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But the story of this civil rights victory is incomplete without an examination of one of the most powerful weapons the government used to stop gay activists: liquor licensing laws.
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In his second inaugural address, President Barack Obama cited Stonewall in the same breath as Seneca Falls and Selma. Today, the Stonewall riots are widely seen as the beginning of the modern gay rights movement. As such, the Manhattan Club encouraged queer people to network with fellow queer Austinites, freely express their sexuality without immediate repercussions, and forge social and political alliances.When patrons of the Stonewall Inn rebelled against police on June 28 and 29, 1969, they were rioting for equality, for dignity, and for a decent a place to get a drink. Nevertheless, the Manhattan Restaurant, with the small Manhattan Club located in back, maintains its legacy as one of the few gay-friendly spaces for the Austin queer community during the late 1950s through the 1960s. The Manhattan closed its doors in 1969, and the building, located at 911 Congress, stood vacant in 2021. After his passing, Flo Robbins was negotiating for a new lease at 911 Congress Avenue when she discovered the space had been sold for next-door business Photo Processing Inc.
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On February 15, 1969, David Robbins, at the age of sixty-one, suffered a fatal heart attack. The grand opening advertisement proclaimed luxurious lounge booths, delicatessen and kosher-style food, the best American and imported table wines, and nightly music and entertainment.įor unknown reasons, the Robbins then moved several doors down to 911 Congress Avenue and on June 23, 1957, opened their new updated establishment-what they deemed “Austin’s only modern delicatessen restaurant.” The Manhattan Restaurant expanded in this new location and offered three separate menus of kosher dishes, charbroiled steaks, and Mexican food in the restaurant soft drinks and beer at the bar area and a wide array of take-away foods at the “Kosher delicatessen.” A small bar located in the backroom of the restaurant was known to the LGBTQ+ community of Austin as the Manhattan Club, one of the only public places where queer individuals could gather and socialize outside of their homes. The Robbins were natives of the East Coast and patterned their new restaurant after the delicatessens common back home.
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From 1952 to 1957 The Manhattan operated in this building and served up an array of kosher foods to its loyal customers. After the building’s demolition in 1950, Dave and Flo Robbins moved to a new location at 905 Congress Avenue and became owners of The Manhattan, which held its grand opening on August 22, 1952. A favorite joint for local students at the University of Texas, Dinty’s was also known for being a remarkably safe location, and the Robbins gained a reputation as welcoming, fun-loving business owners. The establishment was known as “one of the most fun spots Austin ever had” by patrons and was packed to capacity on any average night. Of these, the Manhattan Club at 911 Congress Avenue is the earliest documented gay-friendly social outlet open to the public.ĭavid and Flo Robbins moved to Austin from New York City after World War II and opened Dinty Moore’s Café and Bar at 123 West 6th Street in 1947. Throughout the late 1950s through early 1970s, Austin was home to only a handful of gay bars, including the Cabaret (3010 Guadalupe), the Red River Lounge (900 Red River), Pearl Street Warehouse (17th and Lavaca), and The Apartment (29th and Rio Grande), all of which were long closed by the end of the twentieth century. The small storefront of the Manhattan Restaurant blended into the scene of commercial storefronts, passing vehicles, and wandering pedestrians on the ever-bustling Congress Avenue. The club operated out of a small backroom of the Manhattan Restaurant and fit approximately eighteen people, according to a patron. Although no official sources document the advertisement of the space for this purpose, several witnesses have verified the Manhattan Club as a gay-friendly establishment in Austin throughout these years. Operated by Jewish couple David and Florence “Flo” Robbins, the Manhattan Restaurant at 911 Congress Avenue opened in 1957 and closed in 1969. The Manhattan Club was Austin, Texas’s, earliest documented gay bar.