In 'Dining Out', Erik Piepenburg chronicles the rich history of LGBTQ restaurants as significant community spaces that contributed to the social and civil rights movement. The book traverses from 1920s urban cafeterias to contemporary hotspots, encapsulating various eras of LGBTQ dining experiences. Piepenburg draws from extensive research, including archival materials and interviews, emphasizing how these restaurants provided safe spaces and fostered community identity. He articulates the importance of these dining establishments, which served as cultural hubs for LGBTQ individuals to come together and advocate for their rights.
"I had so much material from people that I talked to who had never been asked before about their gay restaurant memories, and so I thought, you know what, for my first book I'm going to write the first book about the history of America's gay restaurants."
"I would spend an entire afternoon just looking at gay newspapers from the past and the other gay alternative weeklies that used to come out before the internet and just sort of spend time reading about where gay people went or what restaurants the gay newspapers reviewed, or who was playing ads to let people know, 'Hey, you can come to our restaurants,' and you know it's going to be a safe space for you."
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