Sign up to get updates from us
Just fifty miles east of Manhattan, Fire Island has been considered a gay village since the 1950s, with the stretch of land between Fire Island Pines and Cherry Grove—known as the Meat Rack—being a safe haven for repressed gay men to fully express and experience their sexuality.
In this episode, we’re diving into the island's rich history, tracing its evolution from a secluded getaway for artists and bohemians to a thriving vacation destination for the queer community, and discussing the growing threat it faces from the impacts of climate change.
Additional Resources:
Snarky Opener (0:00)
TBH, a Fire Island vacation sounds amazing right now.
Let's leave the heteros behind and enjoy the sunshine.
Episode Introduction (0:26)
Hello, my LGBTQuties, and welcome back to another episode of A Jaded Gay.
I'm Rob Loveless and, today, I am a jaded gay because I have a sore throat and, like, I'm really annoyed I never get sick. The last time I seriously had a cold was January 2022, when I had COVID.
But since I've moved into this apartment, I've had a sore throat twice within a month and a half, and I'm pretty sure it's just because of, like, the ventilation here.
I mean, despite vacuuming almost daily, there is still so much dust in this apartment, it's just it's gross. I can't stand it, and it's really taking a toll on me.
So, I am just popping lozenges and drinking tea left and right, and hoping that eventually my lungs and my throat and everything will just adapt to this very dusty, sad apartment.
Fire Island (1:06)
Anyway, something that's not sad is the fact that it is summertime. Finally. Love some fun in the sun. And you know what that means? It's time for some rest and relaxation by the pool.
And for gay men, summer is synonymous with Fire Island, which is somewhat of a gay vacation resort, I guess you could say. And I think we might have mentioned it in the gay villages episode.
But truthfully, I never really knew of Fire Island when I was a baby gay. But more and more I've heard people talking about it, along with P Town.
And there was even the movie on Hulu last year called Fire Island, which featured the amazing MUNA cover of Sometimes originally by Britney Spears. Love it.
But I've never been to Fire Island myself, and I wanted to learn more about it. So, I thought this would be a fun, lighter summertime episode.
But before we get into it, you know the drill, let's pull the tarot.
Tarot (1:54)
So, this is interesting. The card for this episode is the Two of Pentacles. And last week, we just pulled the Two of Pentacles in reverse. So, some of this may sound similar, but it does take on a new meaning.
So, as you remember, Pentacles is part of the Minor Arcana. It's connected to the element of earth, which is very stabilizing and grounding. Typically, Pentacles is tied to prosperity.
You know, really more so like literally around financials and putting in the hard work, reaping the rewards of your labor. But I always like to think of it as emotional prosperity.
And it's feminine energy, so it's very reflective and meditative in nature. And in numerology, two is tied to duality, partnership, and choice.
And specifically, this card is signifying that we need to work on balancing our responsibilities.
So, this will often appear to us when we're super busy, and it might also indicate that we're juggling different priorities or responsibilities.
So, we need to look at our schedule and figure out what we need to prioritize and keep our eyes on the bigger picture of what we're working toward.
And also, when we're super busy, it's really easy to feel burnt out and stressed, and it can take a toll on our emotional health.
So, this card is also asking us to flow with our emotions instead of resisting them because when we resist them, we run the risk of being knocked over.
And when we're looking to try something new or level up in some part of our lives, it's important to recognize that we'll be pushed out of our comfort zone, and we're going to experience momentary discomfort.
But this is normal, and it's actually required for us if we want to grow. So overall, this card is a reminder that we need to be aware of the concept of balance, and that can mean different things.
You know, maybe it's balancing your responsibilities at work, or balancing your work life and home life, or balancing your household chores.
Whatever it may be, let's pay attention to our priorities and reflect on what we need to better achieve the balance that we're seeking.
And with that in mind, let's go to the beach each. We love a Nicki Minaj reference.
A Brief History of Fire Island (3:40)
Anyway, kicking it off. Here's some information that comes to us from the Fire Island Association website. So, Fire Island is a 32-mile-long barrier island located in New York.
Specifically, it's the large center island of the outer barrier islands, parallel to the south shore of Long Island. It's part of Suffolk County and lies within the towns of Babylon, Islip, and Brookhaven.
And according to a 2010 census, there is a permanent population of 292 year-round residents, expanding to hundreds of thousands of seasonal residents and tourists during the summer months.
And according to the National Park Service, there are some conflicting views regarding the origins of the name Fire Island.
So, it's believed that the island's original name was Sictem Hackey, which translates to land of the Secatogues. And the Secatogues were a tribe of indigenous people who lived in that area.
Specifically, they were in the area of Islip, which is currently one of the towns in Fire Island.
Also, I couldn't really understand where this comes from, but Fire Island was part of what was referred to as The Seal Islands.
So, one possibility of the name Fire Island is a corruption of the name Five Islands which was patented by William Nicholls in 1688 which is now the western end of Fire Island.
The island might have been named after Fire Island Inlet, which appeared on a deed in 1789 and the inlet's name may have started as a simple spelling error.
Now there is also another theory. So, it's number of inlet islands have varied over time.
So, it's possible that the number five spelled out or the Dutch word vier, V-I-E-R, which means four, was misspelled on early maps as fire.
And this is possible because the Dutch had started building their colony back on the Hudson River.
Now some say that the name comes from all the poison ivy there, which has red leaves in the autumn, or for its fiery itch, and I'm just gonna leave it at that. I'm not even making a joke because that's low-hanging fruit.
But anyway, there's also some evidence that the name was a result of pirates reportedly setting fires to lure vessels to shore.
And this seems to be the more credible theory because the name Fire Island Beach appeared on charts in the 1850s and around that time, there was also folklore about those land pirates, also known as wreckers, who were building those beach fires as traps.
But still, the exact origins are unknown. Now, typically, the name Fire Island has been applied to the western part of the island, and the more easterly part was known as Great South Beach.
But then in the 1920s, common usage extended the Fire Island name to the rest of the island.
And while there's some uncertainty about where the name comes from, Fire Island's roots date back approximately 370 years.
According to the Fire Island Association, in 1653 a man named Isaac Stratford constructed a whaling station on the island and named it Whalehouse Point.
And originally Fire Island was founded as an important whaling center during the 18th and 19th centuries, similar to Nantucket.
And in 1825 the federal government constructed the Fire Island Lighthouse at the western tip of the island, which was an important landmark for transatlantic ships coming into New York Harbor at the turn of the century.
And for many European migrants, this lighthouse was their first sight of land upon arrival to America. And the Fire Island Lighthouse still stands today, both as a landmark and a museum.
So fast forward to the 1950s. Fire Island's real estate market boomed, and it emerged as a premier bohemian summer retreat.
And over the next decade, it became a collage of rooftops where the rich and famous were able to escape the busy streets of New York City and soak in the sun.
And today, Fire Island is home to 17 residential communities and is contained within Fire Island National Seashore, which is a national park.
And those 17 communities are:
Fire Island’s Gay Villages (7:30)
Now Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines, which is simply known as the Pines together, have been considered gay villages since the mid-20th century.
In fact, because of these communities, Fire Island is referred to as America's first gay and lesbian town. Here's a quick description from the Sierra Club:
“Like so many famous gay getaways, Fire Island Pines is at the edge of the map, remote and relatively wild. Accessible only by boat or ferry, the small community of modernist wooden homes and charming boardwalks is nestled in a matrix of beach, dune, bog, and forest all scribbled atop the cold Atlantic. Though only 50 miles east of Manhattan, the narrow barrier island feels a world away from prying eyes.
This has been the draw for generations of homosexuals, gays, and queers eager to escape a hostile world for a place where they could feel free with the assurance of privacy. On a summer weekend, boatloads of the LGBT confederation disembark at the Pines or nearby Cherry Grove to lounge, dance, stroll, love, and otherwise enjoy the rare place in which they are an overwhelming majority. The secluded nature of the landscape offers a tangible, if imperfect, taste of gay liberation.”
Now, according to the Bowery Boys Podcast, writers and craftspeople from the New York theatrical world began heading to Cherry Grove in the 1930s.
And its remote and rustic qualities allowed for gay people to express themselves freely.
The Meat Rack (8:50)
Eventually, the Carrington Tract, the stretch of land between the Pines and Cherry Grove in Judy Garland Memorial Park, became a safe haven for oppressed homosexuals to fully express and experience their sexuality.
So much so that it's commonly referred to as The Meat Rack or The Rack.
Here's a quote from Fire Island Pines Historical Preservation Society:
“Since the early 50s, the men of Cherry Grove found refuge and release in the wooded paths that connect the two communities of the Pines and Grove. In the early days, Cherry Grove’s gay population was a big draw for many closeted homosexuals and encounters would initially take place on various boardwalks. However, as The Grove became more populated, these activities began to move east to the woods.”
The Botel (9:30)
Now in the 1950s, and I'm not sure the exact year, it might have been 1955.
But during that time, Peggy Fears, who was a Broadway showgirl, she built a yacht club and cinder block hotel trying to lure potential buyers to the community.
However, Memorial Day weekend of 1959, a fire burned both buildings to the ground.
Fears then rebuilt the hotel, which was called the Botel, you know, like boat and hotel, and the now more known landscape of Fire Island Pines took shape after this.
And this is interesting, while she was a resident of Fire Island. Fears had a relationship with Tedi Thurman, famed in the 1950s as the sexy voice of Miss Monitor on NBC's Monitor.
Anyway, in the 1960s former model John B. Whyte bought the rebuilt Botel.
And while Cherry Grove was already a gay destination, Whyte encouraged Fire Island Pines' reputation as a gay destination as well.
And the Botel, which now operates as The Grove Hotel, it's still the central landmark and the only hotel in the Pines.
And in the 1960s, Botel guests included celebrities like Richard Burton and Troy Donahue.
Police Raids in The Meat Rack (10:31)
Anyway, going back to The Meat Rack. Again, we have this area between Cherry Grove, which was an established gay destination, and the Pines, which is a newly established gay destination.
So, there's opportunity for lots of quote-unquote homosexual encounters there.
Now there were some rules of conduct that were followed to keep people safe in terms of remaining anonymous, and these included no lights and no talking.
And The Meat Rack was a place where barriers of race and social class fell to the wayside and individuals could explore the casual sexual encounters that they were looking for.
However, despite these rules, word did spread to the main island, and The Meat Rack became susceptible to police raids, which outed many closeted gay men.
And the Mattachine Society played a key role in organizing efforts to stop the police raids on Cherry Grove and advised gay men not to plead guilty if they got arrested in The Meat Rack.
Now this is really interesting. In late August 1968, police arrested 27 men in Cherry Grove. A few pled guilty to consensual sodomy and paid a fine of $250 but 22 men fought the charges in court.
Benedict Vuturo, a prominent Long Island criminal defense lawyer, was retained by the Mattachine Society. And Vuturo demanded jury trials for all the gay men he was defending.
He pointed out that there were terrible crimes being committed on the mainland of Long Island, including murders and rape.
But while that was going on, the police were instead pulling resources away from those crimes to instead harass gay men who were having consensual sex.
And after that, the 22 gay men who were fighting the charges were found not guilty, and that led to the end of these police raids on Fire Island.
Now keep in mind, this was a year before Stonewall and these trials and acquittals marked a pivotal moment in what eventually became the gay rights movement.
Specifically, this showed gay people, and especially closeted gay people, that they could come together as a community to resist police harassment and discrimination.
Civil Rights Movement and the AIDS Epidemic on Fire Island (12:19)
Also, in the '60s, Cherry Grove evolved from a sanctuary for mostly white and affluent gay men and women to a more inclusive place as the civil rights movement gained traction.
And more commercial real estate in the area led to affordable housing options for greater swaths of the community.
And as we kind of touched upon in the queer history of disco episode, the 70s gave way to sexual freedom, liberation, and expression. And especially for gay men, the '70s were pre-HIV/AIDS.
So, The Meat Rack became a place where anyone could connect, regardless of age, size, or beauty.
And actually, the party-filled culture of the pre-HIV/AIDS 1970s Fire Island is portrayed in Andrew Holleran's 1978 novel Dancer from the Dance.
Now, in the early 1980s the Gay Men's Health Crisis, GMHC, an AIDS nonprofit started by six men, including playwright Larry Kramer, started holding Morning Parties on Fire Island to raise money to help those with the disease, a mission whose urgency only grew as the years went on.
And that's morning spelled, M-O-R-N-I-N-G, and by definition, a morning party is an after-party that continues as the sun rises the next day.
So, the first GMHC morning party was hosted by Nikki Fried, Burt Charmatz, Jerry Bovenschen, Steven Schneider, and Doris Taussig in a house owned by Frank McDermott at Ocean and Driftwood.
They kept the price of admission low at $10 and just over 100 people attended, which raised about $4,000.
And these parties continue to grow every year, eventually outgrowing a house to actual event venues, including the Pavilion.
And in 1987 that party had grown to 1,000 people attending, and they raised $80,000. And from what I could find, it looks like this particular morning party series continued until 1990.
But Fire Island continues to be a home and haven two LGBTQ+ visitors and residents alike today.
Iconic Gay Fire Island Sites (14:06)
And there are some iconic gay sites to see there. So earlier, when talking about The Meat Rack, I referenced the Carrington Tract.
Well, the Carrington House is located in that section of Fire Island, and it was built in 1909 as a summer home by Frederick Marquet.
And the cottage is associated with the earliest wave of development of Fire Island as a popular recreational destination.
And it was purchased in 1927 by Frank Carrington, who was a prominent theater director and a patron of the arts.
Now it is unknown if Frank was a member of the LGBTQ+ community, but he hosted many guests at his house who were well-known members of the community.
In fact, Truman Capote spent a summer in Carrington's house with his partner, Jack Dunphy, where he is said to have completed his most famous novella, a little one you might have heard of, called Breakfast at Tiffany's.
And Frank also helped to draw artists, performers, publishers, and other prominent New York City socialites to the isolated island paradise.
And he and his friends helped establish the Arts Project of Cherry Grove, an influential organization which had a significant impact on the development of the small beach town.
And as a result, Cherry Grove began to gain the reputation of being an artistic community, one that was tolerant to LGBTQ+ living.
And the Carrington House is one of two sites on Fire Island listed on the National Register of Historic Places in part because of their role in LGBT history.
The second one is the Cherry Grove Community House and Theater.
Now, the building itself was originally constructed on Long Island and later floated across the Great South Bay to serve as the community house for the Cherry Grove Property Owners Association, Inc.
In 1948, a small stage was added to it, and it became the home of the newly incorporated Arts Project of Cherry Grove that Frank Carrington and his friends helped to establish.
So, you can see how the two go together. Here's an excerpt from the National Park Service:
“With the overwhelming popularity of theatre as a focal point for culture and entertainment in the United States, the Arts Project of Cherry Grove was uniquely positioned to bridge the divides between bohemian renters and local homeowners.
As organizations, the Cherry Grove Property Owners Association and Cherry Grove Arts Projects profoundly influenced the community's development, facilitating the gradual social acceptance, self-affirmation, and integration of its gay and lesbian residents into Cherry Grove's governing affairs and civic life.
This integration of LGBTQ residents into daily life and events at its community house afforded Cherry Grove a singular status; it became the one of the first and, for many years, the only gay and lesbian influenced geography in the United States.”
Fire Island in Popular Culture (16:33)
Also, some notable people who have lived in Fire Island Pines. There's:
Also, Fire Island has been featured in several movies. There is the 1989 movie, Longtime Companion, which was the first wide-release theatrical film to deal with the subject of AIDS.
There's also The Normal Heart from 2014 which is based on Larry Kramer's 1985 play of the same name.
And that is also a heavier one that depicts the rise of the HIV/AIDS crisis in New York City between 1981 and 1984. So really good movie, but like, know what you're getting yourself into.
Lightening it up a bit, there was a 2017 TV show called Fire Island, which was produced by Kelly Ripa and her husband, Mark Consuelos.
I actually don't remember ever hearing about this, but it was a reality show about six gay men who share a beachfront house for the summer on Fire Island.
So, like a gay Jersey Shore, I guess? But it got terrible reviews.
And last year there was the rom-com Fire Island, which is inspired by Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
And if you're looking for something a little different, there's also the movie The Last Ferry from 2019 and it's a thriller about a gay man visiting Fire Island, and he witnesses a murder after being drugged and tries to solve the mystery.
So, it's pretty interesting. And as you can see, Fire Island is pretty rich with its gay history, but also it looks lovely for a little summer fun.
Climate Change and Fire Island (17:58)
And just to close it out, there is something important about Fire Island we need to cover, and that is climate change.
It is coming for Fire Island, along with other vacation havens like Provincetown and Key West that have deep roots in gay history.
So, for starters, Fire Island was heavily damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and obviously we know sea levels are rising and shorelines are eroding.
And specifically for Fire Island, the rising sea level has caused saltwater intrusions into the island's fresh groundwater, which is causing large numbers of trees to die.
And in the island's North Shore, vast swaths of forest have been wiped out by erosion, storm surges, and again, sea level rising, which has resulted in the forest being converted into a high salt marsh.
And Fire Island has lost 30 to 40% of its sunken forest over the last 50 years alone.
Now some believe that stronger storms will punch holes in the narrow island's dune defenses while rising sea levels erode the shore, which will result in salt water seeping up through the ground into the island's interior.
Now there have also been some efforts made to combat this.
In fact, here's an excerpt from the Sierra Club, a national environmental organization dating back to 1892:
“The gay communities on Fire Island are, of course, aware of these threats. The vast beach replenishment project that the Army Corps of Engineers is undertaking has literally reshaped the landscape here—entire homes have been moved, reconfigured, lifted on stilts, or demolished. The beach has been widened, dunes have been restored, grass has been planted and fences installed to hold in the sand.
Meanwhile, the Pines homeowner’s association is starting to organize around the coming troubles. It launched a new climate task force this year, following in the footsteps of Cherry Grove, which started its own climate change committee last fall. According to Ken Wong, who leads the Grove’s committee, the ultimate goal is simple and stark: “We want to preserve the Pines and the Grove beyond 2050.” That’s what is at stake.”
So hopefully the actions taken by Fire Island's climate change Task Force helps.
And I actually found their National Seashore Action Plan online, and I've linked it to the show notes. So, check that out. See what you can do to make a difference and support this important initiative.
Episode Closing (20:06)
Because, again, tying it back to the tarot. Two of Pentacles is all about balance and harmony. And while Fire Island has been a gay haven for decades, it wasn't always that way.
There were times where things were uncomfortable. You know, generations of gay men before us had to put themselves in uncomfortable situations to get to the next level for our rights.
Going back to the police rates in The Meat Rack, there were those 22 men who it was a really uncomfortable situation, and typically they would have had to plead guilty to those charges and deal with the consequences.
But instead, they put themselves in an uncomfortable situation to fight those charges, which brought a lot of light to both themselves as gay men and to the issues at hand on Fire Island.
And in the end, luckily, they were successful, and it was a huge landslide victory for the LGBTQ+ community going forward.
It ended those raids on Cherry Grove, but that was a very uncomfortable position they had to put themselves in to get to that next level of growth.
And continuing to the present, I mean, obviously, we don't have to necessarily worry about police raids like that, but at the same time, we do have to find that balance.
You know, Fire Island, I'm sure it's a fun place to go to, but we need to do our part to preserve that rich LGBTQ+ history that we've achieved on that island.
You know, we want to have fun in the sun, and that's great, but while we're doing that, we need to be mindful of our impact on the environment and the steps we can take to help preserve those ecosystems and communities on Fire Island so future generations of gay men can continue to enjoy the island.
Connect with A Jaded Gay (21:20)
So as always, thank you all for listening. Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast.
If you've been to Fire Island, please send me an email. Let me know what you thought about it. Would love to hear some stories. You can reach out to me rob@ajadedgay.com.
You can also follow the podcast on Instagram, TikTok SoundCloud, and YouTube @ajadedgaypod. You can follow me personally, Rob Loveless, on Instagram, @rob_loveless.
Also, consider taking the time to support the podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month. There's some fun goodies there, so check it out @ajadedgaypod.
And remember, every day is all we have, so you got to make your own happiness.
Mmm-bye.
Outtake (22:20)
I seriously love that cover of Sometimes by Muna. I mean I love Sometimes by Britney Spears.
Sometimes I run, sometimes I hide. If only I could sometimes run and hide from my trauma.
