History of Discrimination
In the 1930s, 1940s, or around 1953 John Anthony put up a sign among the old license plates and other ephemera along the wall behind the bar that read "FAGOTS – STAY OUT". Though the owner was known to be antagonistic towards gays, going as far as posing (in front of his sign) for a picture in a 1964 Life article on "Homosexuality in America" over a caption where he exclaims "I don't like 'em...", the sign was ostensibly put up as a response to pressure from the police who had a tendency towards discriminatory practices against homosexuals and consequently establishments that catered to the group.
The owner died in 1968, and efforts continued to have the sign removed. A coalition of gay activist groups organized a zap of the restaurant on February 7, 1970, to push for its removal. The sign came down that day. The sign was put up and taken down several times over the next 14 years, and the restaurant's matchbooks also bore the line, but the practice ended in December 1984, days after the city of West Hollywood voted itself into existence. The then-mayor, Valerie Terrigno, the entire city council and gay rights activists marched into Barney’s and relieved the wall of the offending sign. It was held by Morris Kight for many years and now rests in the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives.
Read more about this topic: Barney's Beanery
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