Despite Dallas's reputation as one of the state's more
conservative cities, it's LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender, Queer) community was among the first in Texas
to organize politically and socially. In 1947, the city
became home to one of the first gay bars in Texas, Club
Reno, and in 1972 was the site of the first Gay Pride Parade
in Texas. In 1980, the Pride Parade moved from downtown to
Cedar Springs Road.
The area surrounding the intersection of Throckmorton
Street and Cedar Springs Road has been considered the center
of the Dallas LGBTQ community since the early 1970s and is
known as "The Gay Crossroads" or "The Crossroads." In the
late 1960s and early 1970s, The Crossroads was a magnet for
the city's counterculture movements. Gays and Lesbians began
moving to the area, drawn to its Bohemian image and
picturesque architecture. More gay-owned businesses and bars
followed, and by the end of the 1970s, the majority of
businesses in the area catered to the LGBTQ community. With
the onslaught of the AIDS Crisis in the 1980s, The
Crossroads became not only an entertainment district, but
also a center for political activism, social services and
medical testing.
As the historic heart of the LGBTQ community of Dallas,
The Crossroads remains the location of the oldest gay
businesses in the city and as the primary gathering point
for LGBTQ political and social events, including the Alan
Ross Freedom Parade. The Crossroads continues to serve the
neighborhood and the city of Dallas as a symbol of social,
economic and political action among the LGBTQ community.
(2017)
Marker is Property of the State of
Texas