Valli Haus (North Hollywood Gay Bar/1966-1977)

Valli Haus — North Hollywood Vintage Gay Bar Tee (1966–1977)

Long before the San Fernando Valley became synonymous with shopping malls, suburban sprawl, and the occasional questionable Hollywood production, it had its own thriving gay nightlife. And Valli Haus, operating from 1966 to 1977, was part of that history.

Located in North Hollywood, Valli Haus belonged to an earlier generation of Los Angeles gay bars, when finding a welcoming place to meet other men often meant knowing exactly which unassuming neighborhood establishment to look for.

And in the 1960s, that wasn't always easy.

When Valli Haus opened in 1966, homosexuality was still widely criminalized, police harassment was a constant concern, and being openly gay could cost someone their job, family relationships, or reputation. Gay bars offered a rare opportunity to socialize, flirt, and enjoy the company of other men without having to pretend.

While Hollywood and West Hollywood attracted much of the attention, the San Fernando Valley developed its own gay social scene, serving men who lived and worked on the other side of the Hollywood Hills. Neighborhood bars were especially important in a city as sprawling as Los Angeles, where a familiar local watering hole could become the center of someone's social life.

Valli Haus also witnessed a remarkable period of change.

Its eleven-year run spanned the years before and after the 1969 Stonewall uprising, the emergence of the modern gay liberation movement, and the increasingly visible gay communities of 1970s Southern California.

By the time the bar closed in 1977, gay men were organizing politically, establishing businesses, publishing newspapers, and building communities that would have been almost unimaginable when Valli Haus first opened its doors.

And that's what makes these old neighborhood bars worth remembering.

Not every important gay establishment was a famous disco or a legendary leather club. Some were simply places where ordinary men could meet friends, share a drink, exchange phone numbers, and enjoy a few hours of freedom from the expectations of the outside world.

The names and graphics of these long-gone establishments are often among the few surviving reminders of the communities that gathered inside them.