Cedar Brook Café “The Brook” (Historic Westport, CT Gay Bar/1939–2011) Frankie Say Relax Shirt and starring Robert Downey Sr

and starring Robert Downey Sr

Thinnes renamed it Donny’s Place

A vital piece of Southern lesbian history — full of courage

and a city that had become a global center for LGBTQ+ life

Cedar Brook Café “The Brook” (Historic Westport, CT Gay Bar/1939–2011) Frankie Say Relax Shirt and starring Robert Downey SrCedar Brook Caf The Brook Westport, CT (19392011) Known simply as The Brook to generations of regulars, Cedar Brook Caf stood as one of the oldest continuously operating gay bars in the United States. Located in Westport, Connecticut, the bar quietly served the LGBTQ+ community for more than 70 yearslong before visibility was common and decades before acceptance became mainstream. Originally opened in 1939, the Cedar Brook evolved into a deeply