TRAVEL GUIDES 1970-1979
1970 Herman Lynn Womack continued publishing the International Guild Guide a guide for gay men. See Below Left. Bob Damron’s The Address Book Bob Damron’s The Address Book was published. See Below for front cover and for listing go to www.mappingthegayguides.org then MAP.
The Barfly travel guides published by Advocate Publications, Inc. included Oregon in its 1970 edition. This travel guide is very hard to find, fortunately, we have the 1970s edition.
1971 Herman Lynn Womack continued publishing the International Guild Guide a guide for gay men. There are two covers.See Below Left.
1971 [Continued] Bob Damron’s The Address Book Bob Damron’s The Address Book was published. See Below for the front cover and for the listing go to www.mappingthegayguides.org then MAP. Below Right - Oregon’s first out gay newspaper, The Fountain began publishing in 1971. The diagram below shows where the bars were and the names.
Far below Left, The 1971 Homosexual National Classified Directory, Oregon has no listings. Far Below Right is another listing from The Fountain, August 1971.
The Barfly travel guides published by Advocate Publications, Inc. included Oregon in its 1971 edition.
1972 Herman Lynn Womack continued publishing the International Guild Guide a guide for gay men. [Do not have bar/bathhouse listing]
1972 [Continued] See Below Left. Bob Damron’s The Address Book Bob Damron’s The Address Book was published. See Far Below Left front cover and for listing go to www.mappingthegayguides.org then MAP. Below Right, John Francis Hunter published “The Gay Insider USA”. It is believed the book was only published once.
1972 [Continued]. During research documents dealing with The Gay Activists Alliance List of Organizations dated January 1, 1972. It is stated “This is the first draft of a 1ist of Gay organizations 1n the U.S. and in 13 other countries. This 1ist will be revised monthly.” Below Right: “Guide to the Portland Area Gay Scene” from The Fountain newspaper, July 1972.
1973 Herman Lynn Womack continued publishing the International Guild Guide a guide for gay men continued.
1973 [Continued] See Below Left. Bob Damron’s The Address Book Bob Damron’s The Address Book was published. See Far Below Left front cover and for listing go to www.mappingthegayguides.org then MAP. Below Middle, The Gay Activists Alliance List of Organizations dated 2/17/73. This is the last year found. Below Right, listing from The Fountain newspaper, October 1973.
1973 continued. A recently discovered travel guide, USA International Bar Guide (1973).
1974 See Below Left. Bob Damron’s The Address Book Bob Damron’s The Address Book was published. See Far Below Left front cover and for listing go to www.mappingthegayguides.org then MAP. Herman Lynn Womack continued publishing the International Guild Guide a guide for gay men no information was found at this time. Below Right,Listing from Northwest Gay Review newspaper February 1974.
1975 See Below Left. Bob Damron’s The Address Book Bob Damron’s The Address Book was published. See Far Below Left front cover and for listing go to www.mappingthegayguides.org then MAP. Herman Lynn Womack continued publishing the International Guild Guide a guide for gay men no information was found at this time. A one-time entry into the genre was Jeff Taylor’s Gay Guide For The Pacific Northwest. Included below is the Oregon portion.
1976 See Below Left. Bob Damron’s The Address Book Bob Damron’s The Address Book was published. See Far Below Left front cover and for listing go to www.mappingthegayguides.org then MAP. Herman Lynn Womack continued publishing the International Guild Guide a guide for gay men a front cover has been found see below middle, but no data about Oregon at this time.
1976 [Continued]. The Gayellow Pages was advertised for the first time in the Northwest Gay Review newspaper, in November 1976, see Below Left. Oregon was included.
1977 - See Below Left. Bob Damron’s The Address Book Bob Damron’s The Address Book was published front cover is shown below and an advertisement in The Advocate magazine, e and for listing go to www.mappingthegayguides.org then MAP. Herman Lynn Womack continued publishing the International Guild Guide a guide for gay men however, no issue can be located at this time.
1978 - See Below Left. Bob Damron’s The Address Book Bob Damron’s The Address Book was published - this is an advertisement in The Advocate magazine, no cover has been located at this time and for listing go to www.mappingthegayguides.org then MAP. Herman Lynn Womack continued publishing the International Guild Guide a guide for gay men a front cover has been found see below middle, but no data about Oregon at this time.
Left: Ad in Northwest Gay Review Jan/Feb 1978
1979 - See Below Left. Bob Damron’s The Address Book Bob Damron’s The Address Book was published - this is an advertisement in The Advocate magazine, no cover has been located at this time and for listing go to www.mappingthegayguides.org then MAP.
Another guide came out and that was The Trail Blazer gay guide. This was a travel guide for gay men that listed places and events of interest to the LGBTQ+ community in the United States and Canada. It was published by Bob Damron Enterprises, which also produced the popular Bob Damron’s Address Book series. The Trail Blazer guide was one of the first of its kind, and it helped many gay travelers find safe and welcoming spaces at a time when homosexuality was still criminalized and stigmatized in many parts of the country.
The 1979 edition of The Trail Blazer gay guide had over 2,000 listings, covering all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. It included bars, clubs, restaurants, hotels, bookstores, theaters, bathhouses, and more. It also had information on gay pride events, festivals, conferences, and organizations. The guide used symbols and abbreviations to indicate the type and atmosphere of each place, such as whether it was mixed, leather, drag, or disco. Some of the symbols were:
🌈: Gay pride flag
🐻: Bear
🌹: Lesbian
🎭: Theater
🎵: Music
🚿: Bathhouse
🚗: Parking available
🚫: No cover charge
The Trail Blazer guide was a valuable resource for many gay men who wanted to explore new places and meet new people. It also reflected the diversity and vibrancy of the LGBTQ+ culture and history in North America. However, it was not without its limitations and biases. The guide was mostly written by and for white gay men, and it often ignored or marginalized the experiences of people of color, women, transgender people, and other groups within the LGBTQ+ community. It also did not account for the changes and challenges that the LGBTQ+ community faced in the 1980s and beyond, such as the AIDS epidemic, the rise of conservatism, and the emergence of new forms of activism and expression.
The Trail Blazer Guide is now a rare and historical document that can be found in some libraries and archives.
Herman Lynn Womack continued publishing the International Guild Guide a guide for gay men no information was found at this time. The Trail Blazer is a gay guide advertised but cannot locate a copy.
