State names Julius’ Bar, key player in gay rights movement, a historic site

The Greenwich Village tavern joins landmarked Stonewall Inn

Julius’ Bar in the Greenwich Village via Google Maps
Julius’ Bar in the Greenwich Village via Google Maps

It’s here, it’s queer, get used to it. Julius’ Bar in Greenwich Village, which played a pivotal role in the gay rights movement, will join the state and national registers of historic places.

The state’s Board for Historic Preservation made the recommendation, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced it on Wednesday. Julius’, at 159 West 10th Street, is the city’s oldest gay bar.

In the 1960s, the State Liquor Authority considered bars that openly served homosexuals “disorderly houses,” and there was a prohibition against serving them. In 1966, four activists accompanied with reporters challenged this by staging a “sip in” at Julius’ Bar, according to the bar’s website. The protest prompted an investigation by city’s Human Right’s Commission.

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When Julius’ is added to the registers, it will be eligible for grants and other government aid for preservation efforts, the New York Daily News reported.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Stonewall Inn, considered by many to be the birthplace of the gay rights movement, as a landmark last June, largely for cultural reasons. [NYDN]Dusica Sue Malesevic