Monday, February 6, 2012

Kitty Kat Klub

Kitty Kat Klub
  
Kitty Kat Klub poster

Location: St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Opened: 1962?

Closed: 1960s? 70s?

I discovered the Kitty Kat Klub in a 2011 Riverfront Times article entitled "Treasure Hunters Seeking LGBT History." Unfortunately, nothing is really said about the Kitty Kat Klub. We're only provided with a reproduction of this wonderful poster (which we show here). The only explanation is a single caption accompanying the poster: "An old St. Louis lesbian bar poster."

Documentation of this place is sorely lacking. The St. Louis LGBT History Project includes the Kitty Kat Klub in its list of former St. Louis lesbian and gay bars and clubs, but no additional information is provided.

The only real discussion I have found of the St. Louis Kitty Kat Klub--not to be confused with the Minneapolis Kitty Kat Klub--is this one from November 2005, by a blogger named Rebecca:

Tuesday the 8th my Best friend Carrie came from St. Louis, Missouri to see me here in Michigan.  It was awesome just to hang out with her!  It is so cool how we haven't seen each other in like a year and everything is still the same with us!  I loved reminising with her about our old days with the Kitty Kat Klub....or maybe we should call it Citty Cat Club cause if we do it with K's it spells out KKK lol :)

Sharon at St. Louis Lesbian History mentions a lesbian bar called the Kit Kat that was founded in 1962. Regretfully, there are no other details. Same place?

3 comments:

  1. We want to get in touch with you about lesbian health issues, please email me bugbrennan@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The kitty Kat Club was a longtime lesbian bar located on California Avenue and Magnolia Avenue in St. Louis, MO. The orginal owner was a woman named Jackie...( I do not know her last name. ). Jackie owned the bar for many years. Sometime in the late 70's or early 80's, she passed away, and the bar was taken over by Linda Ledbetter, who ran it until it closed. A longtime bartender named Goldie was a fixture there. It was a really great dive bar, with a jukebox and a very small dance area. The drinks were good and the girls were abundant. I was sad to see it gone when I returned here from Boston.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.