While bathhouses, drag balls, and good ol’ “Screech Beach” (also known as the beach at Jacob Riis Park) were all important sites for queer gatherings, the city’s queer community especially thrived in its gay bars. In the first half of the 20th century, when queer people across the country were largely forced to live in isolation and secrecy for fear of being disowned by their families or fired from their jobs, the city was home to a number of social groups (such as the New York branches of the Mattachine Society and Daughters of Bilitis ) that allowed queer people to find their communities-and, perhaps more importantly, a number of places where these communities could congregate. New York City has long been known for both its current thriving queer community as well as its rich history as a wellspring of LGBTQ activism.
