Lesbian Life Comparison through the decades

Stone-Butch · 12-03-2015, 01:47 PM

I am old school and things have changed dramatically since I was doing the bars; which by the way was one of the only places you could meet any gay people. Bars and clubs were our network back then. Police walked in a few times but did little, checking ids and such. Mostly women where I went except the drag shows. The womens bath was raided in Toronto but I don't know the outcome. I have a lot of newspaper clippings from back then concerning lesbians in Toronto as well. Thought I would pop this post in. Would take a book or two to say everything LOL. Thanks. Stone

homoe · 12-03-2015, 03:38 PM

Yes, I remember the days when bars were just about the only place to find other gays!
I’m in my 60’s and I recall sometimes gay bar were also hard to find! You’d have to search for a rear entrance and some even required a password to get in! Often times these bars were less than pristine shall we say! Most had boarded up windows and that gave off a dark gloomy feeling.
I think it’s great that high schools especially and colleges have Gay Straight Alliance clubs where younger folks can mingle as well as support each other!

Kobi · 12-03-2015, 05:11 PM

I came out in the late 70's. The bar culture was well established but mostly male. A couple of female only bars opened here in the early 80's I believe.

The community here that I knew was not bar oriented. It was a time for both lesbian liberation and womens liberation and much of the lesbian activity was centered at or thru the womens center.

Various types of lesbian social, activity, and discussion type groups were formed and thrived for many years. They spawned other groups like a lesbian athletic league for whatever sport was in season. There were also less well known professional social groups. It was easy, back then, to be able to get space in the off season for dances, galas, fund raising events or whatever.

Being a hop, skip, and jump from Ptown, there were many activities going on there that didnt involve the bars, per se. Many now well known but novices back then played the venues year around. Whether is was musicians, or comedians (still want to smack the shit out of Lea Delaria for something she did to me back in the 80's), or writers/poets readings at the womens bookstores, plays and playwrites (still have a framed copy of the poster for Leap Of Faith)....there was always some type of activity where you could meet, mix, and mingle.

Hardest part was sorting out the actual lesbians from the experimenting and exploring their freedom straight folk.

We didnt have an MCC here. It was the Universalist churches that welcomed us and let us use their space.

It was a different time. I miss it.

12-03-2015, 01:47 PM	#1
Stone-Butch Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Stonebutch Preferred Pronoun?: she Relationship Status: single Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Canada Posts: 3,701 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 13,338 Thanked 9,399 Times in 3,064 Posts Rep Power: 21474852	Things are sure diffent now days. I am old school and things have changed dramatically since I was doing the bars; which by the way was one of the only places you could meet any gay people. Bars and clubs were our network back then. Police walked in a few times but did little, checking ids and such. Mostly women where I went except the drag shows. The womens bath was raided in Toronto but I don't know the outcome. I have a lot of newspaper clippings from back then concerning lesbians in Toronto as well. Thought I would pop this post in. Would take a book or two to say everything LOL. Thanks. Stone

12-03-2015, 03:38 PM	#2
homoe Practically Lives Here How Do You Identify?: Butch Relationship Status: ..... Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: 30 minute ferry ride from Seattle Posts: 38,565 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 20,811 Thanked 33,548 Times in 14,914 Posts Rep Power: 21474889	Yes, I remember the days when bars were just about the only place to find other gays! I’m in my 60’s and I recall sometimes gay bar were also hard to find! You’d have to search for a rear entrance and some even required a password to get in! Often times these bars were less than pristine shall we say! Most had boarded up windows and that gave off a dark gloomy feeling. I think it’s great that high schools especially and colleges have Gay Straight Alliance clubs where younger folks can mingle as well as support each other!

12-03-2015, 05:11 PM	#3
Kobi Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Biological female. Lesbian. Relationship Status: Happy Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Hanging out in the Atlantic. Posts: 9,234 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 9,840 Thanked 34,617 Times in 7,640 Posts Rep Power: 21474860	I came out in the late 70's. The bar culture was well established but mostly male. A couple of female only bars opened here in the early 80's I believe. The community here that I knew was not bar oriented. It was a time for both lesbian liberation and womens liberation and much of the lesbian activity was centered at or thru the womens center. Various types of lesbian social, activity, and discussion type groups were formed and thrived for many years. They spawned other groups like a lesbian athletic league for whatever sport was in season. There were also less well known professional social groups. It was easy, back then, to be able to get space in the off season for dances, galas, fund raising events or whatever. Being a hop, skip, and jump from Ptown, there were many activities going on there that didnt involve the bars, per se. Many now well known but novices back then played the venues year around. Whether is was musicians, or comedians (still want to smack the shit out of Lea Delaria for something she did to me back in the 80's), or writers/poets readings at the womens bookstores, plays and playwrites (still have a framed copy of the poster for Leap Of Faith)....there was always some type of activity where you could meet, mix, and mingle. Hardest part was sorting out the actual lesbians from the experimenting and exploring their freedom straight folk. We didnt have an MCC here. It was the Universalist churches that welcomed us and let us use their space. It was a different time. I miss it.