Here's an interview with apparently the first historian to establish the existence of this subculture: http://cabinetmagazine.org/issues/8/bailey.php

I have this suspicion that bars like that existed forever in cities. Usually tolerated by being studiously ignored. Except when there is a big migration to the cities by vastly more conservative rural people. First thing to the new comers try to do is shut down the dance halls, gay bars. Clamp down on brothels and street walkers. Unmarried people shacking up. And make everyone go to church.

That sort of thing is behind everything from conservative Hindu's harassing unmarried couples in India, to prohibition, the movie code in the 1930-1960's. Probably the move from urban to suburban in the US is behind the shift back to conservative mores.

I wonder if the move of the young back into the cities from the suburbs is behind the more puritanical views that the left have moved towards recently.

After reading this article, I’m now seeing advertisements for “all gay cruises”. So warning, this will mess with your ad tracking profile...

I consider that a feature: it’s chaff for the tracking radar.

I cannot avoid being tracked (despite all the barriers I have put up to reduce it) so it’s always good to poison their data. And as I happen not to be gay, adding that into the mix is in my interest.

I was looking at pressure cookers on amazon and got ads for full figured bras for a month afterwards.

You too? That article on here about Instant Pot was a marketing wonder. I ended up buying a different cooker though because it's not available locally in my country.

Displays great with js disabled.

I have no idea how disabling JS is going to keep they from reading your tracking cookie. But if it makes you feel better, then go for it.

Title is clickbait. There's no how; the article is simply a history of "molly" bars in England. When suppression became intense, the bars disappeared.

Article is interesting though.

OK, we've neutralized the title above.