Red Room
Houston drag bars
The Red Room opened in December 1965 and was early prominent bar in Houston. The bar hosted amateur night for female impersonators on Tuesdays. They hosted prominent female impersonators such as Tiffany Jones. The Red Room closed in December 1974.
Wagon Wheel
Houston drag bars
The Wagon Wheel was a female impersonation club that opened in 1936. This was one of the first Houston clubs that featured female impersonators. A fire destroyed the club in 1938, which was suspected to be arson.
http://www.houstonlgbthistory.org/wagonwheel.html
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Miss Camp America
Houston Drag Pageants
The Miss Camp America Pageant began in 1969 as a birthday party for Pat Petty. This competition ran until 2006 and included more than 250 members. In 1988, the pageant became a foundation has donated over $1 million in profits to charity, primarily AIDS-related charities. After the pageant was retired, the Miss Camp America Pageant crown was gifted to the Gulf Coast Archive & Museum of GLBT History [GCAM]. The crown can be seen on display at the first floor Cultural Center in the Montrose Counseling Center building. The name itself is a play on the Miss America pageant and the pageant is supposed to be a parody of the Miss America Pageant. The Miss Camp America organization was also very engaged in the community.
According to This Week in Texas, members of Miss Camp America visited AIDS patients in local hospitals on a monthly basis. During the year of 1990, they distributed practical gifts to each patient. For the holidays, they made and distributed special gifts appropriate for the season (This Week in Texas, 1990). The chairman of the board during that time, David Stewart, spoke about the strong support they also showed to the Stone Soup food pantry. Each month, members of Miss Camp America published “a list of most-needed items in [their] newsletter. [Their] members [brought] those items to [their] monthly meeting and they [were] delivered to the Stone Soup food pantry” (This Week in Texas, 1990). They as well provide many other fund-raising organizations with “manpower, costumes and sometimes even the campiest showgirls in town” (This Week in Texas, 1990). Miss Camp America’s community involvement included organizations such as Star Nite ‘90, Stone Soups, AIDS Foundation Houston, the Gay Switchboard of Houston, and the Montrose Clinic.
http://www.houstonlgbthistory.org/misc-mca.html
Miss Camp America. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://www.houstonlgbthistory.org/misc-mca.html
Miss Camp America Pageant
Eva Ma
03/09/2017
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Mary's
Houston Drag Bars
Said by Outsmart to have anchored Houston’s gay community in Montrose, Mary’s was a gay bar in Houston, Texas that opened as Mary’s Naturally in 1970 by Jim “Fanny” Farmer. Before its closing in November 2009, Mary’s contributed a significant amount of money, effort, and fun to the LGBTQ+ community.
During its life, Mary’s was described as “the place to get off.” An unofficial rule of Mary’s was that underwear couldn’t be worn; before the pairs were taken down in the 80’s, newcomers’ underwear were draped on the rafters. Mary’s wasn’t just a place to have fun, though. It also became a place where gay men organized community and political events, and a lot of the profit (including the tips from drag performances and vegetables from the garden out back) was donated to charity.
Matusow, C. (2016, April 02). Zipping Up Mary's. Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://www.houstonpress.com/news/zipping-up-marys-6557633
Mary's Mural Returns BUT Is Montrose still the 'gay-borhood' (2015, February 17). Retrieved February 22, 2017, from
Rich's Nightclub
Houston Drag Bars
Rich’s Nightclub was opened in 1983, shut down in 2013, and reopened in 2016 with extensive remodelling. The venue still occasionally has drag shows. Some of the parties that Rich’s used to hold were a garden party, grey party, tea dances, trash disco, and an annual foam party. Rich’s Nightclub claims to be Houston’s largest LGBT nightclub with 15,000 square feet, multiple floors, lounges, and a patio.
Rich's. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2017, from
http://www.houstonlgbthistory.org/misc-richs.html
Mistretta, A. (2016, July 22). Rich's Reborn. Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://www.mygayhouston.com/blog/post/richs-reborn/
South Beach Houston
Houston Drag Bars
South Beach is a club in Montrose inspired by the nightlife in South Beach, Florida. This club is known for popular drag shows, male dancers, and foam parties. South Beach frequently hosts contestants from Ru Paul’s Drag Race on Saturdays. The “So You Think You Can Drag!” Competition, held on Thursdays, was relocated to South Beach after Meteor Lounge closed in July 2016. South Beach is popular to a younger population, plays EDM/electronic dance music over a state-of-the-art sound system, and liquid ice jets to cool the dance floor.
South Beach Night Club. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://www.southbeachthenightclub.com/
http://www.southbeachthenightclub.com/
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TC's Premiere Showbar
Houston Drag Bars
TC’s Premiere Showbar is located in Montrose that opened during the summer of 2009. This venue was formerly known as Cousin’s until it was purchased by Tim Pugh. It has since been remodeled and the crowd that frequents the bar has completely changed and continues to grow. TC’s was voted the #1 Drag Showbar in October 2010 by Out-Smart Magazine. They host nightly drag shows except on Tuesdays, when they are closed.
JR's Bar and Grill
Houston Drag Bars
JR’s Bar and Grill is a gay watering hole located in Montrose. Opened in 1986, it is the oldest bar in Houston that is still operating. The building was originally a train depot, a grocery store, and then an emporium before it became a bar for the Houston LGBT community. It is popular for amateur strip contests, karaoke, and drag shows. This techno bar is not as elegant as the others, but it attracts a more laid- back crowd with Southwestern-style decor and a nice patio. On Tuesdays, they host Charlie’s Angels Drag RuVue, a popular drag show.
http://www.houstonlgbthistory.org/misc-jrs.html
F Bar Houston
Houston Drag Bars
FBar is a high energy, upscale gay club located in Midtown. They have a velvet-draped stage, several chandeliers, and a lavish patio. Fbar has won awards from ZAGAT, VisitHouston.com, HoustonPress for Best Hot Gay Dance Club, Favorite LGBT Bar, and Best Drag Bar. On Tuesdays they host the FD4 Award-Winning Drag Show. On Wednesdays they host Talent Night, and on Sundays they have the F Latin Divas Drag Show. FBar proudly supports a diverse population with the call “Come Get Gorgeous!”
F BAR. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2017, from http://fbarhouston.com/
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