One regular was former Tampa mayor Dick Greco, who would take out-of-town guests there to see the drag shows. "It was legendary."Įl Goya Mall attracted heterosexuals, too. "The entrance had a giant lagoon with a huge waterfall," said Alvarez, the former restaurant owner. The committee was disbanded in 1965.īut the bar reopened on a grander scale, as El Goya Mall - offering five lounges including one with a country-western theme. The LGBTQ community was also targeted by the John's Committee established in 1956 by the Florida Legislature to root out what were deemed to be subversive activities. No one was charged, but 12 women dressed in "mannish clothing" were photographed and fingerprinted, according to the Tribune. "We're going to put a stop to this activity once and for all." "My orders came from the top," an officer was quoted as saying in the Tampa Tribune. In July 1957, Tampa's Jimmie White's Tavern was raided. Police used the crime as a pretense to intensify their crackdown. He was last seen alive at the Knotty Pine. was found beaten unconscious along Riverhills Drive in Tampa and died a month later. When police entered the bar, those dancing would quickly switch from same-sex to opposite-sex partners. The Knotty Pine opened in the 1940s on the corner of Polk and Morgan streets. The history of Tampa's own gay bars mirrors the changes nationwide. "It's unbelievable how open it is now," West said.Ī gay bar figures prominently in that timeline - Greenwich Village's Stonewall Inn, where riots broke out 50 years ago when homosexuality was illegal and patrons lashed out against constant raids. Today, communities on both sides of Tampa Bay elect openly gay candidates, and this weekend, they host Pride parades. The auction items span a period of growing acceptance for gay people in American society, he said.