Page 486 - Gay San Francisco: Eyewitness Drummer - Vol. 1

466 Jack Fritscher, Ph.D.
There was a political as well as erotic reason behind the dress code at
the Mineshaft. In the Mineshaft Newsletter (April 1977), Wally Wallace
wrote:
The Queen, England’s Elizabeth, is celebrating her first 25
years on the throne. Without her pomp or her circumstances,
the MINESHAFT will celebrate its first six months on the
weekend of April 15 . Fortunately we don’t expect a queen in
th
sight. Thrones [toilets], yes, but “queens” no!

Exercising “crowd control” against invasive cologne and Lacoste
queens, Wally Wallace wrote in the Mineshaft Membership Application:

Approved items in the MINESHAFT DRESS CODE as
originally adopted are leather cycle styles, western gear, Levi’s,
T-shirts, tanktops, official uniforms, plaid and plain shirts,
some rugged work pants, cut offs, gymwear, jockstraps, and just
plain sweat.
The items not approved are those which do not fit in a man’s
club where visions of leather, cowboys, uniforms, and jocks are
a reality and not just sugar plums at Christmas. In other words:
NO COLOGNE, PERFUME, or STRONG AFTERSHAVE,
NO SUITS, TIES, JACKETS, DRESS PANTS, or FANCY
SHIRTS, NO DISCO DRAG, NO MAKE-UP OR FEMI-
NINE HAIR STYLES, NO FANCY DESIGNER SWEAT-
ERS, NO RUGBY OR OTHER STRIPED SHIRTS, NO
HEAVY OUTERWEAR OR PARKAS, and, last but not least,
LACOSTE STYLE SHIRTS. This is a NO, NO even if manu-
factured by those who ignore the original alligator and replace
it with foxes, sailboats, pigs, or monograms. The administration
of the DRESS CODE is the responsibility of the MINESHAFT
Doorman, and should he err, someone on the very capable staff
will probably catch it. So buy it, don’t defy it!
. . . .When you go to the Baths, you are requested to wear a
towel.
. . .Problems arise in the dress code when a guy dressed prop-
erly tries to bring in a friend who is not so attired. It is equally
hard to turn away an out-of-towner, especially a foreign visitor,
who may be of the right head, but of the wrong dress. Exceptions
have been made, but in the future they will not be without a loan
of the shirt off our back to the right guy.

©Jack Fritscher, Ph.D., All Rights Reserved—posted 05-05-2017
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