The Garden of Allah was a mid-20th century gay cabaret that opened in 1946 in the basement of the Victorian-era Arlington Hotel in Seattle's Pioneer Square. It was Seattle's most popular gay cabaret in the late 1940s and 1950s and one of the first gay-owned gay bars in the United States. It formed a key part of Seattle's social scene for gay and lesbian people in Seattle at the time.
The Garden catered to all factions of the LGBT community, though heterosexual patrons, tourists and military personnel on leave also visited. Acts were primarily female impersonation, though some male impersonators also performed: these performances would be known as drag today.
Shows
The Garden ran two shows on weeknights, with three shows on Fridays and Saturdays. Performances often started with pipe organ music and Wanda Lester Brown and Billy DeVoe emceeing. The following acts included comedy, strip shows, songs, and revues, together lasting 45 minutes. A finale called Cowgirls was also very popular.
Many of the entertainers came from the vaudeville and burlesque scene, and some had performed in all-girl revues, including The Rockettes. However, they were careful to pass in these groups because they often performed in places where cross-dressing was illegal.
Space
There were separate sections in The Garden designated for women and men: women were allowed to dance with each other, but men could not dance with men. At the same time, the venue advertised to Seattle tourists, similarly to Finochio's.
History
Seattle's queer community began to create public spaces for themselves in the 1920s and 1930s. These tended to be formed only in certain neighborhoods, because "police found it convenient to keep the marginal types in one nicely packaged ghetto".
More queer women joined The Garden's community after they had worked at Seattle factories during World War II, when opportunities for women increased.