Les bars gays ont été au centre de la géographie sociale et culturelle des homosexuels pendant le 20 ème siècle : En Amérique du Nord, les Conseils de Contrôle des Boissons Alcoolisées ont joué un rôle important dans la gouvernance de l’homosexualité. Our findings add nuance to work on Foucauldian studies in geography, work on licensing and regulation, and urban gay histories. Gay bars were somewhat privileged vis-à-vis neighboring straight bars, due to the unintended consequences of certain state practices, a desire by state authorities to closet homosexuality generally, and a propensity for self-governance on the parts of gay bar owners, managers, and patrons. Adherence to the rules, meanwhile, relied upon an ability and willingness to understand authorities’ intentions and imaginations and to self-govern accordingly. While the WSLCB governed heteronormatively, it did so with a relatively light touch through the deployment and selective enforcement of often vague administrative rules. In order to explore the spatial governance of homosexuals, this paper uses a Foucauldian governmentality perspective to analyze data from Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) enforcement and hearing files between 19. In North America, Liquor Control Boards have been important in governing homosexuality. Gay bars have been central to the social and cultural geography of queer folk throughout the twentieth century.
