Ramrod, the leather and Levis gay bar, moved into the first floor in 1981 with Machine carving out a separate gay nightclub downstairs in 1998. Both spots had that kind of slightly dingy, lived-in feel of a well-loved gay hangout, the cigarette smell that seemed to hang in the air long after Boston banned smoking indoors, the dim corners here and there for making out. It was a sex-positive spot in a (still) puritanical city, with loud music and stiff drinks. Downstairs, drag queens twirled on stage in front of crowds that swayed under the disco lights.
The gay scene in Boston is still dominated by white guys, but at least for many, Machine was a hub for a more diverse crowd. More people of color, more women. The spot hosted Dyke Nights and at least one gay wedding reception. The drag and theatrical shows there were queer — as in LGBTQ-friendly and queer as in, well, weird. Like the beautifully bonkers and often political All-Star Mondays and the satirical shows staged by Ryan Landry’s vaudeville-inspired theater troupe the Gold Dust Orphans. https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/09/30/saying-goodbye-to-queer-spots-machine-ramrod-fenway
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