For thedan, inter alia

[tablesaw]

The Queen Mary is a real gay bar in Los Angeles.

The "real" Queen Mary was started in the early fifties, when its name was the "Mick." It operated as a restaurant for a few years, but in 1965 its owners decided to stage female impersonation shows, and the "Queen Mary" was born. Ventura Boulevard has never been the same ever since! The QM, as its habitués lovingly call it, offers what is probably the best live show in the area, with some performers impersonating famous stars and lip-syncing to recordings, while others use their own voices. During its early days it was against the law to "deceive" the patrons, so performers had to wear a man's shirt and a black tie under their low cut gowns; during the same time, topless dancing and nudity (for straights) were allowed in the city.