Gay bars in charlotte north carolina
Legacy Bars of the Carolinas
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Fragmentary seems like the most appropriate word to explain the history and customs of oppressed people, and especially the LGBTQ+ collective. Our heritage and identity has often gone undocumented for fear of unintentionally providing information that could lead to unwanted trouble from our oppressors. Dial it a fail guarded, if you will, but the end result was/is a huge loss of LGBTQ+ history prior to the 1980s.
In other instances, our history was often deemed as insignificant or unworthy of being saved by those in a position of power to make decisions about historical preservation. As late as the mid 1990s I can still recall the shock I felt when I was informed by a periodical librarian at the Atlanta Fulton County Public Library that copies of locally produced male lover and lesbian publications were thrown away when each new edition arrived, unlike the mainstream straight newspapers and magazines, which were typically archived.
When I inquired as to why, the librarian shot me an incredulous look and replied with a patronizing to
Charlotte’s Best LGBTQ+ Bars
Nightlife
Ready for a night out? These LGBTQ-friendly bars are the city's foremost picks.
by Dean McCain
Azucar Latino Charlotte
Area: East Charlotte
If you’ve got dancing on your mind and want to move your hips, Azucar is your nightclub. Rising-star DJs, extravagant kingly queens and studly go-go dancers craft this Latin venue one to guarantee a wild bedtime out. The entertaining and flashy nightclub is all about dancing whenever, and with whomever, you want.
Bar Argon
Neighborhood: LoSo
Located down South Boulevard, this casual boogie club is a welcoming spot for all types. Inspect Argon’s online calendar for themed nights like leather gear parties, Latin nights, line dancing lessons, karaoke and even table-top card game tournaments. Saturday nights on the move floor are some of the foremost on the scene.
Chasers
Neighborhood: NoDa
For over 30 years, Chasers has served as a welcoming space for everyone to relish a night of high-energy dancing and daily drink specials. Against the glow of neon lights, go-go dancers combine you on the dance floor an electric experience. Review Chasers’ calendar for regular events, such as drag s
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As a young gay male in Charlotte of the 1980s, I managed to snag a fake ID that was realistic enough to convince bar owners I was five years older than I actually was. The fact that I was over six feet tall came in handy, too. There’s something about height that implies age.
Beginning at the age of 16, I was able to gain entree into a number of Charlotte’s gay bars.
My first experience came at a center city nightspot famous as The Odyssey, At the time it was located at the corner of Morehead and Tryon Sts. in what had previously been a restaurant and its regional corporate headquarters.
It wasn’t all that large, really, but sizable enough to offer three separate bars and a dance floor. Downstairs was another gay bar recognizable as the Brass Rail.
Standing outside and waiting in a line to the stairs that took you to where The Odyssey was, I heard other young gay men referring to the Brass Rail as “The Wrinkle Room,” indicating it was a place where mostly older gays congregated. Even then I thought their evaluation seemed crass and flippant, but I was initially so nervous I just stood in the line quietly.
I can still recall making my way