1st gay bar in so cal

Walking into a gay bar for the very first time ever can be quite the experience. Some are terrified, some are thrilled they finally got her, and for some, it might just be another bar. We here at Instinct were reminiscing about the first time we walked into a gay bar.

Here are some of our stories. Ozz was the first gay club I got to experience in It was the summer after I had turned 18 and I was more nervous than I was excited because I had heard so much about the iconic queer watering hole. It was the type of place that was glowing with diversity.

Located in Buena Park, right off of the 5 Freeway, it was centrally located for O. When my friends and I arrived on my first visit, we parked across the street at a Wells Fargo lot because I learned space was always limited. A quick run across the street while dodging traffic got us laughing at the front door.

At the door, an I. Since this was my first visit to any nightclub, this was a foreign experience to me…one that became the norm until I finally became As soon as the Ozz doors opened, I was mesmerized by the sounds and sites of groups of people, all genders, all shapes, all sizes.

A Guide to Gay Los Angeles, 1965

Ozz had an expansive dance floor glistening under disco lights and an outdoor patio where I took a long drag from a cigarette that night to pretend to be cool. I met a lot of characters that night, most of who focused on the Xs on my hands as if they were scarlet letters.

People with dyed hair and piercings, guys that looked like cholos cuddled up in the corner, guys kissing and holding hands. It was euphoric for an year-old me. I had dated throughout high school, but to see everyone being themselves so openly, truly made me feel alive. Like I belonged.

At some point in the night, everyone headed back into the club from the smoking patio and we packed ourselves around the dance floor like queer little sardines. The lights dimmed and a spotlight illuminated a doorway and the DJ announced someone named Raja Gemini. That night, at that moment, I knew that it would be the first of many nights to come of partying and unadulterated discovery at gay bars and clubs throughout my life.

InOzz closed its doors forever when CalTrans condemned the building and demolished it in order to make room for a freeway expansion that to this day has not been completed. I had just moved to Paris to start an internship and get a tiny rooftop studio apartment in the heart of the gay neighborhood, the Marais.

The number of men, of male couples, and giddy excitement that young gays bring everywhere made it obvious that this place was different. I found a corner bar that had a rainbow flag prominently displayed with a significant number of men drinking their beers outdoors.

Everyone seemed to be in conversation and laughing, so for a newbie such as myself, it seemed like a good place to check out. When I stepped inside, I felt the heat of scores of eyes looking at me, the new meat, and I nervously made my way to the bar.

Back then people rarely paid with a credit card, much less for something as insignificant as a beer, so I pulled out 1st gay bar in so cal twenty franc bill from my wallet ready to pay. The hunky bartender smiled. He laughed, I blushed, and he got a hefty tip out of my nervousness.

My first gay bar was when I was 23 and still somewhat closeted. It was in Bangor, Maine in and it was called The Spectrum. You always felt safe there. No, it was not the flashiest basement walk-out bar, but it was what we had and we appreciated it being there.