Private Spaces
Prior to spaces that openly welcomed gay patrons, gay men and women met each other and found spaces to congregate through word of mouth and, beginning in the 1960s, discreet publications that listed gay-friendly spaces. They often met in someone's home, where they were safely able to be more authentic in their interests, clothing, attractions, and way of speaking.
Gay people heavily depended on their community connections, largely because of anti-gay discrimination that often happened in public places. The University of Illinois was no exception. In 1955, a student was forced to withdraw from the University because of "homosexual deviations." According to a Daily Illini announcement, “he was denied readmission until he can produce a ’psychiatric report of progress.’" When LGBTQ people were not permitted in certain spaces, they fostered their own.
In mid-20th century Champaign County, LGBTQ people met in private residences, groups, and discreet locations to socialize and express their identities. The earliest prominent examples of discreet locations were The Capitol and The Crystal Room, both of which are identified in early publications of the gay guide Bob Damron's Address Book.