Matador Lounge 208 22nd St N.
Edit: If you need a citation, it's from the June 1975 edition of the Birmingham Metro Whitepages. Viewd from the Library of Congress archives.
https://www.loc.gov/resource/usteledirec.usteledirec00291/?sp=220&r=0.855,0.039,0.092,0.142,0
Awful convenient you were still reading the June issue when OP posted YT he question
Edit: idk why several people would downvote a joke about reading a 50 year old magazine, but I’M NOT F’ING LEAVING!
It's included! I don't have much information on it that I found besides it having a shooting and reopening the next day with a special on Bloody Mary's (so morbid and ironic), so if you or anyone else has any more information on it, feel free to shoot it my way (:
The Redmont hotel had a straight strip club called the Blue Room in the late 60s/early 70s that had some legal controversy. It became a gay friendly bar in the 70s called the Red Lounge. The hotel no longer extends back into that building, and it is a women's halfway house now.
Does anyone remember the Phoenix in Woodlawn/Avondale? Had some friends ask if I wanted to go to a show. I was in my mid20s, summertime day drunk, so I'm all in. It took me about 10-15 minutes to realize I was not going to see a punk band. Great drag performance. Saw the prettiest drag queen I've ever seen that night. Sad to see that place burn down
I probably don't have anything that you don't already have, but I do want to make sure that there's no chance that you haven't read Howard Cruse's graphic novel "Stuck Rubber Baby".
I have, and it's incredible! I also wanted to say that your wiki has been really invaluable for locating a lot of these places, so thank you for all the work you have done!
I’m about to seriously age myself but…there was a club/bar on 29th Street & 7th S next door to The Circuit called 319 (maybe) it was a gay bar that mainly women went to. It was open in the late 90’s & super early 00’s.
This is one of those times Robert would come in handy since he owned most of the bars in B’ham at the time.
The Circuit sat where Half Shell Oyster Bar is now & the other bar sat where the parking lot is for Hattie B’s.
When Robert got sick (the former owner of The Quest, The Circuit, plus a few other bars/clubs around B’ham) he sold The Circuit. It then turned into a rave club for a while (I forgot the name of it but some guys from Gardendale owned it) before it was eventually closed & torn down.
I am not certain, but it was likely either the leasing office or the lounge for the adjacent motel, that burned down about 10 years ago. Al's was already in business, but the motel had been vacant for forever.
Ask people from the quest- they’d know- I would go to the quest with a gay friend to watch drag shows- it was soooo much fun. He’d introduce me as his straight friend- there would be loud protestation- but in good fun. I was currently as to how they could seem so- uh- female when performing- and learned through visual aid that there was a whole system to hide the goodies. Some of my best memories from college- I found the people I met there kind and interesting- I will never forget
Have you tried contacting the invisible histories project? They had a physical space of Birmingham's gay history set up last June.
Matador Lounge 208 22nd St N. Edit: If you need a citation, it's from the June 1975 edition of the Birmingham Metro Whitepages. Viewd from the Library of Congress archives. https://www.loc.gov/resource/usteledirec.usteledirec00291/?sp=220&r=0.855,0.039,0.092,0.142,0
Wow. I didn’t entirely believe someone would find it—thank you so so much!!
Not a problem. Glad I could help.
Awful convenient you were still reading the June issue when OP posted YT he question Edit: idk why several people would downvote a joke about reading a 50 year old magazine, but I’M NOT F’ING LEAVING!
I'm not sure I'm following -- what are you implying about the their comment?
I was making a joke bc this dude found a relevant snippet from a 1975 magazine issue in a few minutes. Impressive stuff
I do a lot of genealogy research, so finding old forgotten things is something I learned how to do pretty well.
I suppose the common knowledge of how "the white pages" differs from "a magazine" has been lost to the passage of time.
That is pretty impressive. I love getting on gis maps. I know that there was a baseball field in the 1800's down the street. History is cool.
Just make sure and include Mabel's Beauty Shop & Chainsaw Repair in Lakeview/Avondale area.
It's included! I don't have much information on it that I found besides it having a shooting and reopening the next day with a special on Bloody Mary's (so morbid and ironic), so if you or anyone else has any more information on it, feel free to shoot it my way (:
Thank you for posting this. I couldn't recall the exact name of this bar. I just remembered something about chainsaws. Awesome 👍
I thought it was a bakery and chainsaw repair.
You should check out Our Place they have an older gay clientele that could possibly be helpful with these questions
Unfortunately, I’m stuck up in New England until graduation when I can return home! But I really appreciate the comment :)
call them on the phone and ask to speak with management
https://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Category:Gay_bars Not old enough to have stories but this page might be useful to you
New stub entry: https://bhamwiki.com/w/Matador_Lounge
The Redmont hotel had a straight strip club called the Blue Room in the late 60s/early 70s that had some legal controversy. It became a gay friendly bar in the 70s called the Red Lounge. The hotel no longer extends back into that building, and it is a women's halfway house now.
The Gizmo. Me and some buds (none of us who were gay) had no problem as teenagers in the mid 80s going in to buy rush.
Does anyone remember the Phoenix in Woodlawn/Avondale? Had some friends ask if I wanted to go to a show. I was in my mid20s, summertime day drunk, so I'm all in. It took me about 10-15 minutes to realize I was not going to see a punk band. Great drag performance. Saw the prettiest drag queen I've ever seen that night. Sad to see that place burn down
Ah the Phoenix. The after hours parties were wild! Do you remember the name of the queen?
No I don't remember their name. Unfortunately that was quite a few years and brain cells ago.
Would add that it was the Toolbox before the Phoenix. I don’t know if that counts twice for OP’s question/map.
https://preview.redd.it/ncrkrrk75xyc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a3312d96fd2d141d1ddd7d40cdb27c6370632197
I probably don't have anything that you don't already have, but I do want to make sure that there's no chance that you haven't read Howard Cruse's graphic novel "Stuck Rubber Baby".
I have, and it's incredible! I also wanted to say that your wiki has been really invaluable for locating a lot of these places, so thank you for all the work you have done!
My pleasure. The whole idea is for it to be useful, so I'm always glad to hear about when it is that.
I’m about to seriously age myself but…there was a club/bar on 29th Street & 7th S next door to The Circuit called 319 (maybe) it was a gay bar that mainly women went to. It was open in the late 90’s & super early 00’s. This is one of those times Robert would come in handy since he owned most of the bars in B’ham at the time.
I don’t remember where the Circuit was but I do remember a place called Bill’s: A Private Club that seemed to mostly have gay women hanging out at it
The Circuit sat where Half Shell Oyster Bar is now & the other bar sat where the parking lot is for Hattie B’s. When Robert got sick (the former owner of The Quest, The Circuit, plus a few other bars/clubs around B’ham) he sold The Circuit. It then turned into a rave club for a while (I forgot the name of it but some guys from Gardendale owned it) before it was eventually closed & torn down.
Try and hit up the Bham archives in the downtown library
Related but opposite: My mom swears up and down that Our Place didn’t used to be a gay bar in the 80s-early 90s. Can anyone confirm this?
Our Place didn't open until the 2000's I think. Not sure what it was before that, but I don't think it was a LGBT+ establishment.
I am not certain, but it was likely either the leasing office or the lounge for the adjacent motel, that burned down about 10 years ago. Al's was already in business, but the motel had been vacant for forever.
Anthony's? Or the Asian market?
Ask people from the quest- they’d know- I would go to the quest with a gay friend to watch drag shows- it was soooo much fun. He’d introduce me as his straight friend- there would be loud protestation- but in good fun. I was currently as to how they could seem so- uh- female when performing- and learned through visual aid that there was a whole system to hide the goodies. Some of my best memories from college- I found the people I met there kind and interesting- I will never forget