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Postcard of Andy Karagas
Karagas played host at his brother William's Woodward Bar in Detroit from its opening in 1954 until Andy's death at age 76 in 1997.
Ruth Ellis
Born in Springfield, IL, Ellis grew up to host popular house parties for African American lesbians and gay men in Detroit during the 1940s and 1950s,…
Deborah Bacon
Deborah Bacon served as Dean of Women at The University of Michigan during the 1950s and 1960s. Her policing of homosexual affection was in accordance…
Hal Lawson & David Whitney Brewer
In 1958, Wayne State graduate students Lawson and Brewer, along with their friend Jai Moore, established a Detroit chapter of the Mattachine Society,…
Hitting the Hi-Spots Magazine - 1951
Lesbian Melva Earhart purchased the State Bar in Flint in 1950 and it soon became a safe hang-out for a homosexual clientele. Its original location on…
Memorandum from Deborah Bacon to Harlan H. Hatcher<br />
Two female students caused a scandal at the University of Michigan in 1953 with their defiant expressions of same-sex desire and were forced to leave…
Melva Earhart and Betty Underwood
Betty Underwood met Melva Earhart on a visit to Flint in 1957, and they soon began dating. After their romance faded, the two remained close, with…
Melva Earhart and State Bar Patrons
At the time of this photo, the State Bar was still considered mixed, serving both straight and gay patrons. Wait staff seated customers they perceived…
State Bar Patrons
At the time of this photo, the State Bar was still considered mixed, serving both straight and gay patrons. Wait staff seated customers they perceived…
Ralph O'Reilly & Ralph Stallings in 1951
Ralph O'Reilly and Ralph Stallings met at a cocktail party in 1949. After living in Detroit for ten years, the couple moved to a farmhouse in…
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