GAY BARS Number 193 Spring 2023 • $11.95Issue 194 / Fall 2023 RAINBOW FLAG Submission Deadline: July 21, 2023 www.rfdmag.org/upload These days, you can spy a Rainbow Flag just about anywhere: Painted on a city crosswalk, stamped on a smartphone case, tattooed on someone’s backside, hung in- side a coffee-shop window and, of course, held aloft at a Pride parade. First introduced in 1978 (with eight stripes, including hot pink), it’s a symbol that’s been modified and tweaked to represent the LGBTQ+ commu- nity. But is it time for something new? As we approach the 45th anniversary of the birth of the Rainbow Flag, we want to know what this fluttering piece of material means to you. Do you see it as a symbol of inclusion? Does its ubiquity cause you to think how far we’ve come? Or has the transformed rainbow become commodi- fied, just another overused visual that busi- nesses employ to make a buck? When you see it does it make you feel, well, proud? Or are you over the Rainbow? Maybe you have a secret history with the Rainbow Flag. Maybe you’ve had sex on one or used it for post-coital cleanup. May- be you were in San Fran when it was first unfurled. Maybe there’s a pic of you with rainbow-dyed hair. We’d love a window into the feelings that ripple through you when you gaze upon one of these rainbow wonders. Essays, fiction, poetry, artwork: If you want to express your feelings about this symbol of expression, we want to hear or see it. Come on, cuties. Don’t hold back: Let your freaky Rainbow-Flag story fly. Photograph by See-ming Lee via Creative Commons Attribute Share Alike 2.0 Generic License. RFD 193 Spring 2023 1 Refills Free, Drag-queens Vol 49 No 3 #193 Spring 2023 Between the Lines We were hoping that this issue on gay bars and the impact on our lives would be an interesting topic, juicy, filled with halcyon nights and cautionary tales. Well, dear readers, we think the submissions for this issue will amuse you, help you reconnect with your own histories and leave a tip at the bar for the bartender. Much of our experience is remembered and reflected in the places where we congregate together. Bar culture for the queer community has and in some places still plays a vital role in helping us come together. So it’s often a place to reflect on fun times and difficult challenges. We hope you’ll enjoy the stories, poems and images that accompany this issue. We’re also pleased to announce that we’ve published Jim Jackson’s book, Har- binger Dreams. It’s our first book since 1999. We’ve included an interview with Jim in this issue. For those long time readers of RFD, you’ll be familiar with Jim’s work in our pages over the years. We’re finishing up work on Michael Mason’s book of poetry, long awaited and delayed, but available soon. RFD has picked up camp and moved it’s mailing address to: RFD Press PMB 329 351 Pleasant St Ste B Northampton MA 01060-3998 Please use this to be in touch as well as to renew your subscription. Lastly, as we face a slew of anti-queer bills in state legislatures across the United States, we hope people urge friends and allies to resist such backwards laws from being enacted. Empower yourselves and engage with local and state organizers. And please stay safe. —The RFD Collective, from the deceptive warm days of New England in March—we still suggest a scarf2 RFD 193 Spring 2023 RFD is a reader-written journal for gay people which focuses on country living and encourages alterna- tive lifestyles. We foster community building and networking, explore the diverse expressions of our sexuality, care for the environment, Radical Faerie consciousness, and nature-centered spirituality, and share experiences of our lives. RFD is produced by volunteers. We welcome your participation. The business and general production are coordinated by a collective. Features and entire issues are prepared by different groups in various places. RFD (ISSN# 0149- 709X) is published quarterly for $25 a year by RFD Press, PMB 329, 351 Pleasant St., Ste B, Northamp- ton, MA 01060-3998. Postmaster: Send address changes to RFD Press, PMB 329, 351 Pleasant St., Ste B, Northampton, MA 01060-3998. Non-profit tax exempt #62-1723644, a function of RFD Press, Inc., with office of registration at 231 Ten Penny Rd., Woodbury, TN 37190. RFD Cover Price: $11.95. A regular subscription is the least expensive way to receive RFD four times a year. First class mailed issues will be forwarded. Others will not. Send ad- dress changes to submissions@rfdmag.org or to our Northampton, MA address. Copyright © RFD Press, Inc. The records required by Title 18 U.S.D. Section 2257 and associated with respect to this magazine (and all graphic material associated therewith on which this label appears) are kept by the custodian of records at the following location: RFD Press, 85 N Main St, Ste 200, White River Junction, VT 05001. Production Managing Editor: Bambi Gauthier Production Editor: Matt Bucy Submission Deadlines Summer–April 21, 2023 Fall–July 21, 2023 See inside covers for themes and specifics. For advertising, subscriptions, back issues and other information visit www.rfdmag.org. To read online visit www.issuu.com/rfmag . Visual Contributors Inside This Issue Images or pieces not directly associated with an article. Franco Folini (CC BY-SA 2.0) ..............Cover David Wright/Street Candy ................2, 13 Gregory T. Wilkings aka Equus .................8 Gordon Binder ...........................11, 38 Dick Mitchell ...................19, 29, 30, 33. 62 Victorien Biet ...............................45 Robert Giard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37, 51 Astro (Princess of Axolotls). ..................56 Drawing by David Wright/Street Candy RFD 193 Spring 2023 3 CONTENTS Gathering Guide ...............................................................4 Harbinger Dreams: Jim Jackson’s Vision ....................Bambi Gauthier .......................6 Moonglade ..............................Frank Castelluccio .....................9 The Rendezvous ..........................Jim Van Buskirk ......................12 Lou’s Hideaway–Washington, DC–1965 ....Murray Edelman .....................14 Strangers in a Leather Bar .................William Demaree .....................16 The Stud ................................Vapour phase ........................18 Memphis Gay Bars .......................Don Unger ...........................20 Plus One ................................Dale Corvino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 The Velvet Rope ..........................Louie Mandrapilias ...................27 Becoming Someone Who Dances With Their Shirt Off ............Roberto Alvarez Jr ....................30 Moments in the Gay Bar ..................Gusty Haze ..........................34 Manhattan Scene—1970s ..................John Orlando aka UpbeatJohn .........37 South Broome ...........................Rita 'Rusty' Rose ......................39 Make It Public, the More Public the Better ..Philipp Gufler ........................40 That Night at The Capri ...................Wes Hartley .........................44 The Mod Scene ...........................Ed, Of All People .....................46 The Fanciful Clock ........................Rita 'Rusty' Rose ......................49 What’s the Name of That Bar? ..............Eddie Walker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Bathhouse Quilts: Confessions of a Towel Hag .............Philip Hare ..........................53 TRACKS – Washington, D.C. ..............Gregory T. Wilkins, a.k.a. Equus ........54 Club Park Avenue Trip Report— a Psylocibin Story ......................Paul Minor ..........................55 The Bartender ............................Wonderful ...........................61 Silver Tray ...............................Ken Anderson ........................634 RFD 193 Spring 2023 Bounce: a Comfort & Joy Touch Event Apr 1-2 San Francisco CA www.playajoy.org Spring Love Awakening Gathering May 4-14 Paddington Farm UK albionfaeries.org.uk/gatherings Tennessee Dance Apr 6-9 Tennesee danceforallpeople.com/ Hadas del Sol Great Circle Apr 11-15 Spain hadasdelsol.wordpress.com/home Kink Odyssey Spring Retreat Apr 13-16 Greenwich NY www.eastonmountain.org Spring Awakening Apr 20-23 Greenwich NY www.eastonmountain.org Spring Gathering May 3-7 Saratoga Springs CA www.thebillys.org Spring Retreat May 12-14 Highlands NC gayspiritvisions.org Radical Faerie Arts Festival May 17-21 Portland OR RADFAF.org Generate Gathering May 18-22 Saratoga Springs CA www.radfae.org Utah Dance May 19-21 Utah danceforallpeople.com All-Gender Faerie Camp May 19-22 Evans Lake BC Canada bcradfae.ca Summer Season Kick Off! May 26-29 Greenwich NY www.eastonmountain.org Kench Hill May 26-29 Tenterden UK www.edwardcarpentercommunity.org.uk Welcome Home Gathering May 26-29 Grafton, VT www.faeriecampdestiny.org/home Full Moon Gathering May 29-Jun 6 Gavados Crete Greece efthimios@aol.com Wolf Creek Dance Jun 7-11 Wolf Creek OR danceforallpeople.com Pride Splash Weekend! Jun 9-11 Greenwich NY www.eastonmountain.org Sussex Solstice Gathering Jun 17-24 Balcombe UK forms.gle/XZ3VrXwAKasjgvrq9 SGRF Gathering Jun 24-Jul 4 Wolf Creek OR www.nomenus.org/ Unstone Grange Jun 27-Jul 4 Unstone UK www.edwardcarpentercommunity.org.uk Summer Gathering Jun 28-Jul 4 Saratoga Springs CA www.thebillys.org Gay Freedom Camp Jul 1-5 Greenwich NY www.eastonmountain.org GAYLA A Retreat for Men who Love Men Jul 15-22 Saco ME www.ferrybeach.org/gayla.html Midwest Men's Festival Jul 19-28 McLouth KS midwestmensfestival.com 4th Radical Faerie Global Gathering Jul 26-Aug 4 Estonia albionfaeries.org.uk/gatherings Lammas Gathering July 29-Aug 6 Grafton, VT www.faeriecampdestiny.org/home Sun Clad Jul 31-Aug 6 Greenwich NY www.eastonmountain.org American Ridge Radical Faerie Gathering Aug 2-6 Naches Washington americanridgegathering.org Unstone Grange Aug 4-7 Unstone UK www.edwardcarpentercommunity.org.uk GATHERINGS Here’s our annual list of gatherings and list- ings for folks to consider. Many places are still in COVID mode or have not released their gathering dates at the time of production of the magazine. We also urge folks to check up on the website for these events to see if things might have changed or to check in on what’s required to attend. Dates are of- ten changeable and individual websites given details about the event. Many other listings we are sure are out there. If you know of something we should list in the future send us a note—submissions@rfdmag. org with details—preferably name of the event, the start and end dates, location, group organization and website to link to for more information. We run this calendar in the spring and for late winter gatherings we list things in the winter is- sue. As always we thank the organizers for putting together events which we can engage and evolve in. Thanks also to the folks at www.radfae.org and www.faenet.org for the listings they share with the larger community. We also rely on our own listing of websites which we’ve collected over the years. If your group is not listed, please be in touch. We try to update our own calendar of these events. If you want to view things there, please go to www.rfdmag.org and click on the calendar listings. —The RFD Collective. RFD 193 Spring 2023 5 We are setting up the Radical Faerie Arts Festival now. And you are invited. The Festival will be May 17-21, 2023. We will occupy 11,000 square feet for gallery exhibition, salon, and workshop space during the day, and stunning performances in the evenings. You can do workshops, or show film or photography, DJ for one of our dances, show your art, perform, bring friends, be part of the opening or closing ritual, sell your art or crafts at the Saturday Bazaar, buy some art, make a financial contribu- tion to the event, or a thousand things we have yet to think up. Email: terrypcavanagh@gmail.com for more info. www.radfaf.org. Being Alive Gathering Aug 5-12 Krakow Poland radicalfaeries.at High Close Aug 22-29 Ambleside UK www.edwardcarpentercommunity.org.uk Summer Gay Spirit Camp Aug 14-20 Greenwich NY www.eastonmountain.org Blue Heron Gathering Aug 28-Sep 4 DeKalb Junction NY sites.google.com/site/blueheronfaeriehome Bear Your Soul: 10 Year Anniversary! Aug 31-Sep 4 Greenwich NY www.eastonmountain.org Fall Gathering Aug 31-Sep 4 Saratoga Springs CA www.thebillys.org Montana Dance Late Aug Montana danceforallpeople.com New England Dance Sep 21-23 New England danceforallpeople.com Coldwell Sep 22-25 Burnley UK www.edwardcarpentercommunity.org.uk Fall Conference Sep 28-Oct 1 Highlands NC gayspiritvisions.org Singles Weekend Oct 6-9 Greenwich NY www.eastonmountain.org Fall Foliage Gathering Oct 6-9 Grafton, VT www.faeriecampdestiny.org/home Samhain Gathering Oct 17-26 Northumberland UK albionfaeries.org.uk/gatherings Kink Odyssey Fall Retreat Nov 1-5 Greenwich NY www.eastonmountain.org Winter Gathering Dec 27-Jan 1 Saratoga Springs CA www.thebillys.org Winter Meditation Jan 12-14 Highlands NC gayspiritvisions.org6 RFD 193 Spring 2023 Harbinger Dreams: Jim Jackson’s Vision Interview with Jim Jackson – by Bambi Gauthier Jim Jackson is a long time contributor to RFD’s pages with evocative images going back decades. Jackson’s dynamic images often reflect an emo- tional and intense visual palate showing sensual and psychic energy. Jim’s longtime involvement in the men’s movement, gay rights and the Radical Faeries often interacts with his images. In his new book, Harbinger Dreams, Jackson explores a series of dreams he had in relation to his taking in the realities of the AIDS crisis in its early days before lifesaving medications. RFD Press is pleased to be able to print this won- derful document of Jackson’s art. It is our first book since publishing Franklin Abbott’s Mortal Love, a collection of poetry in 1999. We are hoping to help explore some of the themes and ideas that came onto the page as art and text in his book so we asked Jim to answer a few questions for our readers. RFD: This book is a reflection on a number of dreams that you recorded visually and with words. How did you come to create this work? JIM: Expressionism is the simplest answer. I learned to make pen and ink drawings “automati- cally” filling many sketch- books during the 80’s and 90’s. Black pen and ink was easier and cheaper to reproduce in those days and RFD took some. While working spontaneously images would emerge. Most of the time some sort of fanciful humanistic characters appeared (usually male, often erotic). They were fun, however, as time passed scarier, forbidding monsters started taking over. Then came AIDS nightmares and I started drawing them. It was a tough time for me emotionally and creatively with so many friends and old lovers getting sick and dying. So I went to my therapist with some freaky drawings. RFD: Your book uses dreams as a way of delving into the fear you faced during the AIDS crisis. How did you choose to use dreams and the unconscious as a way to uncover ways through the pandemic? JIM: It was not a conscious choice; I felt the bad dreams pushed me into working on all that anxiety. My therapist, Barbara Hollerorth, was really good at getting me to stay focused on the issues until my fears could be reigned in and made more manage- able. She really valued what dream analysis and getting fully in touch with deeper often repressed feelings could do to achieve this. I think it is a good approach for dealing with pandemic fears, especially AIDS and COVID and all to come. RFD: Politically, the Eighties and early Nineties were a time filled with homophobia and the need for the gay community to unify to respond to AIDS and homophobia; do you feel your book was a way for you in a positive way to reflect on the tension and emotional exhaustion you were facing? JIM: Jay and I were incredibly lucky living in The People’s Republic of Cambridge, Mass during this time. It was a liberal and fairly safe place as far as homophobia went. We were very out and involved in many gay activities and helping found the first Faerie circles in the Boston area. I had done a stand- ing room only slide lecture on “Coming Out to My Art” at the Cambridge Adult Center. All these benefits did not help much dealing with the fear of contracting and dying from AIDS. That took the special focus of turning my art and writing toward the problem with the help of therapy. RFD: As a Radical Faerie, did those community connections influence your book? HARBINGER DREAMS Jim Jackson Creative Therapy with Pen and Ink RFD PRESS RFD 193 Spring 2023 7 JIM: That’s a big yes. There are five primary dreams explored in the book. One of them concerns dreaming of a Faerie gathering in the ruins of a cathedral. Another dream actually happened during a gathering. The drawing from the final dream was done while farm sitting at Blue Heron Farm. Also, there are other drawings and references throughout inspired by the Faeries. I am very grateful for the ongoing support and encouragement of the Faerie community, which has been vital to the work in this book and to my life. RFD: Jim you worked on this book at the begin- ning of the 1990s and you printed it as a small chap- book. What drew you to publish it today? JIM: Well, I’ve reached a quite senior age and have accumulated so much art and writing that I began looking back at things to see what I feel I re- ally want to survive and Harbinger Dreams popped up again. I tried getting it published back in the 90’s but got rejections. Getting any gay stuff published in those days was not easy. So finding the original ver- sion I decided that I could dare with RFD’s help to make it available in the online printing realm. Also, the COVID pandemic and all the associated drama made me aware that the book just might show folks that there are creative ways to deal with all their anxiety and fear. RFD: What work are you doing currently, what is next on your artistic journey? JIM: These days my paintings and sculptures are often concerned with our environmental problems. I remain concerned with what I am leaving behind and one possibility is publishing a book of my out gay art focusing on some very fantastical erotic drawings. You know stuff that even RFD couldn’t dare print back in the 70’s and 80’s but seems to be ok now. Are RFD readers interested? Jim Jackson’s Harbinger Dreams is now available from RFD Press via Amazon for $12.95, 120 pages, soft cover. https://a.co/d/2ePmYo6.Next >