Many of the city’s earliest and most influential LGBTQ+ spaces were in Pioneer Square. As the twentieth century progressed and Seattle residents pressed farther north and east, the city's first neighborhood lost its luster. People often marginalized by larger society sought opportunities in this once vibrant district, and the area became a meeting place for many displaced people. Among them were members of the LGBTQ+ community. As early as the 1930s, an after-hours club called The Casino catered to LGBTQ+ clientele. Even though they weren't "out" in the contemporary sense, they sought safe spaces to express parts of themselves they were often forced to hide. But even those who visited and operated welcoming places sometimes paid a cost: Neighborhood visitors faced harassment and the threat of violence, while police demanded pay offs from owners of LGBTQ+ businesses. Together, LGBTQ+ people supported neighborhood restaurants and bars, boogeyed in the city’s first disco, joined political organizations, soaked in bath houses, protested anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and celebrated the city’s earliest Pride marches. As freedoms expanded in the 1970s and 1980s, and the community dealt with the unexpected crisis of HIV/AIDS, Pioneer Square lost its title as the heart of LGBTQ+ Seattle. Dozens of establishments either shut down or migrated to new neighborhoods.
To take this walking tour, visit HistoryLink.Tours.
