In previous episodes, we discussed how gay men often found refuge in mafia-owned private bottle clubs, where they could drink and socialize without the fear of police raids or public hostility. These underground venues, while risky due to their illegal nature, offered a rare safe haven where gay men could express themselves more freely and form a sense of community away from the prying eyes of a largely unwelcoming society.

In this episode, crime writer Chris Holcombe joins us to discuss how gay speakeasies emerged during the Prohibition era as secretive, underground venues where LGBTQ+ individuals could gather away from the scrutiny and persecution of mainstream society.

Related Episodes:

Listen to Episode 17. Mobsters & Mos: How the Mafia Owned Gay Nightlife
Listen to Episode 63. The Stonewall Riots

Additional Resources:

Learn More About Chris Holcombe
Follow Chris on Instagram
Support Chris on Patreon
Order the Hidden Gotham Series
Subscribe to Chris’s Monthly Emails
Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940
Bulldaggers, Pansies, and Chocolate Babies
Three Plays: Sex / The Drag / The Pleasure Man
The Speakeasy Glossary – Queer Slang of the Prohibition Era

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136. Closets & Cocktails: The Secret History of Gay Speakeasies (with Chris Holcombe)