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Journal Title
Dissenting Voices
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2025-04
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DV14-7 Mj Bates.pdf
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For years, one of the only safe places for LGBTQ+ individuals in the United States to socialize was in bars owned and operated by the Italian Mafia. If a defined group is in an environment for an extended period of time, the environment will begin to act upon the group. Retrospective secondary research suggests that the dichotomy of the mafia in accordance with LGBTQ+ people is that while the syndicate facilitated LGBTQ+ culture, the Italian Mafia also put LGBTQ+ people in harm's way. Organized crime networks began providing spaces for LGBTQ+ people to socially consume alcohol and engage in dancing with the same sex, which was largely illegal before the Stonewall Riots. The mafia did this not out of an ethical obligation, but because of the financial opportunity of servicing an untapped market. This lack of concern by the Italian Mafia for LGBTQ+ individuals, beyond what they could produce for the crime families financially, contributed to outbreaks of disease and police brutality. The most well-known bar in the United States with a predominantly LGBTQ+ based clientele, the Stonewall Tavern, did not have running water, which led to outbreaks of oral herpes from improperly washed glassware. Many bars operated by the Italian Mafia did not have liquor licenses, which contributed to routine raids by law enforcement who victimized the LGBTQ+ patrons. Ultimately, the Italian Mafia was harmful to LGBTQ+ people, but LGBTQ+ rights may not have advanced without the Stonewall Riots and without the mafia operating bars for the LGBTQ+ community.
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