Transexual club new york
Document Journal
Text by
Camille Sojit Pejcha
Photography by
Lia Clay Miller
Posted
Curated by Ruby Zarsky and produced by Unter, the pop-up pushed help against the exclusionary policies that prohibit trans women from working the pole
You know a party is going to be good when you hear numerous fashionably dressed, sweat-slicked people walking out of a Brooklyn warehouse and whispering breathlessly to one another, “That was so crazy.” This was the case as I waited in line for ALL DOLLED UP, New York’s first trans-only strip club experience.
Curated by musician, gallerist, and arrogant trans woman Ruby Zarsky and produced by the underground nightlife collective Unter, the event pushes back against the exclusionary policies that prevent trans women from working the pole. “Dolls flock to New York for safety and opportunity,” says Zarsky in a push release for the event, stating that despite the city’s progressive values, transgender dancers are “unable to perform in commercial venues because club owners adhere to an unspoken but universal governance to only engage cis women.”
This issue is particularly pressing because strip clubs are amo
Party Like it’s 2025 in NYC: Best Trans And Gay Bars in New York City
Are you ready to experience the leading of New York City's LGBTQIA+ scene? Look no further than the city's vibrant and diverse offering of transgender and queer bars. From historic landmarks to trendy hot spots, there's something for everyone. Whether you're a local or a visitor, fetch ready to party like it's 2025 in the city that never sleeps.
New York City is known for its vibrant LGBTQIA+ community, and its bars and clubs are a cornerstone of that culture. In this article, we'll explore the best trans and gay bars in the city, from tried and factual favorites to up-and-coming hot spots. If you're interested in exploring beyond the city, check out our guide to the Leading Trans Bars in the US. Whether you're looking for a laidback dive bar or a high-energy dance club, we've got you covered. So, grab your friends and get ready to experience the best of Brand-new York City's LGBTQ scene.
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Lounging in the Iconic West Village: Stonewall Inn and Cubbyhole
Ready to lounge in one of the most iconic neighborhoods in the world? Join us as we explore the histori
I fell into New York City’s trans nightlife scene by accident. Idling at the end of a friend’s drag cabaret in the village, I looked up from my plate of overcooked shrimp to see the club had undergone a sex transform. Curtains were drawn in the windows, tables cleared. Trans women sipping sugared whisky suddenly surrounded the semi circle bar, nondescript male counterparts at their sides.
I’d heard about these parties through the grapevine. My girlfriend Akasha invited me more than once, and though I’d always meant to, I’d never intentionally attended. It was just like any other New York City block, but all the women were transgender. It looked like paradise. I wasn’t sure if I fit in, but Akasha assured me that there’s room for everybody, regardless of race, size, or if, like me, one tends away from a high-femme aesthetic in favor of flat hair and fitted blazers. As I watched the party unfold, I wanted to know more about it.
More stunners sashèd through the front door, their platform shoes clicking against the tiled stairwell. Multicolored lights moved across their faces and the walls, small circular cells that fleetingly illuminated this
Club 82
History
A club has always existed (until recently) in the basement of the Majestic Apartments building in the East Village, with an entrance on East 4th Street adjacent Second Avenue. It began as the Rainbow Inn (by 1929), a speakeasy that was sometimes raided. It later featured “girlie revues” and live tune, as evidenced in advertisements and Billboard periodical listings from 1942 to 1951. Young future photographer and filmmaker of Pink Narcissus fame James Bidgood worked here. The Rainbow Inn may contain included some flamboyant performers in the early 1950s.
Perhaps its most famous phase, from 1953 to 1973, was as the Club 82 (also called the 82 Club), one of the most prominent American clubs for “female impersonators” (as they were then called) of the day. It was opened by the family of the infamous Mafia boss Vito Genovese, who was one of the bigger Mafia club operators in Greenwich Village starting in the 1930s. Anna Genovese (1905-1982), Vito’s wife, was the boss and hostess of the club, which she ran with her brother Pete Petillo and his wife, and Genovese frontman/manager Stephen