WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – RAW VIDEO: HG Roosters’ past, present and the future of reconstruction
RAW VIDEO: The past, the present and the future of the reconstruction of HG Roosters.
HG Roosters, the LBGTQ bar that had to close its doors because of a fire in may, is making efforts 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 had some challenges from a zoning and construction point of view, which is where historic preservation really comes in to benefit them,” said Friederike Mittner, West Palm Beach’s historic preservation planner.
Preservation allows for variations in roosters during reconstruction and tax breaks for improvements. But it would also preserve the significant history for LGBTQs in Palm Beaches.
“It’s the oldest gay bar in the state of Florida,” said Julie Seaver, executive director of Compass.
Opened as a gay bar in 1965, serving as a haven for closeted gays.
“They couldn’t be openly gay because they would be ostracized by the community,” said Wasson.
And to avoid hate crimes and harassment, they changed the entrance to the busy Belvedere Road.
“So Gene put the side door [near the back]”said Wasson.
“When you walked to Roosters, you were harassed by people driving by other people passing by and things were thrown at you,” said Rick Rose, a Palm Beach historian and author.
“It also points to the historic nature of the windows. In a way, it gave a sense of security, perhaps,” said Wasson.
“It was our safe space, a safe haven for LGBT people to come together and socialize, pray and mourn the loss during the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and early 1990s,” said Seaver.
“It is a great historic site. It is not an opportunity for all buildings,” said Mittner.
“The legacy of this building goes back to the mid-60s, which is the same as the Stone Wall Inn in New York,” said Wasson.
Stone Wall is where the gay rights movement started.
“The police were breaking into bars because they were gay,” said Seaver.
This then led to riots in New York.
“We were never just a business. We are part of the community,” said Wasson.
“[Roosters] raised money for countless organizations, “said Rose.
“We want to highlight contributions to the community from a philanthropic point of view and obviously a cause of social justice,” said Mittner.
“We don’t want this to be part of the story that is gone. We want to keep the Rooster,” said Wasson.
In order to obtain historical designation, there are a few more obstacles that they need to overcome. First, they have to go before the historic picture on February 23rd. Then, in March and April, they go ahead of the city commissioners where the measure is to be passed.
With the local designation, they will join about 50 other historic sites in West Palm Beach.