“They were understood as social institutions, and much of the foundational gay rights activism was about claiming and defending gay bars.” “They were the first common public spaces for the gay community,” said Lucas Hilderbrand, a UCI professor of film and media studies who has written about the gay rights movement. Gay clubs, in Laguna and elsewhere, were both pick-up joints and havens. “They were all important shapers of that city as open, caring and creative,” he said. Gentry says artists, Hollywood refugees and hippies helped cultivate Laguna Beach’s reputation as a funky, socially tolerant place. This was made all the more remarkable by Orange County’s place as the cradle of conservatism in Southern California, the birthplace of President Richard Nixon and home to John Wayne. Bob Gentry, who served on the City Council from 1982 to 1994, was one of the first openly gay mayors in the country.
Though small, the scene was vibrant and just as much a part of quirky, laid-back Laguna Beach as art galleries and surfing. Within walking distance of the spot was a one-block district that boasted a handful of gay bars and restaurants – Little Shrimp (which later became Woody’s) Coast Inn, which housed the legendary Boom Boom Room and Main Street Bar & Cabaret, which also went by Bounce. The West Street Beach was – and still is – renowned among gay vacationers.
Laguna Beach was once spoken of in the same breath as West Hollywood, Fire Island and Provincetown, if a miniature version of those more famous gay enclaves. “You never know who’s going to walk through the door.” But that night, Cooley said he would be patient. The empty room on bingo night didn’t augur well. Whether a tiny gay bar in Laguna Beach can thrive. Now Cooley has to see whether these improvements will pay off – whether gays still want a place to call their own.
Brought back dancing, karaoke and drag queen bingo nights.Īll that hustling to breathe life into Main Street may have been the easy part. Pulled up the carpet coated in decades of spilled drinks. He removed the privacy blinds on the windows. Skyrocketing real estate prices have kept young gays out of the city and have led established gay residents to cash out and move to other cities, such as Palm Springs.Īgainst such odds, Cooley has made it his mission to revive this tiny dive bar off Coast Highway. Laguna Beach, in particular, has had many obituaries written for its once-thriving gay scene. Gay bars around the nation have been disappearing, a trend attributed to greater social acceptance of gays, changing economic forces and evolving technology.