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Produced and hosted by rock drag queen Dean Johnson, the Homocore monthly queer punk showcase was perhaps the most infamous, successful and longest running of all the many GLBT performance series held at CB’s. (The last hurrah for HomoCorps was held CBGB, NY, June 25, 2005.)

Other gay performance events at CB’s--geared at just about every lifestyle category within the queer world--have included Bearapalooza, Q-Nity, indie queer record label Trip Records’ Loud & Proud and Homosonic.

Although the situation is slowly improving, gay rockers over the years haven’t had an easy time finding venues to play. Many straight rock clubs are unwelcoming towards gay bands and gay audiences. Furthermore, our own gay bars and clubs have a history of preferring the “old-school” music of canned-disco and/or lip-synching drag queens over live music, and don’t even provide the necessary set-up, stage and sound system for live rock.

Throughout its long life CBGB’s always remained a venue where gay artists were welcomed as gay artists, where we could contact its bookers, propose specifically gay-themed events, be as outrageously “gay” as we liked--and be taken seriously. This is especially important to the many “out” gay musical artists who are “live” rock musicians, and need a good music venue to realize their music live.

And thanks to having arguably the finest P.A. system, live recording set-up and sound engineers of any rock club in NYC, CB’s enabled many gay musical acts to immortalize their performances with professional quality, live-in-concert audio recordings. My own collection of live shows captured at CBGB’s over the years is one of my most prized possessions.

The list of GLBT “out” performers who have headlined at CBGB’s over the years is humongous.

Some of the more tartly punkish, deliciously named and/or downright infamous acts include, Jayne County, The Velvet Mafia, Felonious Punk, The Maul Girls, Sacred Addiction, “The Gay Pimp” Jonny McGovern, Carol Channing Rox, Miss Guy, DaLipstyxx, The Maul Girls, Dirty Excuse, Altar Bois, All The Pretty Horses, Lisa Jackson & Girl Friday and The Dueling Bankheads.

Even with CBGB’s gone, the punk movement it den-mothered lives on for “queercore” gays everywhere. International internet groups like Gaypunks, Queeruption, queerMETAL, IndieQueerRockers and Glam-NYC total members in the thousands.

Today there are many Queercore related webzines, blogs, record labels and rock bands, thanks in no small part to the lasting influence of CBGB's.

At the time of this writing, the official CBGB website says, “Please note that while we don't have a lease, we are still open and fighting to remain at 315 Bowery.” There are further instructions on the website on how fans can help CBGB’s stay open.