EPISODE 4: Here Come The Gays

*This is a QUEER GROVE episode extra*The captivating Pearl Bennett's talks about coming to New York City in the 70s, working in Cherry Grove and the fantastic journey to her trans identity.CLICK HERE to learn more about the guests in this episode.

We’re taking a look at the transgender history of Cherry Grove.Men have held court since the early days, women worked to become the dominating force, but for trans men and women in the Grove, the experience is completely unique.CLICK HERE to learn more about the guests in this episode.

*This is a QUEER GROVE episode extra*The LGBTQ spectrum keeps expanding and one's identity an important part of their queer journey, and everyone finds what term best describes them.

We're looking at the women’s history in Cherry Grove. Their struggles for acceptance in a gay male driven environment, the bonding, the sexuality and the important impact they’ve had on the community.CLICK HERE to learn more about the guests in this episode.

There is a sexual energy in Cherry Grove...and that energy can be felt in the literal space, but it has also become part of the identity, how the world sees this small sand bar that has become a promise in queer culture of a place that you can go to and experience freedom, and community and nature, and sex.We're going to dive into the early days of cruising in the 1950s, to the opening of the Belvedere, the liberation of going topless on the beach, dancing at the Monster bar, the thumping and bumping of the Underwear Party and the sordid history of the famed Meat Rack.CLICK HERE to learn more about the guests in this episode.

*This is a QUEER GROVE episode extra*It seems like the queer identity has always been part of culture, but its a rather new concept in the scope of society.So we wanted to share more of our interview with Hugh Ryan to fully understand how LGBTQ people became party of the mainstream narrative.We are talking more with author and queer culture curator Hugh Ryan, to find out more about how our LGBTQ identity was formulated and targeted by the mainstream.CLICK HERE to learn more about the guests in this episode.

*This is a QUEER GROVE episode extra*In the Grove we have more straights than we usually admit to, but because they embrace the lifestyle and culture of Cherry Grove, we all kinda consider them queer too.This is especially true of Shirley Munnell.Shirley is not only one of the few straight women in Cherry Grove, she has been a rather important one.CLICK HERE to learn more about the guests in this episode.

We’re going to take a look back at the gays that came before us. Not just who they are, but the path that they had to tread to create queer community and how it brought them to Cherry Grove.CLICK HERE to learn more about the guests in this episode.

Get an introduction to what we'll be exploring in the QUEER GROVE docuseries.Cherry Grove, Fire Island is a unique community with a rich queer legacy that is unmatched anywhere else in the world.Through this podcast we will try to illuminate the many aspects of the Grove’s queer history, culture and lifestyle.Over the past 10 years, host Parker Sargent has been documenting community members and has created over a dozen films about the history of the Grove. And in the tradition of oral history…Parker has partnered with the Cherry Grove Archives Collection to share moments from these interviews, that will help document the life and times of the Grove, through the voices of those who have helped create this safe haven and those who are keeping it thriving today.Whether you’re a twirling twink at the underwear party, a lesbian that loves volleyball, if you’re a transgender person on an exploration of your self, or a couple of gay dads just trying to get to the beach, if you’re a senior in high school or a senior citizen, Cherry Grove has consistently been a safe space for us all.

We explore how the island was formed in 1690, we'll discover who were the first inhabitants of this land and how Fire Island and Cherry Grove got their names.We'll discuss the power of connecting to our queer lineage and how honoring those who came before us, can improve our experience in the space today.CLICK HERE to learn more about the guests in this episode.