Blast from the Past, the Late Show of Norfolk: Researching and Understanding Local LGBTQ+ Space

Abstract

Queer spaces are immensely important as they offer a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community to decompress from heteronormative society. In the fall 2018 I conducted research on the Late Show, a local LGBTQ after hours club that operated in the 1990’s era. The research process primarily included conducting archival research in Our Own, Norfolk’s gay newspaper from 1976-1998, and collecting personal experiences from those that attended the Late Show during its run. This presentation will explore the importance of the Late Show as part of local LGBTQ+ history and examine the differences between traditional research, and the research I conducted for the Queer Walking Tour of Norfolk, a project that works to preserve local queer history by uncovering historic queer spaces