House of Knotty: Shibari Tea Dance
What is the history of the Tea Dance?
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Between 1950-1960 the Tea Dance was a clandestine LGBTQ+ event held typically on Sunday afternoons outside of New York City. They were often located in outdoor locations for queer singles to mingle in a safe and protected environment. The name comes from the traditional tea dances of the English countryside.
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The Tea Dance soon became a symbol of LGBTQ+ activism and protest. It was illegal through the mid-1960s for bars to sell alcohol to queer clientele. New York City police were known to conduct violent raids on underground gay bars attacking the LGBTQ+ community as we see in the Stonewall riots in 1969.
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This is why the queer community in the area began to hold tea dances outside of the city as an alternative event. For example, outside of New York, tea dances took place at Fire Island, Cherry Grove, and the Pines. Tea was often served rather than alcohol making the event less law-defying, sending a clear message to local law enforcement and state legislators, “You can’t stop us, we are here to stay.” Because the Tea Dance was held in the early afternoon, attendees would be able to catch a ferry and return home to Manhattan and be ready to start the workweek, most likely, a little less horny.
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“The history of the gay tea dances.” Pride News, 5 March 2022
Photo: The Tea Dance Est. 1966 – Fire Island & Pines Historical Society
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