MAGIC BUS: Get on Board for a trip through Gay LA

The most fun I’ve had on a bus ever is the new Out and About Tours Los Angeles. This isn’t just a sight seeing tour of the historic gay places in town, it’s a party on wheels, complete with party games and performances.

The Out and About tour goes from West Hollywood to Silver Lake to downtown back through Echo Park/Silver Lake and then to Hollywood, pointing out many historical sites along the way. For visitors, its a glimpse of how gay history happened all over the city, not
just in a gay ghetto. For locals, it’s a chance to discover unknown history about places they pass every day.

Many have heard the story of Barney’s Beanery in West Hollywood where an infamous “Fagots stay out” sign hung for decades. But right across the street at the International House of Pancakes, a lesbian kiss-in took place in 1970 after a manager objected to two women holding hands.

Many know the huge Arena nightclub complex on Santa Monica Boulevard near Las Palmas. But right behind it was the Circus Disco (complete with a tiger on the roof) favored by black and Latino gays who were kept out of West Hollywood clubs catering to white gays.

LA nearly had its own Stonewall a full decade before that famous uprising which started the modern gay rights movement. Back in 1959, police had a near riot on their hands when gay patrons at Cooper’s Donuts, downtown on Main near 5^th Street, decided to fight back against police harassment.

And the city’s first gay pride parade, held back in 1970 on Hollywood Boulevard, couldn’t begin until 7 p.m., after children were safely off the streets.

These are just a few of the amazing tidbits riders learn when they get on the bus. These fascinating facts alone make it worth the price of admission.

But this being Hollywood, they up the entertainment value of the tour by adding a party atmosphere. Tour guide/host Jim Anzide (pictured right), who researched and created the tour, is so enthusiastic, it’s infectious. He pulls riders in with his wealth of anecdotes and trivia. He
makes you crave more, just like a good host should.

To personalize the experience, each rider is given a name tag to wear. But it’s not their own name on the tag, it’s the name of a historic figure who played a significant role in
the LA gay rights story. Riders are left wondering how their new identity contributed to LA’s story, whether they are a hero or a villain. Along the way,
the story behind each of these people is revealed.

As Anzide tells the story of LA’s evolving gay rights movement, there are many events worth cheering for and many worth booing for. And in case there’s any doubt, he has his assistant hold up signs saying “Cheers” and “Jeers.” At first this seems corny, but riders respond appropriately nonetheless. And before long, the Cheers and Jeers signs are adding to the fun, making the tour feel more like a party.

During interludes, Anzide’s assistant/co-host, Michael Taylor Gray (pictured right), an actor with the all-gay Celebration Theater, offers dramatic interpretations of writings by local figures about the LA gay experience.

But the acting isn’t limited to Gray. Riders/party goers have a chance to show off their dramatic chops too as Anzide gives them the chance to read short excerpts of those writings as well.

Anzide and Gray share good chemistry as hosts, bantering back and forth to the delight of the party guests/riders. This is a pair you want to spend more time with. And Anzide has
more gay tours planned – a walking tour of downtown and of Hollywood are in the works.

Anzide's ability to juggle many hats simultaneously is astounding. On a recent tour, he not only told the driver where to turn as he pointed out historic places, he also gleefully

recounted stories and answered peoples questions while also running a trivia
contest and giving out party favors.

This three-hour tour is packed with history and showmanship. Locals and visitors alike are remiss if they miss this tour.

For more information, visit the Out and About Tours website.