Goethe-Institut LGBTQIA* Walking Tour Preview

DC Center for the LGBT Community

1515 U St NW - Sisterspace

Sisterspace grew out of a book corner in Cassandra Burton's Consignment Boutique on U St. and by 1995 it was an independent bookstore. With Faye Williams, Burton turned Sisterspace and Books into one of DC's most popular spots for African-American women, providing a discussion and meeting room for women in the community as well as for books, readings, and concerts. Williams said "This is more than a bookstore ... This is where people come to connect."

1620 S St NW - GLF House

In the summer of 1970, shortly after the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) organized at Grace Episcopal, GLF took over a house used by the antiwar Berrigan brothers. For several years in the early 1970s the collective, known as GLF House, hosted gay liberation raps, religious groups, gay youth groups and outreach to the homeless and gay prisoners. From this site, GLF coordinated its support of the Black Panthers Peoples Revolutionary Constitutional Convention, the 1971 Gay Mayday demonstrations, zaps at Catholic University and the American Psychiatric Association, and DC's first Gay Pride in May 1972.

1624 S ST NW - Skyline Faggots Collective

The Skyline Faggots Collective formed in the summer of 1971 when some members of the original Gay Liberation House separated to set up a neighboring collective. The Skyline Faggots were instrumental in producing 1972 gay men's liberation issues of Motive magazine which became a popular text of early gay liberation.

1603 17TH ST NW - TRUMPETS AND CLUB CHAOS

The basement level of this building has housed gay or gay-friendly dining spots since Trumpets first occupied the spot in 1990. In the summer of 1998, Club Chaos opened in the space and quickly became known for the diversity of its clientele and the variety of its evening drag shows.

1606 17th St NW - 1st Whitman Walker Clinic

From 1978 to January 1980, this was the first home of Whitman-Walker Clinic, a gay community health center formed by the merger of the Gay Men"s VD Clinic, the Gay Men's Counsel on Drinking and the Gay Men's Counseling Collective. The Gay Women's Health Center joined in November 1978. A funding crisis affecting the VD clinic that same year prompted the creation of Brother Help Thyself to raise funds to support the health center.Whitman-Walker health will be opening new offices at 14th and R on the Site of the Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center. The Goethe-Institut will be moving to the third floor of this same building in October and we are excited for the collaboration with Whitman-Walker on this exhibit as well as in the future.

1519 17th St NW - Annie's and JR's

From 1948 until 1985, this was the home of Annie's Paramount Steakhouse, a popular dining spot for the Dupont Circle gay community. In 1986, Travis Thorn opened JR's on the site of the first Annie's. That same year, JR's sponsored the first high heel drag race at midnight on Halloween. Twenty-five men raced in drag from JR's to the new Annie's, ran upstairs, drank a short and ran back down the street and back to JR's. Clinton Winter won the race and a bottle of champagne. The race has been run every year since, except 1992 when police closed the street.

Dupont Circle

1900 M St NW - Hubbard House

Hubbard House was a restaurant frequented by gay men and an after-hours club. Originally it was part of a chain with five restaurants. This location on M Street opened in 1964 and closed its doors in 1974.

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