Gateways Club

The Gateways Club earned its reputation as the longest running lesbian club in the world because it operated in this basement for over forty years. Smithie, the woman who ran the venue starting in the nineteen forties, enforced a strict dress code that required patrons to wear ties or suits if they identified as butch. She held court at the front door where she personally vetted every person who descended the stairs to ensure they fit the specific community atmosphere she cultivated. This club provided a rare secure sanctuary for women who were otherwise marginalized or excluded from mainstream social venues throughout the twentieth century.