Queer Spaces & Meeting Places: “Being around your people, that makes a difference.”

Whether it's a curated bar, a crowded dance floor, a church basement, or an online chat room, LGBTQ+ spaces have long been sanctuaries for queer people. These are the places for meeting, connecting, and feeling celebrated as their true selves.   This week, The Old Gays take us on a nostalgic tour of the queer spaces that helped shape them: from mafia-run bars in St. Louis and San Francisco’s video lounges, to the institutions of West Hollywood and a legendary (and illegal) bathhouse in Silver Lake. Along the way, they reflect on the racism in nightlife, the evolution of Pride & protest in these spaces, the refuge of gyms & saunas, and what it means to feel free in your body, identity, and community.   What was Mick's notorious "dick patrol"? Which bathhouse had a circular urinal? And where in Palm Springs can you still buy greeting cards, dildos, and poppers under one roof? Uncovering these corners of queer life, this episode is a love letter to the many spaces and places that The Old Gays have called home.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.