Ithaca ny gay bar
Sit in and Boycott at Morrie’s Block, 409 Eddy St, October 1970
Morrie’s Block may have been the site of the first same-sex attracted student sit-in demonstration in the territory. (Beemyn, 2003). Cornell’s Student Homophile League, the second same-sex attracted rights group to organize at a US university, was established in 1968. At that hour there were several places where homosexual or lesbian people could safely be out, other than at parties in private homes.
At that time a restaurant more than a half hour away served as an underground gay exclude one night a week. Gay people had to appear on Saturday nights before 11 pm and present as if they were heterosexual. After the restaurant closed, and all the heterosexual patrons went place, the proprietors allowed the gay customers still there to remain until the early hours of the morning. Students understandably did not like this arrangement and went in search of local safe places to socialize.
The Alt Heidelberg bar in Collegetown had been a popular hangout, but it was completely destroyed by conflagration in 1968. The cause of the fire was never determined. Gay people then began to visit the Royal Palm at 209 Dryden Road, but the owners and other customers harassed
A Sense of Belonging: Queer-Owned Businesses in Ithaca, NY
Alley Cat Cafe
Address: 112 N Cayuga St, Ithaca
Enjoy amazing coffee and scones, visit the cat playroom or do both! Alley Meower Cafe prides itself on organism an inclusive space for everyone, no matter their identity or background and brings people together over a love of entertaining and energetic cats! The cafe works with Brown Coat Rescue to give homes to rescue cats and in the meantime, the cats can play with cafe visitors! This space is family-friendly and a perfect cease on your visit or a great way to wind down after work for locals. No matter your reason for stopping by, everyone and every kitten has a place at Passage Cat Cafe.
Address: Online, Various local events
Part of Via’s operations includes donating five percent of profits to struggling BIPOC and LGBTQ+ students in the area. Via’s also provides options for folks with dietary differences as well, making a variety of flavors that are vegan and/or gluten-free so “life can be sweet for everyone.
Asempe Kitchen
Address: 2024 New location coming soon!, Ithaca Farmer’s Market (Sunday only)
Asempe Kitchen provides Ithaca and the surround
Common Ground Dance Club imaginative location, 1978 - 1988, 132-134 W. State Road
Common Ground was founded in 1978 by Doug Miller and Kris Marshall. By chance, they came upon the original Mention Street location while on their way to the laundromat. Their vision was to create a haven where everyone was welcome.
“The whole purpose behind naming it ‘Common Ground’ was to bring in all different types of people from all diverse walks of life,” Miller said. “Gay, straight, bisexual person, old, young, men, women, anything, all different types of occupations, students as well as townspeople — all in one place to have a amusement time.”
Another member of the community, George Ferrari, recalls, "Another bar called Cactus Jack's was right next door. Sometimes patrons ended up accidentally in the Common Ground when they meant to be at Cactus Jack's, or vice versa. Someone always kindly took those wayward customers back to the lock that they intended."
It’s unique location was here in downtown Ithaca, but on June 30, 1988 the bar was completely destroyed by a day-long energy. The entire building was condemned the next morning, and later demolished. T
LGBT Resource Center
March 1972 | Cornell’s Homosexual People’s Center Serves as Pilot Program
The Cornell Gay People's Center at Sheldon Court on College Ave was opened in March 1972 in response to the needs of the growing homosexual community. Jointly financed by the University, GLF, and Graduate Coordinating Council, it was run as a five-year experiment. The new cosmos gave the male lover rights student community, Cornell’s Gay Liberation Front, more liberty to hold meetings and parties and served as a safer space than their former office in Willard Unbent Hall, where students feared being outed. However, the Lgbtq+ People's Center was not immune to street vandalism and harassment as it received obscene cell calls, and the bulletin board was once set on fire. In 1973, two Ithaca teenagers were arrested for breaking five windows over a two-week period, which only served to worsen relations between the Center and the manager of genuine estate for the University. Earlier that year, he ordered the Center to remove its banner from the front window because he said it was encouraging the vandals, "like waving a red flag in their faces.