Transcript
Tom Schwartz (0:00)
Most people would rather attend a corporate team building workshop than search for auto and home insurance.
Zach Wickham (0:04)
Go, team. Feel that synergy.
Tom Schwartz (0:06)
That's why the zebra searches for you. Comparing over 100 insurance companies to find savings no one else can Compare. Today@thezebra.com who's ready for the trust fall?
Jasmine (0:21)
It's now time for your weekly detox with Tom Schwartz.
Zach Wickham (0:28)
If you are not personally free to be yourself in that most important of all human activities, the expression of love, then life itself loses its meaning. Harvey Milk. Hi, guys. Welcome to another episode of Detox Retox. It's your boy, Tom Schwartz. This episode this week, we're celebrating pride. By the way, do you guys feel that we're in a love frequency? Yeah, to be specific, I think it's 639 hertz. Am I right, Mason? We're gonna do a whole episode on healing frequencies. But for now, let's just marinate in some love. Some love frequency. Because it's Pride Month. Yes, this month, we are celebrating. Okay, why are we celebrating? Well, let's get a little refresher course. In case you guys forget, what is lgbtqia? Okay. L is for lesbian, G is for gay, B is for bisexual. T is for transcender. Excuse me? Transgender. I can't say that. Q is for queer questioning. I is for intersex, A is for asexual, and plus plus represents all the other gender and sexual identities not explicitly included in the acronym. Acknowledging the ever evolving nature of these terms and the diversity within the community. This is a beautiful month, you guys. In my experience, there's a lot of people who support the community. They approve of gay marriage, they hang out with gay people, they have gay friends. They're definitely not homophobic. But at least once or twice, maybe even in the privacy of their own brains, they've wondered, why do we need gay pride in this day and age? Is gay pride still really necessary in 2025? And. And not in, like, a snarky or even mildly homophobic way. Not in like a. A, A spiteful, sneering way, at least. I don't hope so. But they're just like, why? Why do we still need it? Well, we're going to get into that, and we're also going to remind ourselves why safe spaces and gay bars matter, too. And obviously, this. This can be implied to people who are persecuted and marginalized from all walks of life for their color of their skin, sexuality, religion, why? That's why they. That's why they take pride in celebrating their progress. Okay, that's why they have national holidays. I mean, let's be honest. The president, Donald Trump, he says he loves his gays. I love my gays. But some of the recent legislation would beg to differ. It's scary out there right now, you know, spending so much time in cities like Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, it's easy to forget the history, the trials and tribulations members of the gay community have had to overcome and endure. Have you guys seen Milk? Harvey Milk? He's an icon. He's a legend. Shit. The Stonewall riots. What were they back in the 70s? Hold on a sec. Stonewall riots back in 1969? That's, like, only 50 years ago. Okay, we're still making progress here. Okay, I'm on Wikipedia. Although the demonstrations were not the first time American LGBTQ people fought back against government sponsored persecution of sexual minorities, the Stonewall riots marked a new beginning for the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world. Sparked a revolution. Also, gay bars. Why do they matter? Why are they so important? Let's zoom into West Hollywood in particular. First of all, I love West Hollywood. That's where I first found the Pink Pony Club in West Hollywood. It didn't start out as gay. I mean, not to single them out. I remember reading about when I first got there, like, you know, certain bars, like the lovely and very progressive and. And gay friendly Barney's Beanery, used to have a sign behind the bar that said, no F words. I can't say that and I won't say that. But obviously they've come away a long way, just like the community as a whole in West Hollywood. So let's go back to the 60s and the 70s. Okay. LGBTQ +Angelenos were being pushed out of their neighborhoods by police harassment, zoning crackdowns. And they began migrating to this little unincorporated pocket of Los Angeles county where law enforcement was a little more chill and landlords a little more lenient. And pretty soon, gay bars became the beating heart, the pulse of this growing community. One of the first ones, I think, that opened was Gold coast back in 1981. It became the first openly gay watering hole in West Hollywood. It welcomed leather daddies, silver foxes, pretty much anyone looking for a cold beer and a wink. A safe place. Then Studio One. I think this was before my time too. Part nightclub, part pageant, part revolution. Yeah, I like that. Where disco reigned in unity Pulse beneath the mirrored ball. Sounds groovy. And of course, the Abbey, which I know well and love. One of my favorite spots still to this day. It Originally was a little coffee shop back in 1991, and then it sort of grew into this. This holy grail, this cathedral of cocktails. A place where, you know, you could mingle with the guy next door. Politicians and drag queens all hanging out, mingling over martinis. Still love it to this day. Motherlode, our neighbor, TomTom's neighbor, just a little bit west of us on Santa Monica Boulevard, was one of the first and longest running gay bars in West Hollywood. I think they opened in 1970, I remember correctly. But if you haven't been there, think strong, very strong, affordable drinks and fabulous dive vibes. Like one of my favorite little old school OG G bars. My personal favorite, the Bayou. Love the Bayou. Also the last remaining place on the planet. I'll take a jello shot. And it's only because they're really fun out of a syringe, by the way. Hi, Marcos. But, yeah, I've. I've. I love gay bars. I love West Hollywood. I feel home there, as I do in any watering hole. Why do they matter? Well, you guys, they weren't just, like clubs. They weren't just nightlife. They were lifelines. They were places where you could come hook up, feel safe to just be yourself, heal. Yeah. Back in the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, you know, they organized events, lifted each other up, and just supported a persecuted community. West Hollywood officially became a City in 1984. I did not know that. And it was one of the first in the country with a majority openly gay council, a direct result of the organizing powers that started these bars. So it's a very special place, very near and dear to me and so many others. It's the Pink Pony Club. I love it. We're gonna go. We're gonna celebrate pride. Before I go meet up with Zach, you guys, a little message. How about more kisses, more hugs, more love? Love wins. Maybe not every time, but in the end, at least I hope love conquers all. Be an ally, you guys. Choose love. Be a champion for those who need it. Remember what Gandhi said, Where there is love, there is life. And according to Jax, he was also the guy who can predict the future. All right, all right. Before we go meet up with Zach, let's close out with another beautiful quote from Harvey Milk. We will not win our rights by staying quietly in our closets. Zach Wickham, where are we and what are we doing?