Name of gay bar bette midler performed in nyc

Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More. He was The Brooklyn native died Feb. Privately-run bathhouses proliferated in the soffering a haven for gay and bisexual men to meet during a time when laws prevented same-sex couples from even dancing together.

When AIDS emerged in the s, though, bathhouses were blamed for helping spread the disease and were forced to close or shuttered voluntarily.

Sex, disco and fish on acid: how Continental Baths became the world's most influential gay club

As its popularity soared, Ostrow added a cabaret stage, labyrinth, restaurant, bar, gym, travel desk and medical clinic. Lustbader said at its peak, the Continental Baths was open 24 hours a day and seven days a week, with some 10, people visiting its roughly rooms each week. The Continental Baths also became a destination for groundbreaking music, with its DJs shaping the dance sounds that would become staples of pop culture.

Ostrow moved to Australia in the s, where he served as director of the Sydney Academy of Vocal Arts, according to his obituary. Copyright The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Open in Our App. Check your local listings at spectrumnoticias.