IJ •• If not for the bars "our history would is still in some ways a small town. The vice As an example, Longstaff points to awareness. But individuals don't have to have been decidedly different," said Johnson, squad likes to pick on the newer [gay] bars. Ray Hardin, the late owner of Eighth Day rely on bars to meet people because a vari- "The bars are our roots and our foundation. It They like to come in and hold flashlights bar, who was the first openly gay person to ety of organizations serve that purpose now. was from them that everything else sprang." under the bottles (to check for impurities). appear on Dallas TV.. Hardin also created a "Back then, we had nothing to guide us Johnson pointed out that any discussion They'll have one guy stand at the door like a coalition of gay and lesbian bar owners who in our civil rights history," he said. of gay history needs to recognize the under- sentry-we're practically under house arrest worked on the first 1974 boycott of Coors. "Everything WaS done by trial and error. lying elements of American history, elements until they leave." "Because of [Hardin's] efforts," said Right now, everything has to do with image that have affected the lives of gays and les- Jo Elliott, the matriarch of Dallas bars Longstaff, "[now] most big companies and coming out. The bars are big, clean, and bians. One of the most important events was since the mid-1970s, said that the biggest spend more money on [gay] advertising and profitable and a colossal amount of money the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century, change she's seen in the bar scene is the inte- donate more money to chanty in- the gay is spent in them." when working men and women moved en gration of lesbian and gay male clientele. community." masse to urban areas. It was in these urban Lesbians going to gay bars and gay men fre- In the early days the bars were areas that the seeds of gay and lesbian com- quenting lesbian bars was not common 20 the only munities were planted. years ago, she said. She recalled that when As gay people separated from their fam- Garry Monier (owner of the Crews Inn in ilies, they found that they could lose their Dallas) and the late Bob Strange opened a identities in large, metropolitan areas like drag show and dance bar called the Landing Dallas and Houston, Johnson said. (at Cedar Springs and Pearl) in the late 1970s "The bars were the first things that mid- dle American men from rural areas migrated to when they arrived at the urban centers," said Johnson. 'They wanted to be absorbed into the gay culture." Maggie's Comer (at Commerce and Akard), where Dallas gay men of the 1920s through the 1940s met and cruised, and the Milar Hotel.Bar (at Ervay and Wood) were the first two businesses to attract gay clien- tele. Along the north side of Elm Street, movie houses-the Majestic, the Palace, the Rialto, and the Queen-popped up to cater to the avant-garde tastes of the "belles" (a I920s-1940s term for gay men). JR's on Cedar Sprin in Dallas during the 70's. Photo courtesy of Phil Johnson Historic Archives & Reasearch Library. Heaven, one of the three Charles Armstrong Investments'clubs in Houston Another hot spot in Dallas during the 70's was Tex'sRanch. Photo courtesy of the Phil Johnson Historic Archives & Reasearch Library. Top: Mary's Naturally, in Houston':'- , -( ness in the last decades. 'Things have doors of Just Marion and Lynn's. Now the How Can We Know become a lot more open. When I started in site of Cousins, the bar was the founded by business, two guys dancing was illegal," he Marion Panzer, who met her untimely death Where We're Going said. defending her business (by then located on If We Don't Know' In We're under siegel-like fashion, a Richmond, now the Blue Iguana) in a warning light would flash, signaling that shootout with a hold-up man. Where We've Been? the cops were there. 'That's when you Two of Houston's leading lesbian grabbed a girl instead of a guy. They used to musicians, guitarist Kat Drake and drum" line people up on the wall; it was all very mer Robin Borthwick, recall their first club By Nancy Ford indiscriminate. They would say, 'Okay, experience at Just Marion and Lynn's in the TRIANGLE Staff you, you, you, and you- you're all drunk.