Beyond the Bar: Types of Properties Related to LGBTQ History

Representations of LGBTQ history in the built environment abound and comprise a range of property types beyond that quintessential symbol of LGBTQ space: the gay bar. This article presents one way of categorizing the types of properties related to LGBTQ history. Sites discussed include sites of support and social life, sites of protest and political organizing, LGBTQ businesses and organizations, sites of spirituality, sites of persecution and violence, health-related sites, sites of separatism, and sites of art and architecture. Examples of each type of site further elaborate the range of LGBTQ history and the ways it dovetails with the larger story of the United States past