Place
Circus Disco (Demolished)
From 1975 to 2016, Circus Disco was a significant social and cultural anchor for LGBTQ Latinxs in Los Angeles.
Lost
Circus Disco was demolished in spring 2016 in order to make way for a new mixed-use project.
Place Details
Address
Los Angeles, California 90038
Architect
Year
Style
Designation
Property Type
Community
Circus Disco, 2015. Photo by Laura Dominguez/91直播Conservancy.
Overview
Founded in 1975, Circus Disco first opened its doors in Hollywood as a dance club and entertainment venue for LGBTQ Latinxs in Los Angeles. The building itself had been constructed the previous year. Founders Gene LaPietra and Ermilio “Ed” Lemos sought to create a friendly and inclusive atmosphere within Los Angeles’ burgeoning disco scene.
Beginning in the 1960s, the number of bars and clubs visibly catering to LGBTQ communities聽rapidly increased in neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles. These establishments not only served as聽social hubs, but they also provided spaces for people to meet and organize around political issues.
Circus Disco also represented a response to the discrimination that people聽of color often experienced at venues with predominantly white patrons, particularly those in West Hollywood. Other popular nightclubs, like The Factory, often discouraged non-white patrons by requiring multiple forms of identification.
While its clientele was largely Latinx, Circus Disco considered itself聽a haven for anyone who felt unwelcome at other establishments, including trans men and women. Jewel’s Catch One in the Mid-City neighborhood, which was reportedly the nation’s first black LGBTQ disco when it opened in 1972, served a similar purpose.
The building was demolished in spring 2016 in order to make way for a new mixed-use project. The new development incorporates historic elements from Circus Disco.
Fundada en 1975, Circus Disco abri贸 sus puertas en Hollywood como un club de baile y lugar de entretenimiento para los miembros de la comunidad gay latina de Los 脕ngeles. El edificio en s铆 se hab铆a construido el a帽o anterior. Fundadores de Gene LaPietra y Ermilio “Ed” Lemos buscaron crear un ambiente acogedor e integrador dentro de la floreciente escena de discoteca de Los 脕ngeles.
A partir de la d茅cada de 1960, el n煤mero de bares y clubes visiblemente que atienden a la comunidad LGBTQ aument贸 r谩pidamente en los barrios de Los 脕ngeles. Estos establecimientos no s贸lo sirven como centros sociales, sino que tambi茅n proporcionan espacios para que las personas se re煤nan y organizan en torno a temas pol铆ticos.
Circus Disco tambi茅n represent贸 una respuesta a la discriminaci贸n que los hombres gay de color a menudo experimentaban en escenarios y discotecas con clientes predominantemente cauc谩sicos, en particular los del 谩rea de West Hollywood. Otros clubes nocturnos, por ejemplo, a menudo desanimaban y rechazaban a clientes que no eran cauc谩sicos al requerir m煤ltiples formas de identificaci贸n.
Mientras que su clientela era principalmente latina, Circus Disco se consideraba un refugio seguro para cualquier persona que no se sent铆a bienvenida en otros establecimientos. Catch One en el barrio de Mid-City, que era seg煤n se informa era la primer discoteca gay y lesbiana en la naci贸n para la comunidad negra cuando se 聽inaugur贸 en 1972, sirve un prop贸sito similar.
About This Place
About This Place
Bars and other social establishments were often the only places where LGBTQ individuals could visibly be themselves. They frequently provided their patrons with a reliable support system and served as a meeting space for political organizing.
Circus Disco also provided a space for organizers in the broader civil and labor rights movement to work with LGBTQ communities on specific campaigns.
In 1983, C茅sar Ch谩vez met with the Project Just Business, a lesbian and gay coalition, at Circus Disco.聽The coalition had invited Ch谩vez to speak on the topic of corporate boycotts and fundraising tactics.聽 The owners of Circus Disco prepared a buffet dinner for one hundred guests, and C茅sar Ch谩vez was given a standing ovation at the conclusion of his speech.聽 Ch谩vez told the diverse crowd, 鈥淵our coalition鈥t鈥檚 really important, because you represent to us people who are dedicated to a principle.聽 And you know very well what it is to be discriminated.”
Circus Disco, along with The Factory聽in West Hollywood and Jewel’s Catch One in Los Angeles’ Mid-City,聽reflected聽the critical intersection of race, gender, class, and sexual identity in the built environment of greater Los Angeles.
Bares y otros establecimientos sociales eran a menudo los 煤nicos lugares donde individuos de la comunidad LGBTQ no ten铆an que esconder sus preferencias sexuales y modo de vivir. Con frecuencia se proporcionan a sus clientes con un sistema de apoyo confiable y sirvi贸 como un espacio de encuentro para la organizaci贸n pol铆tica.
Circus Disco tambi茅n proporcion贸 un espacio para los organizadores del movimiento de los derechos civiles y laborales para que trabajaran con la comunidad LGBTQ en campa帽as espec铆ficas.
En 1983, C茅sar Ch谩vez se reuni贸 con el Proyecto Negocios Justos (Project Just Business), una coalici贸n de gays y lesbianas, en el Circus Disco. La coalici贸n hab铆a invitado a Ch谩vez a hablar sobre el tema de los boicots a corporaciones y t谩cticas para recaudar fondos. Los propietarios de Circus Disco prepararon una cena para un centenar de invitados, y a C茅sar Ch谩vez se le dio una ovaci贸n de pie al terminar su discurso. Ch谩vez dijo a la multitud diversa, “Su coalici贸n…es realmente importante, porque ustedes representan personas que se dedican a un principio. Y ustedes saben muy bien lo que es ser discriminado.”
Circus Disco, junto con The Factory en West Hollywood y Catch One en el 谩rea de Mid-City en Los Angeles, reflejan la intersecci贸n importante de raza, g茅nero, clase social y la identidad sexual en el entorno construido de Los 脕ngeles.
