Ventura gay bars
The Baton in Uptown is one of Chicago's oldest gay bars, famed for its drag shows
CHICAGO -- The history of Gay bars is rich. They're much more than places to get a sip. For many years, they were the only spaces some could go to meet other members of their communities.
One of Chicago's oldest LGBTQ+ bars, The Baton, first opened in While it struggled at first, it then became a celebrity hotspot.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
Music and makeup energizes the room at The Baton in Uptown to this day. The bar is widely known for its female impersonator shows, but it was ahead of its time.
"I was functional at another bar, and then I decided it was time to unseal a bar," co-owner James Flint recalled.
Flint moved to Chicago from Peoria in The Baton first opened six years later in the River North neighborhood, when Chicago was a very different place.
"There was payoffs, there was the Outfit and there was the police . And trying to get people to come into an area like River North," he said.
Despite a once-dangerous neighborh
Ventura LGBTQ City Guide
Situated between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, Ventura is a sunny California beach town known for offering plenty to see and act – plenty of excellent restaurants, lots of opportunity for outdoor fun, many festivals, a thriving arts scene, and friendly people too. It's also residence to a smaller, but thriving and diverse LGBTQ collective, where all can feel welcome and at home. If you're thinking of making a step to Ventura, you'll find plenty about it to love.
A Look at Ventura’s History
One absorbing historical tidbit about Ventura is that there is actually no city in California by the name of Ventura. The city’s official name is San Buenaventura, a specify given to the area by Father Junipero Serra, who named the town in after the Italian St. Bonaventure. The name was unofficially shortened to Ventura by the Southern Pacific Railroad about years ago because it was easier to copy Ventura on the railroad tickets. The city’s name has never been officially changed, but the shortened name stuck. From its founding through the offer
“The Apache, also known for a while as Apache Territory, was smaller and more intimate than Oil Can Harry’s. It provided a more likely place to actually meet and talk with someone,” Adkins says.
“At Oil Can Harry’s, you had to leave outside to the front steps to talk to someone, or smoke if that was your vice. But at Apache, there was a small patio head to the entrance,” he says. “It was fenced so it wasn’t exposed to the street. At Oil Can Harry’s, you could count on being verbally harassed from a passing car, or worse yet, have something thrown at you. In its last days, Apache installed T.V. monitors playing adult movies and had go-go boys dancing. The two brothers who owned Apache expanded and opened a second exclude in Hollywood, but in period both bars closed. Later, the Ventura Boulevard location became another gay bar, Everybody’s.” (Adkins, Richard )
Bob Damron ' (Most macho disco in the valley) (D) * (Disco) (Liquor)
READ MORE
Link: "San Fernando Valley has a secret history of gay bars"
ONE Archives at USC
The twins are back to being as far away from one another as possible, which…brings them closer together. Also, Grant asks a lot of google-able questions about gay bars.
Support our Patreon: ? utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_cont ent=copyLink
Follow us!
Instagram: @Twinnuendo @darbylynncartwright @DontTalkToGrant
TikTok: @twinnuendopod @thedarbylynn @DontTalkToGrant
Call us! () ASS-TWIN
IMHO: the PODCAST:
Send us mail!
Drew
B Ventura Blvd #
Studio Metropolis, CA
Grant
PO Box
Winter Garden, FL
Fair Apply Disclaimer:
Portions of this episode may include copyrighted content (such as video or audio clips) from other creators, used for the purpose of commentary, criticism, and education. This use qualifies as "fair use" under section of the U.S. Copyright Operate. All rights to those materials remain with their respective copyright holders.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit