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BY MICHAEL MUSTO | The Stonewall Inn in the West Village was the site of the legendary 1969 riots that wound up defining the gay movement—but there are other landmarks (or landmark-worthy places) worth talking about. In the spirit of our recently observed Pride Month, I bring you…
BETHESDA FOUNTAIN (Mid-Central Park at 72nd Street) | Angel of the Waters—lesbian artist Emma Stebbins’ eight-foot bronze sculpture standing atop four loving putti—has made the 26-foot-high, 96-foot-wide neoclassical fountain a must-see for anyone visiting Central Park (and you’ll remember that it figures poetically in Tony Kushner’s masterwork, Angels in America).
LA MAMA EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE CLUB (74 E. Fourth Street; lamama.org) | Started by groundbreaking producer/designer/etc. Ellen Stewart in 1961, La MaMa began as a theater in a basement boutique and grew to be a thriving venue for rebels and other fab weirdos engaging in “uncensored creative freedom.” After years of grants and benefits, the place looks slicker than ever, but they still aim for culture aimed at the starving artist in all of us.
JULIUS’ BAR (159 West 10th Street; juliusbarny.com) | The city’s oldest gay bar and one of the longest-running such boites in the U.S., Julius’ is so comfy and friendly, it never seems to be rubbing in its legendary status. Attracting a variety of men for burgers (yes, there’s a grill), cocktails, music, and chitchat, the place—opened in 1864 and later attracting gay men—is basically the gay Cheers, and it’s also been politically charged. In fact, before Stonewall, Julius’ hosted the “Sip-In,” a 1966 protest fighting for queer rights.
LESBIAN HERSTORY ARCHIVES (484-14th Street, Brooklyn; lesbianherstoryarchives.org) | Founded with the intent of making sure lesbian culture does not disappear, the long-running Park Slope archive, community center, and museum boasts a massive collection of lesbian books and also provides programs, internships, and other services that make this one of the most important queer repositories in the country.
THE NYC AIDS MEMORIAL (Corner of Greenwich Avenue & West 12th Street; nycaidsmemorial.org) | Opened on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2016, this memorial “honors the more than 100,000 New Yorkers who have died of AIDS and acknowledges the contributions of caregivers and activists.” It consists of an 18-foot white triangular steel canopy, a granite water fountain, and benches. The net effect tends to bring on a powerful array of mixed feelings, all awash in years of tears.
JAMES BALDWIN RESIDENCE (137 West 71st Street) | Brilliant gay author Baldwin lived in this Upper West Side building from 1965-1987 and not only wrote copious amounts of material there (often with LGBTQ themes), but also hosted a bevy of other artists and thinkers, who loved descending on him for a sort of free-for-all salon. In 2019, Baldwin’s residence was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
RAINBOW DREAMS (1-Ocean Walk; 631-597-3200) | No, the two-pronged gay resort of Fire Island—just a train, a van, and a ferry away from Manhattan–-isn’t landmarked, but it certainly should be. I’d be fine with the whole place (the Pines and Cherry Grove) being landmarked, but let me zero in on one establishment in the Grove for special merit. Nestled in the Cherry Grove Hotel complex, Rainbow Dreams is a cluttered lollapalooza of wigs, tchotchkes, gizmos, doodads, and other objects of gay affection, often involving Judy Garland or Bette Davis. It’s camp-tastic and definitely worth a visit for Pride.
AUDRE LORDE & FRANCES CLAYTON RESIDENCE (207 St. Paul’s Avenue, Staten Island) | Lorde—who called herself a “Black, lesbian, feminist, socialist, mother, warrior, poet”—lived here with her partner, Frances Clayton, and two kids. Lorde wrote historically important books, spoke at the first National March on Washington For Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1979, and would have been thrilled to know that her home was named a NYC landmark in 2019.
LESLIE-LOHMAN MUSEUM OF ART (26 Wooster Street; leslielohman.org) | This long-running art venue has a mission to be a “home for queer art, artists, scholars, activists and allies, and a catalyst for discourse on art and queerness.” A unique home for queer voices and visuals, it has long helped us think of our sexuality as an art form.
THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY CENTER | (208 West 13th Street; gaycenter.org) | A safe haven for queers, especially young ones, “the Center” provides all kinds of services, information, meetings, and panel discussions, making it more than a landmark—it remains operational and relevant. It’s always seemed like a good place for queers with questions to go and get schooled.
Happy Post-Pride!
MICHAEL MUSTO | Musto is a columnist, pop cultural and political pundit, NYC nightlife chronicler, author, and the go-to gossip responsible for the long-running (1984-2013) Village Voice column, La Dolce Musto. His work appears on ChelseaCommunityNews.com, W42St.com, and other sites. Follow Musto on Instagram, via @michaelmusto.
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