Cradle of Texas Gay Liberty: An Alternate History of the Alamo City

Editor's Notes

• #2: As a tourist destination, San Antonio is known for many things: the Alamo, the missions, the Riverwalk, and great Mexican food. The Alamo, as the “Cradle of Texas Liberty” exemplifies Texas as a fiercely independent state, where history has been wild and rugged. While the Alamo might be the city’s most iconic symbol of its history, there is an alternative past, far more interesting and captivating. Today, we will travel through the portal to San Antonio’s queer past exploring individuals, events, and places divergent from those commonly investigated in the history of the Alamo city.
• #3: **Note about terminology-the terms LGBTQ, lesbian, gay, transgender are anchored in contemporary history and therefore, are not always accurate or appropriate when describing the past. Additionally, it can be difficult to use LGBTQ over and over again. I use the term queer as an umbrella term to describe different ways of being on the spectrum of queerness. As we traverse decades, we look at the nascent beginnings of San Antonio’s queer culture. We will explore how changing notions of gender norms led to regulation of gays and lesbians and the spaces in which they came together. Pivotal to carving out safe space, were gay and lesbian bars and the sanctuaries they provided. At the end of the presentation, we will discuss the importance of LGBTQ archives in the preservation of queer history.
• #5: At the turn of the 20th century, Vaudeville-variety venues-featured a broad array of performers. Acrobats, comedy duos, dancers, and clowns trod the boards of local theaters. Vaudeville performers were often part of national troupes that traversed the country visiting cities across America. Burlesque or “girlie shows” provided saucy entertainment for audiences. Within the Vaudeville circuit, female impersonators were extremely popular and often procured top billing. Male impersonators were also quite popular as gender bending shows captured the imagination of theater customers. Gilbert Sarony, pictured here, “the greatest female impersonator on the American stage” (according to the SA Express News), appeared at San Antonio’s Electric Park in 1906, family destination next to San Pedro Springs Park (the 2nd oldest public park in the U.S.). Crossing the gender divide was seen as an art and Sarony’s representation of the frailties of the feminine was reported as amazingly convincing. Other female impersonators graced San Antonio stages including a performer known only as “Almond,” spelled like the nut.
• #6: Male impersonators, like Kitty Donor pictured here, shared the stage with their female counterparts. Most impersonators were adamant about their heterosexuality as social proscriptions against homosexuality prohibited individuals from openly expressing their same sex desires. Julian Eltinge, the most well-known female mimic of the time, fooled audience goers into believing he was a woman. The illusion was so successful, some simply could not believe Eltinge was a man. When his masculinity was called into question, Eltinge took pains to ensure his off-stage persona was one of hyper masculinity. Not everyone followed Eltinge’s lead… This brings us to the curious case of Zelldo Bunkerr.
• #7: Zelldo Bunkerr was a famous performer with many talents, most notable of which was his art of female impersonator. Had it not been for a front page story in a local newspaper, Zelldo’s appearance in San Antonio in 1909 as one of many female mimics on the Vaudeville circuit might have disappeared into the mist of the past. Context: Red Light District-safe haven for homosexuals
• #8: Zelldo Bunkerr, well-known female impersonator disappears. His concerned friends searched his apartment for clues to his whereabouts and found a stash of letters hidden under his mattress. The letters were enclosed in envelopes and addressed to specific people. All letters were published in the SA Light and Gazette. The letter “to my friends” tells of Zelldo’s heartbreak caused by another man (or boy as he refers to him). The name of the individual in question was omitted from the articles. A friend stated that Zelldo had no financial issues and was “well-fixed.” Whether or not Zelldo had disclosed his same sex relationship to his friends and confidents will never be known. He had a flair for the dramatic, but I doubt he ever intended that his letters be published in the papers. The Brownsville Herald also reported the disappearance of the impersonator, “known over all vaudeville circuits…when last seen he was in his shirt sleeves and carried a pistol. He is said to have been driven crazy and heart broken by some love affair.” Zelldo’s love affair with another man is revealed on page one of the San Antonio Light. For an historian looking for elusive evidence of queer life, this article was a wonderfully serendipitous find. Fortunately, there was a happy ending for Zelldo who turned up in Joplin, MO 11 days after he went missing. A fun fact about Zelldo, prior to and after his days as a female impersonator, his profession was listed as clairvoyant in the census. Too bad he didn’t see heartbreak on the horizon! The largest group of patrons attending Vaudeville shows was middle and upper class women who had leisure time and discretionary income. They understood the popularity of acts that used gender crossing as a form of entertainment and amusement. Campy acts drew crowds and lots of laughs. In San Antonio, women from the upper crust of local society cashed in on their knowledge of what drew crowds and money. CAUTION: The next slide contains an image in which one individual is wearing black face. I apologize if this offensive to anyone viewing this presentation. This image is an important part of the historical record of southern culture during the early 20th century and should be taken within that context.
• #9: On April 7, 1918, the Society Page in the San Antonio Light excitedly announced a “Womanless Wedding,” coming to the stage of Beethoven Hall, a popular concert venue. The event, put on by several of San Antonio’s women’s clubs was to bring in a large crowd and raise funds to purchase Liberty Bonds in support of the war effort. The women recruited their spouses or perhaps voluntold their spouses they would be in the cast of this production. The cast included several prominent local citizens: Atlee B. Ayres, famous SA architect played the blushing bride. Texas State Senator Carlos Bee served as Maid of Honor and Harry Hertzberg makes an interesting mother of the bride. Hertzberg was an avid collector of circus memorabilia which he donated to the city. He was in a long term relationship with a local jeweler and fellow circus enthusiast Tom Scaperlanda. The camp nature of the event was a page straight out of Vaudeville. As Vaudeville waned, fascination with gender bending took continued. A new fad gripped the country: the Pansy Craze. Female impersonators moved out of the cavernous spaces of Variety venues and into sleek, intimate, modern clubs. Female impersonation was evolving into a high art and most artists were amazingly convincing.
• #10: The 1930s pushed a wave of fascination with gender deviance and difference across the U.S. The Pansy Craze—as it became known—provided the public at large with a voyeuristic glimpse into to the lives of those who dared to transgress gender boundaries. Coming on the heels of the Harlem Renaissance, attraction to the exotic world of homosexuals was not confined to major urban centers such as New York or San Francisco. Bohemian attitudes and attractions made their way to San Antonio as well. Houston Street in downtown San Antonio served as the bustling epicenter of the city’s nightlife. The Texas and Majestic theaters drew throngs to nightly performances. Tucked in amongst these two popular venues were several small clubs that attracted a clientele seeking more exotic forms of entertainment. It is within these night spots we find early signs of queer culture in San Antonio. The Nite Spot headlined female impersonator shows, a highlight of the club’s Friday night lineup. This 1937 ad from the San Antonio Light features Hotcha Hinton, a well-known female impersonator who performed in clubs across the nation.
• #11: The Gay Paree in the 1940s pulled out all the stops and brought in performers from across the country. Mr. Lucian pictured here reportedly married a European countess and was entitled to use Count before his name. Harvey Lee, originally from Arkansas was known for his elegant costumes and entrances, often accompanied by two large white Afghan hounds. These performers were top-notch, nationally known, many of home called Seattle home base. “The Boys will be girls” review highlighted Hotcha Hinton, back in the river city to dazzle audiences with her outrageous costumes and comedic burlesque. You will notice there is no “Mr.” preceding Hotcha’s name-her desire to be accepted as a woman was so intense she simply neglected to tell people she was a man.
• #12: While clubs that headlined female impersonators were a staple in SA during the 30s and 40s, not all appreciated this edgy, provocative form of entertainment. When impersonators left the clubs in drag, they ran the risk of being scooped up by police. During World War II, policing of queer spaces ramped up as the military stepped in to monitor the behavior and morality of armed forces personnel. With the persistent invasion of queer turf, gays fled to the country to escape prying eyes and the possibility of discovery.
• #13: The entertainers featured in this 1935 San Antonio Express advertisement were arrested after a resident of the hotel next to the club accused the performers of “indecent exposure.” The performers were released “after spending several hours in jail, during which they presented a program for the other guests.” District attorneys, unable to find grounds on which to the detain and charge the seven performers released the “gals” who agreed to leave the city. When the performers failed to pack up their gowns and move on, they were held once again on morals violations and charges of indecent exposure. Georgie Kay and His College Boys proved to be as popular in the courtroom as they were on stage. Many spectators who gathered in the courtroom were disappointed when the cases were continued. Phone calls to the court streamed in from locals wanting to the know the date of the trials. Perhaps some of San Antonio’s straight citizens were not brave enough to go to the Nite Spot or Royale but they could safely peek into the world of the gender deviants if such deviance was on display in a court of law!
• #14: World War II was a game changer when it came to policing homosexual/queer activity. No longer was it up to local cops to pick up stray men in drag, the military launched a national campaign to police the behavior of armed forces personnel. Congress passed the May Act, legislation that targeted specific vice and immoral activities including prostitution and lewdness. San Antonio during the 1940s was a military training hub because of WWII. Concerns about the health of soldiers led to policing of sexual activity. Homosexual activity not only posed a threat to the moral health of soldiers, concerns about the transmission of venereal disease led to aggressive efforts to thwart interaction between soldiers and queer civilians. Off-limits lists, posted in barracks and at addresses declared off-limits were the manifestation of such efforts. Thanks to military policing of “deviant behaviors” including homosexuality during the 1940s, places declared Off-Limits were often revealed as spaces where queers came together. Morals violations, venereal contacts, and bawdy house were coded phrases describing places with homosexual activity. “Owners request” often signaled that proprietors of establishments requested off-limits designations to protect their patrons from incursions from military police. Lucky for historians such as myself, Off-limits lists provided the names and locations of queer spaces that otherwise would have gone undetected. This off-limits list issued by the Provost Marshal at Ft. Sam Houston is an absolute gold mine of information and yet another one of those serendipitous finds. Despite efforts to control behavior and venereal disease, disease rates continued to rise. Health department reports in 1945 revealed that the majority of infections were transmitted through “casual pickups and friends” as opposed to prostitutes.
• #15: This map of 1940s San Antonio plots out areas where queers came together in the city based on information gathered from a 1945 off-limits list. Not only were individual establishments declared off-limits, entire sections of town including a slice of the Riverwalk and the east side made the list. Note the close proximity of many off-limits to Ft. Sam. Access to such sites were a breeze for those in the military. Interestingly, the very lists that were supposed to discourage visits to off-limits establishments, were the lists that queer military personnel relied on to find gay and lesbian gathering spots in the city during the 40s and beyond!
• #16: The Life Saver Grill, pictured on the left made the 1945 off limits list for venereal contacts, a coded indicator that homosexuals patronized the establishment. You’ll notice the racially diverse crowd at the club. On the right, photographs from the Keyhole club depict a racially mixed audience enjoying racy floor shows and skits. Scholars of queer history have found that integrated venues served as safe havens for gay men and lesbians. Both clubs were on SA’s east side where queer life thrived.
• #17: While lesbians and gay men might find safe cover in the crowds of integrated clubs, transgender individuals sought other spaces. The Unknown Club on SA’s west side employed gay waiters and served gender fluid patrons. This information was provided by the nephew of the woman that managed the club who is now a well known queer entertainer. With his help I was able to pinpoint the location of the Unknown and identify the owner of the property-his grandfather.
• #18: Gay hangouts during the 1960s were hole in the wall places in peripheral areas of the city. Mary Ellen’s Tophat (pictured on the left) was on the eastside of San Antonio across from the cemetery complex; the Acme Bar (right) was in a derelict section of town, just north of the city. While the images show folks having a good time, the women in the foreground cover their faces, most likely because they were in the armed forces and fear of discovery could ruin careers and lives.
• #19: These images depict how run down this part of this section of the city was during the 60s. The Acme bar, a Chinese grocery, a few empty buildings, and an abandoned railway station were the few structures on this stretch of road. For the most part, the area was off the radar of the cops and MPs. For some, escaping just north of the city did not provide sufficient distance to feel safe.
• #20: Queer spaces outside the city limits provided safe havens for lesbians and gay men. Kleins, a rustic retreat for lesbians, was on the far outskirts of San Antonio. The retreat was situated two miles off the main road at the end of a dirt road, set in a grove of trees and thickets. According to a patron who visited Klein’s in the early 60s, the owners were “two old crusty buckets” who paid off the cops and Liquor Control Board to leave them and their patrons alone. Surprisingly, Klein’s was listed along with several other gay gathering spots in the Lavender Baedeker, a travel gay travel guide distributed across the U.S.
• #21: Klein’s wasn’t the only queer bar in the country. Paul’s Grove, picture here, was an extremely popular rural venue where folks could let their hair down and be themselves. The bar provided a microcosm of queer life. With a pool on the property and plenty of space for relaxing, lesbians often spent weekends at the Grove with their kids. Gay couples whiled away the hours enjoying cold beer and bbq. The big draw however, was same sex dancing, an activity not tolerated in city bars. Of all the hidden queer spaces hidden in rural locations around SA, the Ponderosa was different from the rest. It oozed sophistication and high end drag.
• #22: The existence of the Ponderosa served as testimony to the long standing tradition and popularity of female impersonation in South Texas. The Ponderosa in Von Ormy (south of San Antonio) was the place to go for the best drag in Bexar County. For the late 60s and early 70s, the drag shows were ahead of their time and the crowds packed in on the weekend to see drag divas grace the stage. The exterior of the venue was inauspicious-an old repurposed airplane hangar-the lush interior was incongruent with the location and setting. Brocade curtains framed the stage as drag queens wowed the audience.
• #23: According to local stylist and entertainer, John McBurney, the Ponderosa main clientele with Latino men. Photographs also document lesbians of color in the audience. Karlos with a K (who I introduced before) captured the admiration of the crowd at the Ponderosa. Far from the hindrances of the city, brilliant performers took the spotlight. When I spoke with Karlos in 2009, he recalled running across the farm to market road in heels to make his set at the club.
• #24: In the wake of gay liberation, the 1970s saw changes in attitudes toward lesbians and gays. Notions of community and a sense of belonging emerged within this framework of newfound freedom.. The road to gay liberation was a bit rocky at the start. As business entrepreneur and San Antonio gay hero, Hap Veltman found out. Veltman was a true visionary. Born and raised in San Antonio, Arthur Veltman or “Happy” as we known, was committed to the preservation of the city’s architectural and cultural heritage and history. Hap was the person most responsible for the Riverwalk as we know it today. His restaurant, the Kangaroo Court which opened in the early 70s was the first to offer seating down by the river. Hap had many restaurant and clubs in downtown SA situated on the river, but none were as beloved as the San Antonio Country.
• #25: Hap chose a historical building for what would become “the largest gay disco in the country.” Situated on the river in the old Heidelberg restaurant, the Country featured a modern interior with multiple rooms to accommodate the diverse pool of clients that patronized the bar. The venue was packed every night with patrons; for some entering the Country was a life altering experience-it was their first time in a gay bar. One patron commented, he felt like coming home-same sex couples everywhere holding hands, drag queens holding court. The popular clubs drew throngs (Hap advertised in Playboy) of clubbers. However, the club also drew the wrong kind of attention-M.P.s. who walked the parking lot checking for military tags, and checking inside for guys with crew cuts. Month after month, the club was under surveillance with periodic raids. On December 23, 1973, M.P.s were out in force checking plates and people. Their search inside the club intensified as they pulled lad with a crew cut out of the bar into the parking lot and started beating him. Paddy wagons rolled in as patrons were yanked outside and loaded up. The incident culminated with a military hearing as Hap decried the action and fought to keep the SA Country off-limits, designation which was bad for business. Fortunately, Hap won his case and the bar stayed off the list.
• #26: To celebrate the victory, club manager and local artist, Gene Elder created a performance piece entitled Fairies Fiasco, a camp ballet celebrating freedom of expression. The fairies performed on the banks of the River, very enchanting. In 1981, Hap faced another challenge as Valero Energy Corporation put pressure on Veltman to sell the Country threatening litigation if he did not capitulate. Veltman eventually sold the club and moved on to his next venture. Unfortunately, all that remains of the SA County are a few cement stairs leading to what is now a parking lot. Valero razed the building to provide parking for its employees-an act that raises the hackles of the beloved spot’s former patrons.
• #27: With the money from the sale of the Country, Veltman purchased the building he would transform into the Bonham Exchange, a structure built in the 1890s for the Turnverein, a German Acrobatic/Athletic Club. The building also served as a USO suring depression when the Turners suffered financial ruin. During this time, the building was painted olive drab! It later served as storage facility for the post office. When Hap rescued the Victorian structure, he was well aware that his very large gay disco was a few steps from SA;s most iconic structure, the Alamo. The Bonham, hailed as the top dance club in the city, is still packing them in 42 years later. Unknown to most guests, there is an LGBTQ Archives tucked in the bowels of the building, in a space that once served as a bowling alley…more about that in a bit. I have a special connection to the Bonham. One night while standing on the cat walk overlooking the dance floor, watching queer folk connect in this very special place, I knew that one day I would write about the history of SA’s LGBTQ past. In 2009, I started grad school and the rest is history…
• #28: Like Hap Veltman, Lollie Johnson was a successful business entrepreneur who owner several lesbian and gay over three decades. The Zoo, pictured here was a favorite for lesbians. The 1970s saw the emergence of lesbian feminism and clubs patronized strictly by women were common during this era. Fortunately, a rich photo archive of Lollie’s clubs is housed at UTSA Special Collections.
• #29: Through the photographs in the Lollie Johnson Papers you can truly sense the camaraderie and happiness that such spaces engendered. (as well as the questionable hair styles of the time-talkin’ about that mullet!)
• #30: As club options expanded, drag was a staple in most of the venues. These photos are from the Broadway Cabaret, owned by Lollie Johnson. Jimmy James, who performed as Marilyn Monroe, became quite famous after he appeared on the Phil Donahue talk show. Jimmy is still performing today. In addition to being a savvy business person, Johnson was an activist, fighting for queer rights. She was a member of the San Antonio Tavern Guild that worked to raise AIDS awareness. Local bars adopted the moniker “Play Safe” and distributed condoms to patrons as well as raising funds to support AIDS charities.
• #31: LGBT spaces flourished during the 1980s and 90s. White flight from the city center opened up spaces that gradually became queer turf. While a concentration of queer spaces clustered in the Tobin Hill area, there were gay bars sprinkled across the city. No matter where you lived, there was a gay bar near you! Many of these places remained queer space over decades and many still exist in the present day just with some name and ownership changes. **I created a series of maps in ArcGis for the purpose of having print copies for my master’s thesis. At some point, I hope to make the maps available online with each point including photos/advertisements for the bars and clubs.
• #33: UTSA Special Collections focus on collecting queer materials began back in the 1990s with the Center for the Study of Women and Gender. One of the first donations came from early transgender activists, Linda and Cynthia Phillips. Other donations included WomanSpace, the newsletter of San Antonio’s women’s collective and the San Antonio Lesbian and Gay Assembly. UTSA Special Collections currently holds 27 LGBTQ collections, many of which can be accessed online. This collecting area is one of our top priorities and we welcome inquiries about donating materials. Our collections and my work have been recognized by local media. We continue to partner with organizations and individuals to spread the world about our collections and let folks know there is a place for their materials should they choose to donate. Collaborations are an important part of our mission. We have partnered with the Digital Transgender Archive and Wearing Gay History. Thanks to these digital platforms, our archival materials can be accessed online.
• #34: Perhaps our most important collaboration has been with the Happy Foundation Archives and former director, Gene Wesley Elder. Gene was one of the most interesting, talented, and eccentric people I have ever met. I owe him a debt of gratitude as he was one of the people most responsible for my career in archives. Joan Duckworth, co-owner of the Bonham introduced me to Gene at the dedication of an urban island to Hap Veltman. Thanks to Joan, I forged a permanent link to this iconic establishment. The Happy Foundation is named after Arthur P. "Happy" Veltman, a San Antonio business entrepreneur who died of AIDS in 1988. For decades Elder collections materials about local, regional, and national gay history. Elder's interest in gathering bits and pieces of information evolved into a full-fledged commitment to preserve local queer history. The Happy Foundation's 400 square foot room, housed in the back of a gay nightclub called the Bonham Exchange in downtown San Antonio, is filled with boxes and file cabinets containing print materials chronicling the city's LGBTQ+ history. In 2012, Gene donated his personal papers, which included 23 journals, to UTSA Special Collections. They are a favorite of individuals researching San Antonio’s gay history and when displayed in exhibits.
• #35: The Happy Foundation is at a critical juncture-housed in a deteriorating space with no environmental controls, this vital hub of queer history is in peril. UTSA Special Collections staff will be meeting soon to evaluate the future of Happy and how we might assist with the preservation of this important community archive. Fortunately, there is a small army of volunteers ready to assist with the rescue effort. Many of the items housed at Happy are non-archival-Gene was a collector of everything! Sorting archival from non-archival items will be an onerous task. Among the many objects at Happy, Elder’s personal creations are everywhere-especially his beautiful organic looking ceramics and hand made paper (there is an entire room for that). Stay tuned…help is on the way!
• #36: One of my most memorable collaborations and a highlight of my professional career took place four years ago. In June of 2019, UTSA Special Collections participated in an exhibition at the McNay museum TransAmerica/n. This was an amazing opportunity to showcase our transgender collections. “Transamerica/n is the country’s first broad survey of contemporary artwork from across North America to explore the construction of identity through gender and outward appearance. Transformative, transcendent, and trans-historical, Transamerica/n breaks down conventional boundaries and celebrates a spectrum of gender identity through individual presentation and societal perception.” Collaborations with local museums and libraries offer Special Collections the opportunity to share our LGBTQ collections with a broader audience. During 2020 we had to move our outreach online which went quite well as everyone was stuck at home and needed things to do! This year we are back full throttle with a full slate of events through October!
• #37: This presentation barely scratches the surface of SA’s rich LGBTQ past. At the end of this ppt, I’ve included a list of additional resources for anyone interested in l Thanks for listening. I’ll be happy to take any questions.