Bars are among the hardest-hit businesses in the COVID era, and while it’s a shame when any small business goes under, shuttered doors can mean losing a whole lot more than a vodka soda.
Julius’ Bar in NYC’s West Village is the site of the now-famous 1966 ‘Sip In’ to protest against LGBTQ discrimination, and it’s in danger of shutting down for good. A campaign has been launched to help it stay open.
Related: The Greenwich Village bar that established our right to drink in peace
Current bar owner Helen Buford started a GoFundMe to save the historic queer space. She writes:
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
This historic bar means so much to so many people because of its rich history. On April 21, 2016 Julius’ Bar was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, and for the historical significance of LGBT Greenwich Village. Fifty four years ago a person could be refused service in a bar simply for being gay, and his or her mere presence there could result in the bar’s closure by the State Liquor Authority. On April 21, 1966, Dick Leitsch and other members of the Mattachine Society, an early LGBT rights organization, staged the now famous Sip-In at Julius’ bar in the Village to challenge this “legal” discrimination. After they announced to the bartender that they were homosexuals and wished to be served, they were refused service. The event generated publicity and was one of the earliest pre-Stonewall public actions for LGBT rights. Scholars of LGBT history consider the Sip-In at Julius’ a key event leading to the growth of legitimate LGBT bars and the development of the bar as the central social space for urban LGBT New Yorkers.
Today Julius’ welcomes all people to share in the history and to preserve it’s legacy. The staff and I are eager to serve you safely once again but we need your help. Any amount you can donate will help with the operating expenses. If you can’t donate please share this page.
Related: John Cameron Mitchell Takes Old-School Party Realness On The Road With Mattachine
John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus, How to Talk to Girls at Parties) has thrown a monthly queer dance party at the venue for the last 12 years aptly named Mattachine, and has been offering up signed Hedwig memorabilia and fond memories to help draw attention to the the campaign.
Head here to find out more, and scroll down to see what he’s been sharing:
Kangol2
Not sure where Bob LaBlah is and he was focused on bars on Christopher Street, but this article underscores what he was saying about the danger to NYC bars (and gay bars everywhere), as Covid-19 continues to wreak havoc. Julius is a bar I rarely set foot in, but I am going to donate and I hope all who can do reach in their pockets to help preserve another historic site for gay men in particular and LGBTQ people in general.