White Horse Inn (Oakland, California) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White Horse Inn |
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1933 |
| Street address | 6551 Telegraph Avenue |
| City | Oakland |
| County | Alameda |
| State | California |
| Postal/ZIP code | 94609 |
| Country | United States |
The White Horse Inn is a famous gathering place located at 6551 Telegraph Avenue in Oakland's Bushrod neighborhood. It officially opened in 1933. However, some people believe it was a secret club, called a speakeasy, even before 1933. This was during a time called Prohibition, when alcohol was illegal.
The White Horse Inn is thought to be one of the oldest places for gay people to gather in the United States. Another place, Cafe Lafitte in New Orleans, Louisiana, also opened in 1933. The White Horse is close to the border of Oakland and Berkeley. It is also near the University of California, Berkeley campus.
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History of the White Horse Inn
The very early history of the White Horse Inn is not completely clear. It officially opened in 1933. This was after the 21st Amendment was passed. This amendment made alcohol legal again. But, as mentioned, some stories say it was a secret speakeasy during Prohibition.
Records show that a local businessman, Abraham C. Karski, built the White Horse Inn. He also founded the Grand Lake Theatre. When it first opened in the 1930s, the White Horse was not only for gay people. It was a "gay-friendly bar" that also had a Chinese restaurant. Ads from the 1940s said it offered "exotic Chinese dinners and distinctive American cuisine."
Many different people visited the bar. These included factory workers and people from nearby ports. Soldiers and sailors also came, especially during the Great Depression and World War II. Because it was close to the university, many students also visited. One person who started going to the White Horse in 1948 said it was known as "Cal's gay life."
A Safe Place During Tough Times
From the 1950s onward, police often targeted places where gay and lesbian people gathered in the San Francisco Bay Area. Laws about "public morals" were used to bother these places and the people who visited them. This happened when anti-gay feelings were strong after the war. People wrongly thought gay men had poor morals.
In the early 1960s, police closed almost half of all gay bars in San Francisco. These actions continued into the 1970s. Police sometimes arrested men leaving bars. They also tried to take away liquor licenses from bars. However, the White Horse Inn was never raided by the police. This made the White Horse Inn a safe place for gay and lesbian people in the area.
A Hub for Activism
Oakland and Berkeley became important places for activism in the 1960s and 1970s. For example, the Free Speech Movement held marches down Telegraph Avenue. The Berkeley chapter of the Gay Liberation Front also started around this time.
Even though the White Horse Inn was not a main center for political action, "protesters and hippies" often met there. One person noted that many visitors had "long hair and attitude." They often had strong views against the Vietnam War.
In September 1970, a sit-in protest happened at the bar. This was because the bar would not give out Gay Sunshine, a newspaper about gay liberation. It also did not allow gay couples to show physical affection. Nicholas F. Benton, a founder of the Berkeley GLF, held "People's Alternative" dance parties. This was a response to what some activists saw as the "cynical and apolitical" mood of the White Horse Inn. Some activists felt bars like the White Horse were "symbols of oppression."
The protests ended when the bar agreed to some of the protestors' requests. These included allowing slow dancing. They also let over one hundred GLF members back in. And they allowed Gay Sunshine to be distributed.
In August 2018, the crosswalks outside the White Horse were painted with rainbow colors. An unofficial group did this to support LGBTQ+ rights.
Culture and Legacy
The White Horse Inn is known as one of the most important gay bars in the country. Many publications, especially gay and lesbian guides, mention and celebrate the White Horse. Betty and Pansy's Severe Queer Review of San Francisco said the White Horse should be part of a "basic queer East Bay survival kit." In 2014, the National Park Service started a project to study and remember LGBT history. The White Horse Inn is on the list of places important to this history.
The bar has a jukebox and karaoke. It also has pool tables, pinball machines, and a dance floor with a disco ball. People often say it is calmer than other bars in the Bay Area. News articles say "it's never been particularly raunchy." A local drag king who performs there calls the White Horse a "sort of a time-capsule divey gay bar" and "old-school gay." In recent years, the bar has hosted "beer busts" and drag king shows.
People have described its customers in different ways. A sociologist in 1975 said the bar was "diverse." It had customers from the different communities around it. A publication in 1983 said it had "a mixed crowd" of genders, but was "primarily white." In the 1970s, the White Horse Inn had a Women's Night. This was a popular time for women to meet and flirt. It was also close to a now-closed lesbian feminist bookstore, Mama Bears. This made it a popular spot for lesbian women.
The White Horse Inn has been a gathering place for the gay and lesbian community during important times. For example, people gathered there to protest against Proposition 8 in California in 2008. This law made gay marriage illegal at the time. In 2013, the bar joined boycotts against Russian vodka. This was in response to a Russian "anti-gay propaganda law."
In October 2014, the White Horse Inn was used as a setting for the HBO show "Looking."
On June 16, 2016, after the Orlando nightclub shooting, the podcast The Memory Palace released an episode called "A White Horse." It told the history of the White Horse Inn. It also highlighted the strong community it represented for LGBTQ people. This episode is played again every year around the anniversary of the shooting.
