Dances
An Alternative to the Bar
The Gay Women's Alternative of Washington, DC, gave lesbian women a place to dance, drink, and socialize by throwing a number of infamous dances. These dances were widely popular, in part due to the lack of lesbian bars in the city. The first dance - in honor of Valentine's day - was held on February 13, 1982. By the late 80s, the GWA-DC hosted regualr "Spring Cotillions" as a formal event for the city's lesbian community. In 1993 the Spring Cotillion served as a final send-off event before the GWA-DC closed for good.