October’s second Tea Dance takes place at the American Sign Museum.
The tea dance is a revived LGBTQ tradition that dates back to the 1940s and ’50s. Richard Cooke and his husband Marty Wagner brought them to Cincinnati in April 2017 with new life. Each month, the dances unfold at a different bar, but always on a Sunday afternoon.
Historically, tea dances functioned as an event in which gay couples could openly dance with one another. In the 1940s and ’50s it was illegal for same-sex couples to dance and touch in public, so they had to go underground.
This month’s Tea Dance takes place among the neon signs of the museum with special cocktails and DJs.
4-7 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. American Sign Museum, 1330 Monmouth St., Camp Washington, facebook.com/teadancecinci.
This article appears in Oct 10-17, 2018.
