Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

2-2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Program

Women's and Gender Studies

Advisor

Matt Brim

Subject Categories

Advertising and Promotion Management | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies | Nonprofit Administration and Management | Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies | Tourism and Travel | Urban, Community and Regional Planning | Women's Studies

Keywords

queer bars, lesbian bars, Henrietta Hudson, Cubbyhole, business strategies, non-profits

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a shift in queer bar culture in New York City’s West Village, and this thesis aims to explore what these changes are and why they are happening now. How do West Village bars survive when queer populations are forced out? While there are various ways to consider how and what survives in the Village, three variables will be addressed: queer history, or the history queer-identified groups using activism, safety measures, or collaborating with outside sources to secure their rights and overall wellbeing; (post)gentrification, beginning with the 90s when mainstream LGBT groups teamed up with developers and police, and ultimately raised the financial value of the West Village’s real-estate; and (inter)national tourism, or the lengths New York City has taken throughout the years to promote tourism, especially during Pride month to benefit financially. These variables are interconnected to the queer bar, and what I will term ‘queer repurposed artifacts’—or the queer bars in the Village with the deepest roots, such as Stonewall, Henrietta Hudson, and Cubbyhole, who all have altered their business model throughout the years to accommodate the neighborhood, and the city’s, changes. This thesis aims to explore the vast ways bars survive and what these repurposed artifacts represent for the present-day queer bar.

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