Another incredible nightclub of this era was Paradise Garage. Disco and house music thrived in this semi-underground club. According to an article from the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project, Paradise Garage was membership-only and did not discriminate against race, class or sexual orientation. It was one of the most influential clubs as most of its customers were of sexual and ethnic minorities, primarily gay African-American men. The owners of Paradise Garage were gay men. Officially opened in 1978, this club fit around 2,000 people and was open all night–up until noon the next morning. Not only was this club a safe space for sexual and ethnic minorities to dance the night away, it was a place to raise awareness for the LGBT community. For instance, the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) held a fundraiser called Showers at the Paradise Garage and raised over $50,000 (NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project). However, the AIDS epidemic would come in the way of the club’s success. One of the owners also died of AIDS, and the club had closed two months prior to his passing. This historical LGBT site was demolished in 2018. Dance, disco and nightclubs that embraced marginalized groups were not only safe, comfortable spaces for minorities but raised awareness about LGBTQ+ acceptance and the AIDS epidemic. This is especially seen through creative art and dance; gay choreographer Bill T. Jones is a flamboyant choreographer who uses dance and creative expression to raise awareness and communicate to greater audiences. He choreographed a dance called Still/Here about terminal illnesses, using real-world examples and interviews from terminally ill people across the US. The use of accurate stories and personal situations allows the audience to empathize with those who are ill and further understand the purpose of the dance. In a CNN interview, Jones touches upon the notion that mortality belongs to everyone, yet there is an “arrogance of the well.” He is referring to the way healthy people tend to pity those who are ill. Jones could have focused on AIDS but instead he incorporated the stories of patients with varying illnesses into his choreography. This emphasizes his message of reminding everyone they will not live forever, and no one is above anyone else for dying, no matter what the stigma surrounding their death is.

Photo credit: Photograph by © Bill Bernstein