This place provides a haven, an outlet and a time that most are not soon to forget. Growing up in south-central Montana, albeit in the state’s largest city, meant keeping pretty quiet about being gay.Īs I came of age, the local gay bar on the outskirts of town, The Corral, was where I and others could go and be open about who we really were. I am typically introverted, keeping to myself and preferring alone-time to social events. But The Corral provided me with a place to explore a side of myself that I kept undercover anywhere else. There were rare incidents when people came looking for fights in the parking lot, and more than once someone set off a canister of pepper spray inside the bar to send everyone running from the burning cloud of gas. Over the years, the people there became a kind of family where I could be open, becoming myself and eventually being comfortable enough to come out. My future husband and I got to know each other there, dancing, making new friends, and making future plans. We are more home-bound domestics now, rarely going to gay bars. But The Corral was an essential part of becoming the open, well-adjusted gay men we are today. Not only was it the oldest, it was the only one unionized, and it had the best burger with potato salad in the neighborhood.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |