The Atlantic House in Provincetown, MA initially stood out to me because it is located in a town I have visited almost every year, but had no idea about the bar\u2019s existence or historical background. Throughout conducting my initial research, it has been interesting to recognize the names of sites and figures that I have heard before, but to have my knowledge gaps about the space be filled in.<\/p>\n
Aside from the personal initially-peaked interest, I believe the Atlantic House is worthy of being a national historic site because it is possibly the oldest gay bar in the country in a community that has been know to be open and welcoming to the LGBTQ community for decades. Provincetown, MA attracted bohemians, artists, and particularly gay men for years, with the Atlantic House seeming to be at the forefront of that community and acting as a meeting place.<\/p>\n
As we have learned and discussed both in and outside of class, gay bars have been a critical part of the LGBTQ community for decades because it is a space where gay people can be themselves. They can socialize, flirt, make friends, and make sense of themselves and their identities in these spaces. I am interested to research how the Atlantic House fulfilled this need in the small beach town in Massachusetts \u2013 and how people knew to flock there as a getaway from heteronormative life. This is a stark contrast to the readings and discussions we have had on the bath houses gay men used to have to frequent in order to meet up with other gay men \u2013 with varying degrees of safety and privacy. We have also discussed how these places (see The Stonewall Inn) have been policed and the people who attended them persecuted. I want to research if The Atlantic House was subject to the same dangers, or if the community was more excepting based on it\u2019s isolation and the society values that were built up there.<\/p>\n
Additionally, I am interested to explore how the locale contributed to the work of famous writers such as Tennessee Williams and Eugene O\u2019Neill, who frequented the bar along with some other celebrities. How did this conglomerate of people come to be? Why did they all flock to this small, relatively remote town that was previously inhabited by whalers and fishermen, and how has it maintained its position as a mecca for the LGBTQ community?<\/p>\n
Finally, I would like to investigate how greater knowledge of this history could benefit the Atlantic House and the LGBTQ community today. As we have discussed via the film The Celluloid Closet<\/em>, gay people of the past (and still today) had to look for \u201cbreadcrumbs\u201d of their culture in films, characters, etc. What could the impact be if a gay space was proudly marked as one \u2013 by the government no less?<\/p>\n Bibliography<\/p>\n Ann, W. L. (1998, Jul 19). A provincetown adjunct of the new york school. New York Times<\/em> Retrieved from https:\/\/search-proquest-com.ezproxy.trincoll.edu\/docview\/431011043?accountid=14405<\/a><\/p>\n Atlantic House photo. https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiji7LL5LDSAhWH0iYKHUt1DjAQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FAtlantic_House&psig=AFQjCNH4PNaYCk3ptYTAZjqKcsJtoGZDXA&ust=1488302381858359<\/a><\/p>\n Austin, A. (2011, Jul 20). Provincetown art colony: Where light, water, and art meet. The Christian Science Monitor<\/em> Retrieved from https:\/\/search-proquest-com.ezproxy.trincoll.edu\/docview\/878236037?accountid=14405<\/a><\/p>\n Chauncey, George. 1996. \u201cPrivacy Could Only Be Had in Public.\u201d In Stud: Architectures of Masculinity<\/em>, ed. Joel Sanders, 224 \u2013 67. Princeton: Princeton Architectural Press.<\/p>\n Crim, Kathryn. “Wellfleet.” The Threepenny Review<\/em>, no. 121 (2010): 15. http:\/\/www.jstor.org.ezproxy.trincoll.edu\/stable\/25651118<\/a>.<\/p>\n DEVALL, WILLIAM. “LEISURE AND LIFESTYLES AMONG GAY MEN: AN EXPLORATORY ESSAY.” International Review of Modern Sociology<\/em> 9, no. 2 (1979): 179-95. http:\/\/www.jstor.org.ezproxy.trincoll.edu\/stable\/41420700<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fillo, M., & COURANT, S. W. (2006, May 21). TIMELESS SANDS ; CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS. Hartford Courant<\/em> Retrieved from https:\/\/search-proquest-com.ezproxy.trincoll.edu\/docview\/257342415?accountid=14405<\/a><\/p>\n Friedman, Jeffrey, Aldo Fabrizi, and Robert Epstein. 2001. The Celluloid Closet. <\/em>Sony.<\/p>\n Gieseking, Jen Jack. \u201cLGBTQ Spaces and Places.\u201d In LGBT America: A Theme Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer History, <\/em>edited by Megan Springate. Washington, D.C.: National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2016.<\/p>\n Gross, M. J. (1999, Jun 06). A sandy stage for many A character. New York Times<\/em> Retrieved from https:\/\/search-proquest-com.ezproxy.trincoll.edu\/docview\/431175126?accountid=14405<\/a><\/p>\n Hanhardt, Christina. 2016. \u201cBroken Window\u2019s at Blue\u2019s: A Queer History of Gentrification and Policing.\u201d Versobooks.com. <\/em>June 14. http:\/\/www.versobooks.com\/blog\/2704-broken-windows-at-blue-s-a-queer-history-of-gentrification-and-policing<\/a>.<\/p>\n Harry, Joseph. “Urbanization and the Gay Life.” The Journal of Sex Research<\/em> 10, no. 3 (1974): 238-47. http:\/\/www.jstor.org.ezproxy.trincoll.edu\/stable\/3811549<\/a>.<\/p>\n HILDERBRAND, LUCAS. “A Suitcase Full of Vaseline, or Travels in the 1970s Gay World.” Journal of the History of Sexuality<\/em> 22, no. 3 (2013): 373-402. http:\/\/www.jstor.org.ezproxy.trincoll.edu\/stable\/24616541<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kaufman, Moises, Tectonitc Theater Project, Leigh Fondakowski, Greg Pierotti, and Andy Paris. 2014. The Laramie Project & The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later. <\/em>NY: Vintage.<\/p>\n McQuaid, C. (1998, Aug 13). Myron stout returns to provincetown. Boston Globe<\/em> Retrieved from https:\/\/search-proquest-com.ezproxy.trincoll.edu\/docview\/405237012?accountid=14405<\/a><\/p>\n Nestle, Joan. 1997. \u201cRestrictions and Reclamation: Lesbian Bars and Beaches on the 1950s.\u201d In Queers in Space: Communities, Public Places, Sites of Resistance, <\/em>eds. Ingram, Bouthillette, Retter, 61 \u2013 68. Seattle: Bay Press.<\/p>\n Poirer, Paris. 1993. Last Call at Maud\u2019s. <\/em>Documentary, History. Stone Water.<\/p>\n “::::::: The A-House ::: The Tradition Continues ::::::.” ::::::: The A-House ::: The Tradition Continues ::::::. Accessed February 27, 2017. http:\/\/www.ahouse.com\/history.html<\/a>.<\/p>\n Thomas,Robert McG.,,Jr. (1996, Aug 22). Reginald cabral, 72, who tended provincetown’s past, dies. New York Times<\/em> Retrieved from https:\/\/search-proquest-com.ezproxy.trincoll.edu\/docview\/430626849?accountid=14405<\/a><\/p>\n