The Copa (Fort Lauderdale Gay Club/1974-2005) cartwheel inn new hope Created around 1925 by French

Created around 1925 by French painter and illustrator René Gaillard (d

it was equal parts dance floor and dive — pool tables

It wasn’t sleepy

Circle J captured an era when queer connection lived in shadows but thrived anyway

and reputation as Chicago’s premier dance destination before club culture splintered into many scenes

The Copa (Fort Lauderdale Gay Club/1974-2005) cartwheel inn new hope Created around 1925 by FrenchThe Copa Fort Lauderdale, Florida (19742005) Big, bold, and built for the dance floor, The Copa was one of Fort Lauderdales most important gay nightclubsa place that helped define the citys rise as a major LGBTQ destination. Emerging in the early to mid 1970s, it quickly became a centerpiece of the growing South Florida scene. By the 1980s and 1990s, The Copa was in full stridea large scale disco and dance club where music, lights, and crowd energy