Before apps, before algorithms, before queer nightlife had its playlists — queer Southern California had places you knew because your friends whispered the name. One of those was Wellington Club, tucked on Anaheim Street in Wilmington, listed in 1970s queer bar and bathhouse guides as a meeting place for LGBTQ men seeking community, connection, and a place to be themselves.
More than just an address, Wellington Club was part of a network of spaces that kept queer social life alive in the shadows — gathering spots, cruising grounds, and weekend retreats for people traveling up and down the coast. The Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Southern California saw a patchwork of bars, clubs, and baths in that era, and Wellington Club was one of the ones Southern queer travelers and locals alike could point to on a map — a waypoint on the coast where you could find company and camaraderie after dark.
