#UnitedLynnPride
Connect with us on Social Media
George Chakoutis and Tim Deegan are lifelong friends born in 1965 and grew up in the same working-class neighborhood of East Lynn. In 1983, George graduated from Lynn English and Deegan Lynn Technical High School. George reminisces about gay bars such as Josephs, Marco Marco, and the Gay Blade, and became the owner of the beloved 47 Central, which had several different incarnations between 1999 and 2013. Their joint interview was conducted in December 2023 at a 47 Central Reunion organized by George in Olde Thyme Italian restaurant. Both men discuss coming of age in an era of closeted homosexuality and violence directed at gay men. They talk about the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and their activism and fundraising to assist the gay community.
Watch Interview Moments
Click an image to watch a moment.
My family was a bit homophobic back then.
My mother welcomed my friend with HIV.
I was playing around at 13.
We got into Fran's in High School.
Frans was between two biker bars. Copy
We wore dresses on Halloween
Tony decorated for Christmas in July.
Fran's was mostly a lesbian bar.
I didn't look gay.
Tim's parents were a lot older than mine.
We were drunk and doing coke every day.
We became active in Strongest Link.
We were voted #1 gay bar in MA.
We got support from Boston bars.
We did fundraisers for the police.
Cops would beat you, gay or straight.
You couldn't legally dance as a gay couple.
There was no need for clubs anymore.
Benefits of marriage.
Hate toward the gay community is increasing.
The transgender issue gets pushed too far.
It's hard to call a person "they" and "them".
A man can't get pregnant.
When you're born, there's two sexes.
Straights say "What are you people, nuts?"
She was an Archie Bunker then an Edith.
My mother welcomed my friend with HIV.
I never came out. I lived my life.
Frans was between two biker bars.
Back to the wall and eyes on the door.
Fran was welcoming to everyone.
The Gay Blade was a men's bar.
Violence was everywhere, not just Fran's.
There were a lot of drugs back then.
People we knew were dying every day.
We became active in Strongest Link.
I always wanted to own a bar.
47 Central was friendly and safe.
We had a great relationship with the police.
We did fundraisers for the police.
Most gay bars in Lynn didn't last.
The Light House was a getaway for women.
Celebrating marriage equality in Provincetown.
Get rid of the word Queer.
The transgender issue gets pushed too far.
It's hard to call a person "they" and "them".
A man can't get pregnant.
When you're born, there's two sexes.
Different generations do things differently.
Images
Feedback
© 2024 United Lynn Pride Inc.
United Lynn Pride Inc. is a 501(c)3 Tax Exempt Non-Profit Organization
EIN: 88-4123340
#UnitedLynnPride
Connect with us on Social Media
.png){kind=logo}
