LGBTQ - San Diego Gay Bar History
SAN DIEGO GAY BAR HISTORY
FILM AND PANEL DISCUSSION
THURSDAY - Time: Apr 16, 2020 3:00 PM
https://cccconfer.zoom.us/j/94316541541
Links to an external site.
Gay bars and nightspots have served as foundational institutions in the development of the modern LGBTQ+ community across the USA and beyond. This documentary provides a glimpse into the many roles these spaces have played in the lives of San Diegans, from post-WWII to present. After viewing the film, Mesa professor Paul Detwiler (the film’s director and producer) will answer questions from viewers and lead an online discussion.
Panelists:
- "Big Mike" Phillips (Bartender and Community Fundraiser)
- Terry Cunningham (Retired Chief of HIV, STD, and Hepatitis for SD County Public Health Services)
- Susan Jester (Activist and Founder of AIDS Walk San Diego)
- Chuck Kaminski (Board Member Emertius of Lambda Archives)
- Which segments of the film resonated with you?
- Gay bars have been places of safety for the LGBTQ community. Are gay bars still relevant? Where are safe spaces for LGBTQ people here in San Diego?
- How has gentrification affected gay spaces, and what does this mean for community culture? Have any of your favorite spots closed?
- We have seen in recent American history how our government has failed in its response to epidemics. During the HIV crisis from 1985-2000, over 450,000 Americans died of AIDS, many being LGBT in their 20's and 30's. The federal government (under the Reagan administration) downplayed the epidemic, cut budgets for entities such as the National Insitute of Health and the CDC, and failed to budget for research, education, and testing. Furthermore, the media initially lapsed in covering the epidemic because of the minority status of the affected populations it affected. On local levels, AIDS organizations formed that rose up, and as we saw in the documentary, bars were centers of fundraising to address the challenges which was in stark contrast to what the federal government was not doing. What differences or similarities do you see in light of the current pandemic? What can we learn from this? Where do you see everyday San Diegans rising to the occasion to meet the challenges of the present crisis?
POST EVENT EVALUATION Links to an external site.
If you miss the panel you can view the film here: :https://video.kpbs.org/video/san-diegos-gay-bar-history-tgoue6/ Links to an external site.