'In the early days, when bars were the only place gay people could congregate, it was a refuge,' he said. 'I wanted to see it stay alive.'Īccording to Dan Woog, author of 'School's Out: The Impact of Gay and Lesbian Issues on America's Schools,' the Cedar Brook has played an important role within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community for many years. 'It was closing down and they were going to turn it into a strip mall,' he said. 'I can't afford it anymore.'īellairs, 57, bought the club in 1998 after going there since he was 21. 'The landlord died and the people who bought it doubled my rent,' he said.
