Gay Spaces of Seattle: The Devolution of Pioneer Square as a Gay Enclave

GAY SPACES of SEATTLE

THE DEVOLUTION OF PIONEER SQUARE

AS A GAY ENCLAVE FINIS TYLER RAY INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC HISTORY

SPRING QUARTER 2013

Gay Spaces of Seattle: The Devolution of Pioneer Square as a Gay Enclave The Project Explained

WHAT IS THIS PROJECT? “Gay Spaces of Seattle: The Devolution of Pioneer Square” is a comprehensive historical look at the history of Pioneer Square as a gay enclave within the city of Seattle in the late Nineteenth Century to mid Twentieth Century. Not only does the paper provide historical background into the gay history of the city, but also provides evidence as to why Pioneer Square is no longer the primary gay enclave of Seattle, and what factors shaped the movement of the gay community to the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

HOW IS THE HISTORY BEING PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC? The history of gay enclaves in Seattle will presented through the reopening of the Garden of Allah, a mid-century gay cabaret that was located in Seattle’s Pioneer Square. The Garden of Allah will reopen as both a museum that showcases and tells the story of gay enclaves, but also an experiential entertainment venue by night that will allow visitors to immerse themselves in the vaudevillian-esqe drag shows in the vein of the Garden of Allah. In conjunction, there will be a digital component to the establishment – a smartphone and tablet application – that takes the museum’s historical information to the streets in the form of a walking tour, but also allows for user generated material of newer gay establishments and events in the city of Seattle.

WHAT IS THE GOAL IN PRESENTING THE HISTORY OF GAY SEATTLE? By presenting the history of gay enclaves if Seattle in a museum and entertainment venue setting, it is the goal to tell an oft overlooked, but important, story of Seattle’s history. The history of gay enclaves in Seattle is not only important to the community itself, but places an important role in the physical shaping of the built environment and the change of economics within the city. On the whole, the goal is to help people realize that the history of Gay Seattle is not a subset of the city’s history, but is the city’s history.

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Gay Spaces of Seattle: The Devolution of Pioneer Square as a Gay Enclave Historical Research and Interpretive Brief INTRODUCTION and HISTORICAL CONTEXT In the opening scene of Before Stonewall, a 1984 documentary film that chronicled gay and lesbian life in urban centers before the gay liberation movement of the 1970s, two men – one of them a drag queen - are walking along the sidewalks of Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square. The man asks of the drag queen, “Tammy, how do you feel about Pioneer Square compared to twenty years ago? Being able to walk around dressed this way?” 1 The drag queen replied, “I think it’s a miracle, but part of my mind doesn’t believe it. I still keep expecting the shit to hit the fan.” 2 The drag queen’s hope and skepticism is rooted in the vibrant – and often checkered - history of Seattle’s gay and lesbian community. In the early settling of the Pacific Northwest, specifically Seattle, there were rumors of homosexual relationships among some of city’s most recognizable and prominent figures. William Rufus de Vane King, for whom King County was originally named and who served as Vice President of the United States under Franklin Pierce, was rumored to have had a relationship with his close friend and future President, James Buchanan. The two men shared a home in Washington, D.C., for fifteen years, prompting many in the White House to refer to King as “Miss Nancy;” many referred to the pair as “Buchanan and his wife” when speaking of the two in casual conversation. 3 Further, historians have evidence that suggests Sarah Yesler, the wife of Henry Yesler, famed Seattle pioneer and father of the Seattle Public Library, was a lesbian. Letters to her alleged lover, Eliza Hurd, a dressmaker, often spoke of the two sleeping and bathing together. In 1860, Eliza wrote to Sarah, “I wish to say so much and I cannot say anything - I want to sleep with you again!" However, despite their evident relationship, the

1

Before Stonewall. Dir. Greta Schiller and Robert Rosenberg. Perf. Rita Mae Brown, Ann Bannon, Allen Ginsberg.

Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 1984. DVD. 2 Ibid.

3 Hill, Chrystie. "Queer History in Seattle, Part 1: To 1967." History Link. History Link. Web. 13 May 2013. <http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=4154>.

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two never referred to themselves as lesbians or considered themselves to be in a homosexual relationship. 4 Though evidence suggests these prominent Seattle figures were homosexual, hinting at social acceptance in the city, from the late nineteenth century through much of the Twentieth Century, the gay and lesbian community of Seattle faced public relegation and resistance. From early oppressive legislation and police payoffs, to physical assaults and an eventual city-recognized Gay Pride Week, the gay community experienced a tumultuous century-long battle for visibility and acceptance in the Twentieth Century, resulting in a community that was highly mobile – making public space in Pioneer Square and eventually, through a variety of social and economic factors, Capitol Hill.

PIONEER SQUARE AS AN EARLY GAY ENCLAVE The turn of the Twentieth Century brought about the visibility of gay men and women in urban centers throughout the United States – at the same time that simply living a gay lifestyle was considered deviant enough for one to be forcibly committed to an insane asylum. In fact, in the early part of the century, many gay men and women were not even referenced as gay by the public at large, but “temperamental” – a word itself that evokes that idea of someone exhibiting mentally uncontrollable, irrational, and erratic mental and physical behavior. 5 Despite public relegation and biased legislation in jurisdictions such as Washington State, which enacted an 1893 law that criminalized sodomy and unfairly targeted homosexual men 6, the gay and lesbian community refused marginalization and forged visibility in bars, restaurants, speakeasies, and performance venues.

The places in which gays and lesbians were most visible were usually found in neighborhood clusters, creating recognizable enclaves within the city - most notably the Bowery in New York City, the Barbary Coast in San Francisco, the French Quarter in New Orleans, and Pioneer Square in Seattle. 7 These enclaves, the gay world, were considered part of “The Demi-Monde” (translated as the “Half-World”). The Demi-Monde was a world of people with questionable 4

Ibid.

Before Stonewall. Dir. Greta Schiller and Robert Rosenberg. Perf. Rita Mae Brown, Ann Bannon, Allen Ginsberg.

Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 1984. DVD. 6 Atkins, Gary. Gay Seattle: Stories of Exile and Belonging. Seattle: University of Washington, 2003. Print. (5).

7 Cox, Dana. "Out of the Closet." Pioneer Square: Seattle's Oldest Neighborhood. By Mildred Tanner. Andrews.

Seattle: Pioneer Square Community Association in Association with University of Washington, 2005. Print 5

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morals, including homosexuals, artists, dancers, and performers who created intense social connections of friends and family members in private homes and clubs in the dark of the night. As the social connections grew more extensive with the increasing population in the city, the DemiMonde began to create public spaces outside the confines of secrecy, leading to the increase of gay enclaves in cities throughout the country. While the creation of gay enclaves within the city were due to an extensive, word of mouth social network that helped men and women join together in the face of public and legislative adversity – their creation was also incidental, due in part to the Prohibition Era. The Prohibition Era, an era lasting from 1920 to 1933 in which the manufacturing, sales or transportation of alcohol was deemed illegal by the federal government, saw the rise of illegal speakeasies within the major metropolitan areas of the United States. The propagation of speakeasies became the biggest targets of policing in the city, and as a result, bars, restaurants or bathhouses that were frequented by gay and lesbian customers were less susceptible to police interference – and were given the incidental opportunity to grow. However, perhaps more importantly, the great number of illegal speakeasies simply made it popular among much of the urban population to “break the law and live like they wanted,” 8 giving gays and lesbians an incentive to be a more visible part of the city.

The proliferation of gay establishments and public spaces allowed for the steady growth of gay enclaves and the opportunity for the community to become a more recognizable and integral part of the urban fabric. In most cases, these enclaves were established in areas of ill-repute, such as Pioneer Square, which was considered more bohemian and exhibited freer social normality.

Known to many Seattleites of the time as “Skid Road” and “Fairyville,” the bars, clubs, bathhouses, and cabarets of Pioneer Square thrust Seattle into the center of gay life and made it visible to the gay world beyond the boundaries Pioneer Square, making the city an attractive place for homosexuals in other cities who were seeking a more open life. 9 Among the most popular gay establishments of Pioneer Square were The Casino, located at Second Avenue and Washington, the Double Header (located on the second floor of The Casino), 8

Before Stonewall. Dir. Greta Schiller and Robert Rosenberg. Perf. Rita Mae Brown, Ann Bannon, Allen Ginsberg.

Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 1984. DVD 9 Hill, Chrystie. "Queer History in Seattle, Part 1: To 1967." History Link. History Link. Web. 13 May 2013. <http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=4154>.

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and the Spinning Wheel, located at Second Avenue and Union. For many years, the Casino, a straight-owned cafĂŠ, was the only place on the West Coast open to all homosexuals, and one of the few establishments that allowed same-sex dancing. Like the Casino, both the Double Header and the Spinning Wheel were straight-owned, but openly welcome homosexuals. In fact, the Spinning Wheel featured acts by drag queens, and the Double Header is widely considered to be the oldest gay-bar in the United States, still operating at Second Avenue and Yesler Way. The Double Header Tavern 10

The gay bars of Pioneer Square put Seattle on the map as a gay-friendly city following the end of Prohibition through the World War II era. Like many port cities, Seattle was a popular destination for military personnel, especially gay men in serving in the Armed Forces. Speaking of being stationed in Seattle, Navy technician Len Tritsch spoke of his time in the Forces and living in Seattle: "I guess the way you look at the war versus how we look at the war - it was just a different feeling. The caring, the camaraderie - it's very hard to put into words...I began to understand sexual orientation and what it meant. When we were aboard ship, there was just a real affection for each other...We had a lot of young guys who were my age who were just dry behind the ears yet. Then you had the old salts. They had been across the equator and they would use the term "homo" and "faggot" and "queer" ... There were huts [living quarters] aboard ship that did identify with being queer, and they were aware of that before they came in, especially some of the guys from bigger cities ... For a kid coming from a community of 300 people to be able to be in Seattle and all these places and then all the foreign ports - oh yeah! That was an experience, and education that money could never buy" 11

10

Cox, Dana. "Out of the Closet." Pioneer Square: Seattle's Oldest Neighborhood. By Mildred Tanner. Andrews.

Seattle: Pioneer Square Community Association in Association with University of Washington, 2005. Print.

11 Hill, Chrystie. "Queer History in Seattle, Part 1: To 1967." History Link. History Link. Web. 13 May 2013. <http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=4154>.

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Following World War II, gay men and women that had served in the Armed Forces and were told stories of gay bars and places of acceptance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not unlike the social connections and networking that shaped the gay enclaves of the urban areas - flooded the port cities of the United States, namely New York, San Francisco, and Seattle in search of

gay culture. Living in metropolitan

areas allowed the men and women to seek the gay culture they so desired, but also offered them the choice of living in anonymity or living openly. Further, the G.I. Bill of 1944, which extended benefits to veterans, such as low-cost mortgages, loans to start businesses or farms, tuition assistance, and unemployment compensation made moving to cities easier and made living in cities more affordable. Seattle was particularly desirable to homosexuals not only because of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation, but the employment opportunities at the Port and with Boeing, which at the time was located in accessible proximity to Pioneer Square.

Garden of Allah performer, Jackie Starr 12

The influx of a greater gay population to Seattle following World War II saw the gay community become stronger and take initiative to be even more visible in the city. In 1946, the first gay-owned cabaret, The Garden of Allah, opened, quickly becoming the center of gay life for the entirety of its decade long tenure at the corner of First Avenue and University. Arguably the most famous of the gay cabarets in Seattle, the Garden of Allah featured drag and vaudevillian performances by Jackie Starr, Kim Drake, Skippy LaRue, and Paris Delair. 13 Jackie Starr and Skippy LaRue both performed throughout the United States, bringing a great bit of talent and esteem to the establishment. The mix of talent and atmosphere at the Garden aided in creating a sense of community among those that frequented the cabaret - both gay men and women living in Seattle and military men that would visit the Garden while stationed in the area.

12

Paulson, Don, and Roger Simpson. An Evening at the Garden of Allah: A Gay Cabaret in Seattle. New York: Columbia UP, 1996. Print 13 Ibid.

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Though the gay community was quickly making strides to become permanent and recognizable community, a conservative upswing in the country and increased police presence in the city would start to counteract social progress. Rooted in the search for stronger morality following the perceived promiscuity and social deviance of the Prohibition Era, in conjunction with the uncertainty of wartime and McCarthyism of the early 1950s, much of the country became divided between liberal and conservative ideals. All of these forces joined in playing a major role in new and stronger oppression on gays, lesbians, and the places they made in public spaces. 14

OPPRESSION, REVITALIZATION, AND THE DEVOLUTION OF PIONEER SQUARE AS A GAY ENCLAVE Beginning in the 1950s, the gay and lesbian community that had become such a visible and accepted presence in Pioneer Square began to face new-found adversity. In the face of McCarthyism, police forces began to harass notable gay establishments, city officials halted drag shows, and the military banned servicemen from frequenting the bars and cabarets - all taking a toll on the continued success of gay institutions. In conjunction with pressures from the government, the art of drag was changing as well, and as a result, there was less interest in the existing cabarets from the 1940s. Speaking of the Garden of Allah, Kim Drake recalled, “I think we entertainers weren’t keeping the acts up and then they stopped bringing acts in. It got to be a matter of the same people putting on the same shows, same songs, same old jokes. After 1954, everybody just seemed to scatter.” 15 In 1956, the Garden of Allah permanently closed its doors after a decade long tenure as the heart of Seattle’s gay community.

In the 1950s, the Seattle police force operated on a system of expensive bribes with local gay bars; if the bar owner paid the on-duty policeman a substantial sum of money, he would not harass the men and women in the bars. Due in part to the inability for proprietors to pay-off the policemen, many of the gay bars in Pioneer Square operated for only a short while. In 1958, a proprietor won an injunction to prevent policemen from harassing bar patrons while they were in the bar. However, outside of the bar, the gay men, lesbians, and drag queens were still subject to

14

Hill, Chrystie. "Queer History in Seattle, Part 1: To 1967." History Link. History Link. Web. 13 May 2013. <http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=4154>.

15 Paulson, Don, and Roger Simpson. An Evening at the Garden of Allah: A Gay Cabaret in Seattle. New York: Columbia UP, 1996. Print.

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harassment and arrests. 16 The transience of the establishments and increased police presence no doubt had an effect on the proliferation of neighborhood deterioration, declining property values, and continued public perception as “Skid Road.”

Thus, in August of 1959, the Seattle City Planning Commission issued a report on the revitalization of Pioneer Square in an effort to boost tourism and property value in downtown Seattle. 17 As Pioneer Square was the oldest district in the city, and commonly known as an area of ill-repute, the Commission felt it appropriate to see the neighborhood return to the Victorian and American Romanesque architectural styles of the 1890s, 18 preserving the historical character of the district.

Throughout the report, San Francisco’s Jackson Square was cited as a precedent study for revitalization; Jackson Square was formerly the Barbary Coast, San Francisco’s notable gay enclave before the city’s rehabilitation of the district. Though circumstantial, it is easy to see parallelism in the report between new Seattle city policy and historic oppression of gays and lesbians. A return to 1890s architecture is keenly reminiscent of the era in which sodomy was deemed illegal in Washington State. Further, the citation of Jackson Square as a case study in revitalization, an effort that displaced the gay community and The Demi-Monde of San Francisco in 1917 19, in conjunction with the continued police harassment in Seattle, point both directly and indirectly to the city taking a firm stance against homosexuality and the continuation of Pioneer Square as a gay enclave.

The Planning Commission report speaks directly of the city’s desire to remove the blighted condition of Pioneer Square, and rehabilitate the district to become an area that attracts tourists with restaurants in period décor of 1890, museums, art studios, flower shops, off street parking, gift shops, Indian craft stores, and a brand office of the Seattle Tourist and Convention Bureau.

The report further notes that “the rehabilitation of Pioneer Square can be a project in which all segments of the community can participate, contribute, and benefit. The benefits of the city, in terms of increased taxes as the result of increased property values and business, and in removing blight from the heart of our city, are ample reason for the wholehearted support of the city.” 20 16

Henderson, Paul. "Seattle's Homosexuals Ask: 'Understand; Don't Generalize'" The Seattle Times [Seattle] 09 Dec. 1969. Print.

17 United States. Seattle City Planning Commission. Pioneer Square. By Seattle City Planning Commission and Central Asssociation of Seattle. Seattle, 1959. Print 18 Ibid.

19 Atkins, Gary. Gay Seattle: Stories of Exile and Belonging. Seattle: University of Washington, 2003. Print.

20 United States. Seattle City Planning Commission. Pioneer Square. By Seattle City Planning Commission and Central Asssociation of Seattle. Seattle, 1959. Print 8

Given the waning strength of the gay community in Pioneer Square, the brevity of time many of the previous bars and cabarets had been in business, and the anticipated increase in property values and taxes, it would have been difficult for gay entrepreneurs to find a stronghold in the rehabilitation of the enclave. Additionally, as to be expected in the report, there was no provision made for the explicit preservation of the vibrant gay nightlife or existing gay bars or cabarets; the only mention of nightlife is that the rehabilitated area should include “night spots catering to modern jazz fans.” 21 Rendering of rehabilitated Pioneer Square 22

Rehabilitation of Pioneer Square ensued rather slowly in the 1960s, as the efforts were not funded by the taxpayers or the city, but private investors and entrepreneurs that saw the district as a business venture and long-term investment. 23 No doubt an intervention in aiding rehabilitation efforts, in 1966, the Chief of Police Frank Ramon announced that “Seattle’s problem with homosexuals is ‘out of hand’ and the city was moving against the bars and taverns, particularly those with cabaret licenses.” 24 Though

some

cabaret

licenses

were

reluctantly renewed, they were done so under the condition that the establishments could no longer cater only to gay and lesbian patrons and must accept all patronage 25 – indeed a step forward for restoration, but a step backward for the visibility of the gay community.

21

United States. Seattle City Planning Commission. Pioneer Square. By Seattle City Planning Commission and Central Asssociation of Seattle. Seattle, 1959. Print.

22 Ibid.

23 Ibid.

24 Henderson, Paul. "Seattle's Homosexuals Ask: 'Understand; Don't Generalize'" The Seattle Times [Seattle] 09 Dec. 1969. Print.

25 Mesec, Rose. A Gender and Space Analysis of Seattle's Lesbian and Gay Communities. Thesis. University of Washington, 1992. Print.

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The progress - and lack of progress - of rehabilitation was often reported in The Seattle Times, seemingly as a way to propagandize existing blight and spur development. An October 1967 article in the Times discussed the rejuvenation efforts of architect Ralph Anderson. Anderson bought and restored the Union Trust Building at Occidental and Jackson after remodeling a building on First Avenue and Jackson that attracted an interior design firm, art galleries, antique stores, and a sculptor’s studio – restoring the charm of the district and increasing the public interest and property value of the surrounding buildings. 26 Conversely, John Hinterberger’s regular column, “Night Beats,” often discussed the lack of progress in the district – particularly highlighting the after-dark happenings of Pioneer Square. In an article from December 1969, Hinterberger wrote of the district along First Avenue: “But the street is also a meeting ground for other hundreds who do not live there – homosexuals walk there uneasily; drunks beg and collapse there; prostitutes lean out of tavern doors, check for the law, then make a quiet pitch: ‘Buy a date?’ Businessmen peruse racks of nudie magazines.” 27 The regular negative reporting on homosexuals, drunkenness, and prostitution in the area can easily be interpreted as slight propaganda to encourage proper and rapid development and discourage “the wrong sort of business.” 28 As money continued to be put into the renovation of Pioneer Square – property values and taxes steadily increasing - and police pressure mounting, many of the gay bars were forced to move into other areas of the city in the late 1960s and early 1970s. 29 Simultaneously, the Boeing layoff of 1970-1971, when the company reduced employment from 100,000 to approximately 38,000, caused many people to migrate to lower income areas of the city – primarily Capitol Hill. 30 As previously noted, following World War II, many gays and lesbians found employment with Boeing and maintained residency in Pioneer Square. Thus, with unexpected unemployment and the rehabilitation boom downtown, a large number of the gay and lesbian community was

26

Seattle Times Archives. University of Washington Library. Online. 13 May 2013.

Hinterberger, John. “Night Beat: Street of People with Problems Bared by Lights.” Seattle Times Archives.

University of Washington Library. Online. 13 May 2013.

28 Seattle Times, December 1958 29 Mesec, Rose. A Gender and Space Analysis of Seattle's Lesbian and Gay Communities. Thesis. University of Washington, 1992. Print.

30 Sheridan, Eugene. The Gentrification of the Capitol Hill Community of Seattle in the 1970s. Thesis. University of Washington, 1979. Print.

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part of the migration to Capitol Hill – a final factor in the devolution of Pioneer Square as the central gay enclave of Seattle. 31 Though Seattle’s gay establishments were still feeling the pressure of harassment from law enforcement through the late 1960s, it would be the Stonewall Riots in New York City on June 29, 1969, that would change the gay rights movement in the cities throughout the United States including Seattle. In 1970, the gay community would celebrate its first “Gay Day” in Volunteer Park – an indicator of the slow movement of the community to Capitol Hill. Though the Gay Community Center would open in Pioneer Square in 1971, a vast majority of the new gay liberation organizations would locate in Capitol Hill, namely the Dorian Society, becoming brick and mortar presences in the city. 32 While the 1970s were indeed a time for Pioneer Square’s more rapidly growing rehabilitation, the decade was also a time for the mobilization and image renewal for Seattle’s gay and lesbian community. Some gay establishments were still located in Pioneer Square – such as Shelley’s Leg, which opened in 1973 33, and the still operating Double Header Tavern – but a majority of the new establishments were relocating to Capitol Hill, taking advantage of lower property values, lower housing costs, 34 and encouraging a shift from the “Skid Road” and Red-Light District public perception (and often reality) of the gay community from Pioneer Square.

In 1973, the City Council passed the Fair Employment Practice Ordinance, protecting gays and lesbians from workplace discrimination. The 1890s sodomy law was repealed in 1976, and in 1977, Mayor Wes Uhlman proclaimed that last week of June to be Gay Pride Week. 35 For many years, the events surrounding Gay Pride Week would be located on Capitol Hill.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Pioneer Square would continue its push to become more white-collar oriented and tourist friendly, and Capitol Hill would become the new gay space of 31

Mesec, Rose. A Gender and Space Analysis of Seattle's Lesbian and Gay Communities. Thesis. University of Washington, 1992. Print.

32 Mesec, Rose. A Gender and Space Analysis of Seattle's Lesbian and Gay Communities. Thesis. University of Washington, 1992. Print.

33 Atkins, Gary. Gay Seattle: Stories of Exile and Belonging. Seattle: University of Washington, 2003. Print.

34 Mesec, Rose. A Gender and Space Analysis of Seattle's Lesbian and Gay Communities. Thesis. University of Washington, 1992. Print 35 Ibid.

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the city. Available assessment data indicates the early 1980s was the beginning of rapid and exponential property value increases in Pioneer Square; in 1982, the renovated Union Trust Building had a taxable land value of $329,400, increasing 11.1% in five years, and 80% in a span of twenty years. 36 Similarly, the parcel of the Double Header Tavern had a taxable land value of $437,400 in 1982, increasing 11.1% in five years, and a 100% increase in twenty years. 37 The numbers indeed reflect the wishes of the Planning Commission in its initial desire to rehabilitate the area and generate revenue for the city, but the increases would be unsustainable for gay bars that were trying to gain footing in the historic area â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially since much of the gay community was making space in low-income areas of Capitol Hill and the upper Pike-Pine Corridor, whose property values had been negatively affected by the freeway, thus offering low-rent places for business and living. 38 One exception to the displacement in Pioneer Square is the Double Header, which was an established part of the community that welcomed both heteroand homosexuals pre- and post-War. The maps below illustrate the movement of the gay community and its establishments from 1950 to 2010:

36

"King County Department of Assessments: EReal Property." King County Department of Assessments: EReal Property. Web. 13 May 2013. <http://info.kingcounty.gov/Assessor/eRealProperty/Detail.aspx?ParcelNbr=5247800360>.

37 "King County Department of Assessments: EReal Property." King County Department of Assessments: EReal Property. Web. 13 June 2013. <http://info.kingcounty.gov/Assessor/eRealProperty/Detail.aspx?ParcelNbr=5247800360>.

38 Mesec, Rose. A Gender and Space Analysis of Seattle's Lesbian and Gay Communities. Thesis. University of Washington, 1992. Print.

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Left to right: Gay establishments in Pioneer Square, 1950 39; Gay establishments in Pioneer Square and Capitol Hill, 1979 40; Gay establishments in Seattle, 2010.41

The map of Pioneer Square shows a clear concentration of gay establishments in the Downtown/ Pioneer Square area of Seattle. The 1979 map illustrates a scattering of gay establishments, reminiscent of the period of time when the enclaves were transitioning from Pioneer Square to Capitol Hill. The 2010 map shows a distinct concentration of establishments in Capitol Hill, with only three in Pioneer Square and Downtown.

CONCLUSION For the better part of the Twentieth Century, the gay and lesbian community of Seattle made its place in the historic Pioneer Square. Like many minority group in urban centers, it would face adversity from the city officials, police power, and the public-at-large. While many factors played a role in the gay community developing a new enclave in Seattle’s Capitol Hill in the latter part of the Century – such as greater acceptance after Stonewall and affordable housing – circumstantial evidence suggests that the presence of police, neighborhood rehabilitation, property values, and the Boeing layoff were all additional factors in the exodus from Pioneer Square.

However, in the Twenty-First Century, the gay and lesbian community of Seattle has at last achieved the full and equal civil rights of other citizens in the state of Washington through legislation and a state citizen supported referendum under the Gregoire Administration that legalized gay marriage in 2012. Further, the nation as a whole is slowly turning its attention to the adversity that has history plagued the gay and lesbian community; for the first time in American history, the sitting President, Barack Obama, supports same-sex marriage and equal protection of gays and lesbians under the law of the land, and more than half of Americans support same-sex marriage. Although equality has been accomplished in Washington, and a glimmer of hope shines on the nation, the history of adversity and transient of the gay and lesbian community exists in the streets and buildings of Pioneer Square, and through the stories of those 39

Paulson, Don, and Roger Simpson. An Evening at the Garden of Allah: A Gay Cabaret in Seattle. New York: Columbia UP, 1996. Print 40 Mesec, Rose. A Gender and Space Analysis of Seattle's Lesbian and Gay Communities. Thesis. University of Washington, 1992. Print 41 Brown, Michael P., and Richard L. Morrill. "Queering Gay Space." Seattle Geographies. Seattle: University of Washington, 2011. Print 13

that lived through hardship and liberation, helping shape the social history, physical boundaries, and pride of the community that exists throughout the neighborhoods of Seattle today.

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Gay Spaces of Seattle: The Devolution of Pioneer Square as a Gay Enclave Strategies and Modalities: The Museum and Entertainment Establishment

In order to appropriately and responsibly relay the history of gay spaces in Seattle, it is important to claim an actual space that tells the complete story. Thus, given the historical research and context, I feel it appropriate to reopen the Garden of Allah as both a museum that tells the story of gay Seattle and an immersive performance space that allows one to experience a historical venue and performance style of drag.

THE GARDEN OF ALLAH: THE MUSEUM The museum would be a series of exhibitions that tell the comprehensive gay history of Seattle.

The would include information about important people such as William Rufus de Vane King, Sarah Yesler, and Jackie Starr; period photographs; recreated period drag costumes; interactive maps that show the location of bygone gay establishments; recreated sets of the bygone establishments; and, oral histories.

It is important to include in this exhibition how gay spaces shaped the physical form of the city.

This would include urban planning documentation that provided explanations as to why the gay community relocated from Pioneer Square to Capitol Hill; how the gay community gentrified Capitol Hill; and how the gay community was an economic force for the city of Seattle through the creation of residential, commercial, and retail spaces, as well a large part of the Boeing workforce in the mid-Twentieth Century.

The museum space would culminate in a final exhibit entitled seattleGayNOW, a museum and user-created exhibit that tells the story of what is happening the Seattleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gay community now. It would provide a history of the recent legalization of gay marriage, as well as stories, photographs, and footage generated from the smartphone and tablet application, seattleGayNOW.

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THE GARDEN OF ALLAH: THE PERFORMANCE SPACE In conjunction with the museum space, the reopened Garden of Allah would also consist of a performance space that showcased drag performances in the vein of the tradition Garden of Allah, such as Jackie Starr, Skippy LaRue, and Paris Delair, as well as complementary modernday drag. Such a space would allow one to be immersed and transported to a rarely visited by important historical era.

There would be two performances on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. Along with the performances would be bartenders and servers in period costume serving period cocktails and bar-fare food, and ample lounge and conversational space.

The creation of such a performance space helps tell the story of gay spaces and enclaves through experience. It allows one to understand the important role that the creation of space plays in building community and relationships among marginalized communities. This space would allow people with like interests to come together and enjoy entertainment, hopefully creating connections through shared interests, stories, and space.

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Gay Spaces of Seattle: The Devolution of Pioneer Square as a Gay Enclave Strategies and Modalities: TheDigital Component

gaySeattleNOW: THE SMARTPHONE AND TABLET DIGITAL APPLICATION Public accessibility is one of the most important components of public history. Making the history of gay Seattle accessible to the public-at-large is directed related to the success of the proposed museum and nightclub venue. Thus, as a result, a smartphone and tablet application will be a complementary component to the proposed establishment.

Enabled by GPS tracking and user-generated data input, the accompanying smartphone and tablet app will have two important uses: highlighting the past and the present. In highlighting the past, the application will generate tours and provide historical information on the bygone gay establishments in Pioneer Square. Specifically, by using GPS tracking and input, it will show the location of the prior establishments, such as the Double Header and the Garden of Allah, on a map and generate a ‘gay walking tour’ of Pioneer Square. One would be able to access information about each site on the digital application, such as historical photos, important people, and interesting and important facts about the sites. In some cases, like the Double Header, the user would be able to enter the historical establishment. By creating such a walking tour and providing information, the digital application not only makes a specific part of local history accessible, but also aids in preserving the time and space of the built environment.

Though the application will provide historical information, it will also provide information about current gay establishments in the city of Seattle. The current information will be both controlled by the museum and users themselves. The museum will facilitate and maintain the information on the application for current establishments – establishment and building history, type of establishment, photographs, operating hours, contact information, and other necessities. The user will have the opportunity to use GPS tracking to add establishments to the

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application, provide reviews of existing establishments, and upload personal photos for each of the highlighted establishments.

Though most importantly for the user generated component of the digital application, each user will be able to write his or her history into the application. In a time when legal equality for the gay and lesbian community is supported by more than half of the country 42, it is important that the beginning of a new era in American history is properly recorded and controlled for future generations. Thus, the user will be able to record important events with the application â&#x20AC;&#x201C; engagements, equality rallies, performances, stories about establishments, and important photos. With the permission of the user, the uploaded information will then be archived in the database at the museum and showcased in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;gaySeattleNOWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; exhibit. This user-generated history is not only important in gathering history for future generations as primary source material, but it is also empowering for the gay community as a whole to finally be able to write and record its own history.

On the whole, this application will make history more accessible and allow for active engagement. Though, by doing so, it also aids in doing what the application teaches: creating and preserving gay enclaves in the city of Seattle.

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"Gay Marriage Support Hits New High: Poll." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 June 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/18/gay-marriage-support_n_2902533.html>.

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Gay Spaces of Seattle: The Devolution of Pioneer Square as a Gay Enclave Schedule, Personnel, and Budgeting SCHEDULE and PERSONNEL The reopening of the Garden of Allah would begin immediately. Following the purchase of the venue, there would be an approximate 2-3 month design process – designing the exhibition space, drawing up the build-out plans for the entertainment venue, and creating renderings of the space. The build-out plans would be drawn and designed with the input and expertise of Don Paulson, author of An Evening at the Garden of Allah.

Simultaneously with the design process would be preliminary hiring; this would include the Chief Curator, the Director of Development, the Oral Historian, and the Director of Exhibitions. During this time, each would work on gathering historical artifacts and preparing the story of gay enclaves in Seattle. Each person would have a role in layout and design of the exhibition space.

Time allotted for preliminary artifact gathering and preparation would be 6-9 months and would overlap with the design process.

After enough information is gathered and plans are readied, demolition and reconstruction would begin. 6-12 months would be allotted for this process.

Following the completion of construction, there would be a 2-4 month period in which the venue was readied for entry; the Museum staff would work during this period to ready the museum portion of the venue. It would be during this time that administrative work would begin for the entertainment venue; the bar would acquire all necessary licensing; hiring of a bar manager, bartenders, and servers would commence; entertainers would be auditioned and hired/booked; a show would be written with the collaboration of Don Paulson and the hired entertainers; and a costume design would be hired to create couture garments for the entertainers to wear.

APPROXIMATE TIME FRAME FOR OPENING: 16 – 25 MONTHS (SEPTEMBER 2014 – JULY 2015)

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APPROXIMATED BUDGETING

MUSEUM STAFF Chief Curator Director of Development Oral Historian Administrator Director of Exhibitions Costume Designer TOTAL:

$55,000/yr. $40,000/yr. $25/hr. $36,000/yr. $40,000/yr. $20/hr. $257,400/yr.

Salary Salary 40 hrs./week Salary Salary 40 hrs./week

ENTERRAINMENT STAFF Venue Manager Bartender Bartender Entertainer (Drag) Entertainer (Drag) Entertainer (Drag) Entertainer (Drag) Server / Barback Server / Barback Server / Barback TOTAL:

$20/hr. $18/hr. $18/hr. $100/performance $100/performance $100/performance $100/performance $10/hr. $10/hr. $10/hr. $280,320/yr.

40 hrs./week 40 hrs./week 40 hrs./week 6 performances/week 6 performances/week 6 performances/week 6 performances/week 40 hrs./week 40 hrs./week 40 hrs./week

LOGISTICS Custodian Custodian TOTAL:

$10/hr. $10/hr. $19,200/yr.

20 hrs./week 20 hrs./week

PAYROLL TOTAL:

$556,920/yr.

Museum and Entertainment Space Venue Artifact Acqusition/Exhibit Construction Bar/ Performance Construction

$500,000 - $1,000,000 $100,000 - $150,000 $100,000 - $150,000

Overhead (Lighting, Water, alochol)

$5,000 - $7,000/month

VENUE TOTAL:

$760,000 - $1,384,000

STARTUP TOTAL:

$1,316,920 - $1,940,920

$60,000 $84,000/yr.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Adams, Wanda. "Gays Denounce Police Harassment." UW Daily [Seattle] 6 Dec. 1971. Print.

Atkins, Gary. Gay Seattle: Stories of Exile and Belonging. Seattle: University of Washington, 2003.

Print.

Before Stonewall. Dir. Greta Schiller and Robert Rosenberg. Perf. Rita Mae Brown, Ann Bannon, Allen Ginsberg. Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 1984. DVD. Brown, Michael P., and Richard L. Morrill. "Queering Gay Space." Seattle Geographies. Seattle: University of Washington, 2011. Print.

Cox, Dana. "Out of the Closet." Pioneer Square: Seattle's Oldest Neighborhood. By Mildred Tanner. Andrews. Seattle: Pioneer Square Community Association in Association with University of Washington, 2005. Print.

Henderson, Paul. "Seattle's Homosexuals Ask: 'Understand; Don't Generalize'" The Seattle Times [Seattle] 09 Dec. 1969. Print.

Hill, Chrystie. "Queer History in Seattle, Part 1: To 1967." History Link. History Link. Web. 13 May 2013. <http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=4154>.

"King County Department of Assessments: EReal Property." King County Department of Assessments: EReal Property. Web. 13 May 2013. <http://info.kingcounty.gov/Assessor/eRealProperty/Detail.aspx?ParcelNbr=5247800360>.

Mesec, Rose. A Gender and Space Analysis of Seattle's Lesbian and Gay Communities. Thesis.

University of Washington, 1992. Print.

Paulson, Don, and Roger Simpson. An Evening at the Garden of Allah: A Gay Cabaret in Seattle.

New York: Columbia UP, 1996. Print.

Sheridan, Eugene. The Gentrification of the Capitol Hill Community of Seattle in the 1970s. Thesis.

University of Washington, 1979. Print.

United States. Seattle City Planning Commission. Pioneer Square. By Seattle City Planning Commission and Central Asssociation of Seattle. Seattle, 1959. Print.

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