History lessons

Dyke Heights and Other Sights educates about Lansing’s LGBT history

Posted

THURSDAY, OCT. 23 – It was a Lansing tour like no other.

Dyke Heights and Other Sights: an LGBT History Tour of Lansing held Wednesday night highlighted little, to lesser known facts about the struggle for gender and sexual equality.

Deanna Hurlbert, the director of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) Resource Center at Michigan State University, said the tour was a way to have people meet the LGBT community and allies and just get off the campus.

“So many students come to Michigan State and never see the capitol; they never go past (U.S. Route) 127 and Frandor,” said Hurlbert.

Lansing has a very rich and diverse history with the LGBT community.

Laurie Hollinger, an editorial assistant at the Lansing State Journal, and one of the tour guides, gave an overview of feminist and LGBT activism in the 1970s.

“Timeline wise the activism really didn’t start until ‘71,” Hollinger said. “Folks just got tired of being harassed for who they were. Up until then it had been decided that it would be illegal to be anything other than heterosexual. You could be arrested for wearing clothes of the opposite gender.”

Hollinger discussed a store called The Book Co-op, a famous lesbian owned book store which opened in 1978 by Marilyn Frye and Lyn Shafer.

“Marilyn Frye, retired from MSU about five years ago, she still lives in the area,” said Hollinger. “It was because of her classes, feminist philosophy courses, many women came from across the country to study here at MSU.”

The group rode the public bus for their tour.

“Stober’s bar which is still in operation, but back in the ‘70s or early ‘80s they were the only place in town to catch a drag show,” Hollinger said.

Club Paradise, a woman’s bar was brought up, which was open from 1993-2008. Grace Jones once performed there.

Today places like Esquire Bar and Spiral Dance Bar both operating since the ‘90s are the only real nightlife left in Lansing for the gay community, tour guides said, representing a sharp decline.

The tour ended at Sir Pizza on Grand River Avenue in Old Town. It is a lesbian owned and operated establishment.

Freshman Kristy Griswold said she joined the tour because some friends were going and she wanted to learn more about Lansing.

“I learned a lot about Lansing’s firsts,” she said. “It was first in a lot of things, fairness of hiring women, all the gay bars that were around here.”

Ally Nelson said it was important to attend.

“I came on this tour, even though I have an exam tomorrow at 8:30 because I’m new to the area, and don’t know anything about queer history here and it’s something I’m interested in and something I think is important to learn.”

Dan Smith an assistant professor of theater studies at MSU said he his takeaway trivia was that Lansing had a Sin Strip where the Cooley Law School Stadium is now.

Hurlbert said there have been several tours over the last few years.

“It’s one of the highlights of experience in the students first year,” she said.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here




Connect with us