East Village LGBT Walking Tour

Although the storied LGBT history of Greenwich Village gets a lot of play, the East Village has a beloved LGBT past and present too. When gentrification began displacing some of Greenwich Village’s resident, much of the cultural energy moved east – creating what gradually became known as the East Village. It is where the Beats lived, where Punk reigned supreme, and where the musical Rent is set, depicted impoverished young artists struggling in the shadow of AIDS. As in every place where the arts have thrived, so has a vibrant and varied gay culture. W. H. Auden, Allen Ginsberg, and Quentin Crisp called the East Village home; and socialized in famous gay bars like the Cock and in Tompkins Square Park, where Wigstock was founded in 1984. Join expert tour guide Andrew Lear on this stroll through the East Village exploring sites including the disco where the 1920s’ famous “pansy balls” took place, and the place where Walt Whitman first read his “Calamus” poems to his Bohemian friends.

Event photo: Wigstock, Ira Fox. Ira Fox is a professional photographer based in New York-his background as an actor is reflected in his improvisational style and composition, which give his photos a captivating and cinematic appeal. Ira’s street photography has received international attention and has been in numerous exhibitions as well as private collections. Please contact Ira at ira@irafox.com www.irafox.com with questions regarding print sales and assignments.