Highlights from the Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection

Bars and Clubs

Social spaces created by and for LGBTQ folks in Monterey County also included commercial establishments that served the community. A few LGBTQ welcoming night clubs and bars are well represented within the collection. Franco’s Norma Jean in Castroville was not only a bar that welcomed LGBTQ patrons, but also hosted many community events such as country western dance lessons, annual BBQs, “lesbian nights,” and drag shows every Sunday.[1]

After Dark in Monterey, which opened its doors in 1976, in addition to being a favorite dancing venue, held events like Mardi Gras, lip sync contests, “winter chill Fridays,” and attracted many in-demand DJs [2]. Both clubs were disco havens for the LGBTQ community that allowed folks to gather, socialize, and fundraise. Other notable bars and nightclubs were Title IX (a short-lived women’s bar/cafe), and the Lighthouse Bar and Grill, which took over the same space in Monterey [3].

These same spaces were more than just places to socialize--they were the site of many fundraisers and other community events. For example, a 1997 AIDS Dance ‘97 raised funds for the Monterey County AIDS Project (MCAP), an advertisement promising “dancing until we find a cure.”

Drag shows and pageants were other kinds of community events. In 1981, for example, the Ms. Gay California pageant, exclusive to women only, helped raise funds for the Harvey Milk Memorial Scholarship Fund. And, the Mister Monterey Bay Leather held its first contest in 1994 [4]. The Grand Cypress Empire was the true belle of the ball in regards to pageantry and community. The Imperial Court, created in San Francisco in 1965, and made its way into Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. In 1994, Jonathan Martins and Brent Krider were elected as reigning emperors of both counties and helped organize and fundraise for their “kingdoms”. The court was a non-profit organization that sponsored drag shows, leather fun nights, picnics, beach parties, and other events in efforts to raise money LGBTQ organizations and programs. The collection documents many of their social events and fundraisers [5].

Bars and clubs were not only places to gather and support the LGBTQ community, but also spaces out of which to fundraise and advocate. Organizing events to socialize as well as educate and advocate in such spaces has a deep history in Monterey County, a tradition which continues to this day.

Image sources:

After Dark advertisement, The Paper, Volume 2, Number 1, June-July 1995, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/7/.

Nightclubs and Bars, The Paper, Volume 5, Number 1, May-June 1998. Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/20/.

The Lighthouse Bar and Grill, ca 1990s. John XXIII AIDS Ministries Photos. Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay

AIDS Dance ‘97 advertisement, The Paper, Volume 3, Number 3, January-February 1997, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/14/.

Drag performers at After Dark. The Paper, Volume 2, Number 3, September-October 1995. Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/11/.

References

[1] Community Calendar, The Paper, Volume 1, Number 1, June 1994, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/2/; Community Calendar, The Paper, Volume 1, Number 2, July, 1994, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/1/. Franco Norma Jean’s B.B.Q. The Paper, Volume 1, Number 3, September-October, 1994. https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/3/; Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay

[2] “Hartley New Owner of After Dark,” The Paper, Volume 2, Number 4, January-February 1996, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/10/; Community Calendar, The Paper, Volume 2, Number 5, March-April, 1996, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/11/. Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay

[3] “Two Cooks in the Kitchen,” The Paper, Volume 3, Number 1, July-August, 1996, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/12/; Community Calendar. The Paper, Volume 5, Number 2, July-August, 1998. https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/19/. Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay

[4] “Ms. Gay California ‘81,’ Calendar, Demeter, Volume 4, Number 6, October, 1981. https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/demeter/23/; “Hello Monterey Bay!” The Paper, Volume 1, Number 2, July, 1994. https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/1/. Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay

[5] “Local Gays Play Santa for MoCo Kids,” The Paper, Volume 2, Number 4, January-February 1996. https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/10/; “Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser,” The Paper, Volume 3, Number 1, July-August 1996, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/12/. Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, California State University Monterey Bay