WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – RAW VIDEO: Past, Present and Future of HG Roosters Reconstruction
RAW VIDEO: the past, present and future of the HG Roosters reconstruction.
HG Roosters, the LBGTQ bar that had to close due to a fire in May, launches an effort to preserve its history.
AJ Wasson, the owner of HG Roosters, is asking the city of West Palm Beach for a historic designation for its bar for two reasons.
“They’ve had some challenges in terms of zoning and construction, where it’s actually where they keep the history for their benefit,” said Friederike Mittner, West Palm Beach’s historic conservation planner.
Preservation allows the variant of roosters during reconstruction and tax exemptions for improvements. But it would also preserve significant history for LGBTQs in Palm Beaches.
“It’s the oldest gay bar in Florida,” said Julie Seaver, Compass’s chief executive.
Opened as a gay bar in 1965 serving as a refuge for gays.
“They couldn’t be openly gay because they were ostracized by the community,” Wasson said.
And to avoid hate crimes and harassment, they moved the entrance from the very crowded Belvedere Road.
“So Gene introduced the side door [near the back]Wasson said.
“When you went to Roosters, you would be harassed by the people who were driving, and things would be thrown at you,” said Rick Rose, a Palm Beach historian and author.
“This also indicates the historical nature of the windows. In a way, it offered a certain sense of security, probably,” Wasson said.
“It was our safe space, a safe haven for LGBT people to gather, socialize and pray and mourn the loss of the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and early 1990s,” Seaver said.
“It’s a great historic site. It’s not an opportunity for every building,” Mittner said.
“The heritage of this building dates back to the mid-sixties, which is the same as the Stone Wall Inn in New York,” Wasson said.
Stone Wall is where the gay rights movement began.
“Police raided bars because they were gay,” Seaver said.
This then led to riots in New York.
“We’ve never been just a business. We’re part of the community,” Wasson said.
“[Roosters] has raised money for countless organizations, “Rose said.
“We want to highlight the contributions to the community from a philanthropic point of view and, obviously, a cause of social justice,” Mittner said.
“We don’t want this to be separate from the history that has disappeared. We want to keep the roosters,” Wasson said.
To get the historical name, there are a few more obstacles to overcome. First, he must go before the historic council on February 23. Then, in March and April, I go before the commissioners of the city where the measure is expected to pass.
With the local designation, they will join about 50 other historic sites in West Palm Beach.