Homosexuals and lesbians were often forced to keep a very low profile, if only for self-preservation. Arrest, loss of one’s job, and social condemnation were very real possibilities to those whose secret was discovered. Still, as soul-crushing as news of extreme acts of violence can be, we can’t forget how much progress has been made.īefore the days of political activism, being gay was something one often kept to oneself or shared only with a close circle of friends. In the past few months, the United States has celebrated a few important milestones in the history of civil rights for gay Americans: the designation of the Stonewall Inn in New York City as a National Monument to Gay Rights and the first anniversary of the historic Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage in all 50 states.īut while there has been undeniable social and political progress in recent memory, there have also been stark reminders of continued hatred and intolerance against LGBTQ individuals by hateful and intolerant people - among them the recent mass shooting in Orlando and, here in Dallas, the ongoing physical attacks in and around Oak Lawn which have prompted Mark Cuban to donate one million dollars to the Dallas Police Department in order to increase patrols and to better protect the city’s LGBTQ community. Sbeity, who grew up in Lebanon and moved to the United States in 2006.A Photo History of Dallas’ Gay Bars of the 1970s. “We’ve had plenty of people who support Trump and have worn Trump hats, and we don’t skip a beat in welcoming them in and offering them food and kindness,” said Mr. Not even red-state politics comes between a customer and Laziz’s grilled halloumi. A poster at the entrance welcomes refugees. Sbeity, 33, prefers to call Laziz a queer, not gay, restaurant to signal “that we are inclusive in love.” The Pride flag flying outside is the redesigned version with stripes added for the trans community and people of color. Moudi Sbeity founded the Mediterranean restaurant in 2017 with Derek Kitchen, then his husband, who was elected to the Utah State Senate a year later. If there’s a restaurant that points a way forward for queer dining, it’s Laziz Kitchen, in Salt Lake City. “We need to be in spaces with each other because otherwise we don’t quite exist.” “If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that connecting digitally is not enough,” particularly for working-class gay people, he said, like those at Naps. Katinas said, “people are coming back with tears in their eyes” because they “missed being in a space where they’re not the only gay people.” In 2019, when Annie’s received an America’s Classics award from the James Beard Foundation, the restaurant critic David Hagedorn wrote of how, in its early days, Annie “went up to two men holding hands under the table and told them they were welcome to hold hands above it.” Corporate World: What is it like to transition while working for Wall Street? A Goldman Sachs’ employee shares her experience.Īnnie was beyond supportive of the gay community and became, for many of the restaurant’s racially diverse diners, a mother figure before her death in 2013.They are now preparing to return to the office. Remote Work: Remote work during the pandemic offered some people an opportunity to move forward with a transition.
She shared some thoughts on what she saw.
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