Customise Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorised as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyse the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customised advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyse the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Dykehardt: The lesbian history of Leichhardt

 | 
02/20/2022

Queer communities have a long history of carving out private spaces for social and sexual interaction, utilising urban geographies to resist oppression and build a sense of belonging. In Sydney, these gay neighbourhoods can be found around Oxford St and Newtown, and remain integral to many queer identities. However, Sydney was also home to a third, often forgotten gay village that catered specifically to queer women; affectionately nicknamed “Dykehardt”. Occupying urban space in such a manner has historically been particularly difficult for queer women. In order to explore their queer identities, individuals were often required to leave marriages. This frequently left men in a more financially autonomous position, thus allowing them greater financial freedom in placemaking. Women have further been obstructed from entering queer circles by both laws and social norms, which prevented them from entering the “camp” bars established on Oxford St during the 1950s. Nonetheless, as the number of queer venues grew and social attitudes began to relax, queer women began to similarly lay their roots in Sydney’s inner city. The establishment of lesbian bars such as Chez Ivy and Ruby Red’s were paramount in this development, acting as social spaces which helped facilitate the networking and the development of new lesbian identities. Nonetheless, in the 1970’s as gentrification began to take hold, queer women found themselves gradually priced out of the primary gay village of Darlinghurst. This prompted a migration of queer women to the more affordable inner west suburb of Leichhardt.

Regions: ,

Share this:

Other News from ,

Added on: 10/02/2024
The Albanese government’s last-minute rejection of proposed questions on sexuality and gender diversity in the upcoming 2026 census sent bureaucrats into a weekend scramble, …
Added on: 09/25/2024
South Australia has officially passed legislation in Parliament that bans harmful conversion practices, following in the steps of Victoria, ACT and NSW. The bill, …
Added on: 09/16/2024
History has been made again in Newcastle, with the election of the first openly transgender councillor Paige Johnson into office. The Labor candidate was voted …