Julius' Bar, New York

Julius' Bar is the oldest gay bar and tavern in New York City that is still operating. It was founded around 1867 although there are reports that it used to be a grocery store before then. Julius grew in popularity in the 40s and 50s due to its proximity to many notable jazz bars in the area such as Nick's and Village Vanguard. Although it is now recognized as a gay bar, the management at Julius' were unwilling to make it a gay bar and harassed gay patrons up until the 60s even though gay men were a large chunk of the patrons who went there. This queer space is an important part of gay culture and history in New York. It was also the site of political activity such as the "Sip-In" held on April 21st, 1966 which wanted to challenge the law that kept bars from serving homosexuals as they were lumped into the category of "disorderly folk." Throughout its years, Julius' garnered a following among which were celebrities such as Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, and more. It is also featured in movies such as Boys in the Band (1970), Love is Strange (2014), and Can You Ever Forgive Me  (2018).