EAST VILLAGE, 1993.

Before Mayor Giuliani sanitized New York City. Before smart phones and selfies. Before being gay was mainstream. When the specter of AIDS was all around us. And the embers of the war waged on women and LGBTQ people from 12 years of Reagan-Bush continued to smolder. There was a single night that drew the fierce women of the lesbian & queer community together. It was Sundays at Café Tabac. Legendary DJ Sharee Nash was spinning, and the crowd was a swirl of out models, chic lesbians, artists, activists, trendsetters, power dykes, and celebrities like Madonna, Ingrid, Jenny, Eve, Sandra and NYC icons like Patricia Field and Edwige. There were no stereotypes, only a celebration of pure individuality. Those sultry nights challenged the status quo, helping the charge toward self-empowerment and social change. It was fabulous, fashionable, and—most of all— unforgettable. It was Sundays at Café Tabac.