Jeannette Bronson

Black lesbian activist Jeannette Bronson discusses her experiences in Los Angeles’s LGBTQ+ community beginning in her teenage years in the 1980s. She remembers the French Market as an accepting place where she attended a memorable gay and lesbian prom in the early 1980s and often returned to shop and for meals. Across the parking lot, she spent time at the nightclub Peanuts. She remembers it as a fun and exciting place for lesbians under age 21 and especially the drag shows.

She moves on to discussing her volunteer work at West Hollywood Pride from roughly 1984 to 1994. She recalls working at the parade, including keeping the party going in front of fundamentalist protesters, who broke through the barrier before sheriffs drove them back, and later working in front of The Palms. She reflects on changes in Pride over the years, including demands for accountability and solidarity from the festival from organizations like ACT UP.

Bronson remembers other places across the city. She attended author events and browsed at both A Different Light bookstores, especially the one in West Hollywood. She describes Sunset Junction as diverse and welcoming. She remembers Little Frida’s because it hosted a United Lesbians of African Heritage (ULOAH) comedy night featuring Black lesbian comedians. She also tells a story about Sisterhood Bookstore, remembering how a friend was told by singer Meg Christian to use its bulletin board to find a job and housing when they got to L.A. She ends the interview with memories of swing band performances at Mickey’s.