Tim Anderson

“When social media began allowing everyone to interact with minimal mediation, music stopped being the primary means for LGBTQ people to hear one another. We no longer need bars, discos, or bathhouses to meet, which is a good thing, because many of our neighborhoods have been gentrified out of existence. Dance clubs of any sort are few, and lesbian bars are nearly extinct. We still need our designated safe spaces where we can revel in the glory of our music together as one and feel the power of our collectivity. The validation I received from an all-night marathon at the Paradise Garage cannot be obtained on any phone. I work out nearly every day, so when I do have the rare chance to dance in public to the music of my gay generation, I’m ready.”
― Barry Walters, Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music, 1969-2000