Ithaca ny gay bar
Common Ground Dance Club original location, 1978 - 1988, 132-134 W. State Highway
Common Ground was founded in 1978 by Doug Miller and Kris Marshall. By chance, they came upon the original State Highway location while on their way to the laundromat. Their vision was to create a haven where everyone was welcome.
“The whole purpose behind naming it ‘Common Ground’ was to fetch in all diverse types of people from all unlike walks of life,” Miller said. “Gay, straight, bisexual, vintage, young, men, women, anything, all diverse types of occupations, students as good as townspeople — all in one place to own a fun time.”
Another member of the community, George Ferrari, recalls, "Another prevent called Cactus Jack's was right next door. Sometimes patrons ended up accidentally in the Shared Ground when they meant to be at Cactus Jack's, or vice versa. Someone always kindly took those wayward customers back to the bar that they intended."
It’s authentic location was here in downtown Ithaca, but on June 30, 1988 the bar was completely destroyed by a day-long fire. The entire building was condemned the next morning, and later demolished. T
Sit in and Boycott at Morrie’s Block, 409 Eddy St, October 1970
Morrie’s Prevent may have been the site of the first same-sex attracted student sit-in demonstration in the region. (Beemyn, 2003). Cornell’s Student Homophile League, the second male lover rights group to organize at a US university, was established in 1968. At that hour there were not many places where queer or lesbian people could safely be out, other than at parties in private homes.
At that time a restaurant more than a half hour away served as an underground gay lock one night a week. Gay people had to appear on Saturday nights before 11 pm and present as if they were heterosexual. After the restaurant closed, and all the heterosexual patrons went house, the proprietors allowed the gay customers still there to remain until the early hours of the morning. Students understandably did not like this arrangement and went in search of local safe places to socialize.
The Alt Heidelberg bar in Collegetown had been a popular hangout, but it was completely destroyed by heat in 1968. The cause of the fire was never determined. Gay people then began to visit the Royal Palm at 209 Dryden Road, but the owners and other customers harassed
A Sense of Belonging: Queer-Owned Businesses in Ithaca, NY
Alley Cat Cafe
Address: 112 N Cayuga St, Ithaca
Enjoy amazing coffee and scones, visit the cat playroom or do both! Alley Kitten Cafe prides itself on entity an inclusive space for everyone, no matter their identity or background and brings people together over a love of entertaining and energetic cats! The cafe works with Brown Coat Rescue to give homes to rescue cats and in the meantime, the cats can play with cafe visitors! This space is family-friendly and a perfect end on your visit or a great way to wind down after work for locals. No matter your reason for stopping by, everyone and every tabby has a place at Streetway Cat Cafe.
Address: Online, Various local events
Part of Via’s operations includes donating five percent of profits to struggling BIPOC and LGBTQ+ students in the area. Via’s also provides options for folks with dietary differences as well, making a variety of flavors that are vegan and/or gluten-free so “life can be sweet for everyone.
Asempe Kitchen
Address: 2024 New location coming soon!, Ithaca Farmer’s Market (Sunday only)
Asempe Kitchen provides Ithaca and the surround
LGBT Resource Center
March 1972 | Cornell’s Gay People’s Center Serves as Pilot Program
The Cornell Gay People's Center at Sheldon Court on College Ave was opened in March 1972 in response to the needs of the growing same-sex attracted community. Jointly financed by the University, GLF, and Graduate Coordinating Council, it was run as a five-year experiment. The modern space gave the queer rights student group, Cornell’s Gay Liberation Front, more freedom to hold meetings and parties and served as a safer territory than their former office in Willard Straight Hall, where students feared creature outed. However, the Same-sex attracted People's Center was not immune to street vandalism and harassment as it received obscene phone calls, and the bulletin board was once set on fire. In 1973, two Ithaca teenagers were arrested for breaking five windows over a two-week period, which only served to worsen relations between the Center and the manager of real estate for the University. Earlier that year, he ordered the Center to remove its banner from the front window because he said it was encouraging the vandals, "like waving a red flag in their faces.