‘A space to let your guard down’: The story of NYC’s first Asian gay bar

From its launch in 1990 to its closure in 2013, The Web – a bar at the corner of Madison Avenue and East 58th Street – was at the heart of New York’s Asian gay community, providing a refuge for people who often faced prejudice and exclusion within the mainstream gay scene. The venue organised the first Asian contingent at New York’s Pride Parade, winning ‘best float’ for four consecutive years in the early 2000s, and offered a range of life-changing services, from free English lessons to gay wedding ceremonies (long before this was actually legal).

Gathering together photographs, archival materials and a new zine, The Web: The Birth and Legacy of New York’s First Asian Gay Bar is a new exhibition which preserves what curator Yukai Chen describes as “powerful, unexpected stories that deserve to be remembered”.

The Web was founded by Alan Chow, who was born in Taiwan and worked as an actor in Hong Kong before moving to New York in the early 1970s. When he first arrived in the city, he realised there was a real need for a space like The Web. “Many Asian gay men around me were searching for somewhere they could truly feel at home. Back then, a lot of us were new immigrants – many didn’t speak English, myself included – and the idea of going to an American gay bar could be intimidating,” Chow tells Dazed.

The Web soon established itself as an important social space. “We didn’t have dating apps or online communities back then, so The Web became a place where people could meet, hang out, and connect with others who shared similar experiences,” says Chow. The bar also created work opportunities for Asian migrants who had recently arrived in the city. “Being a go-go dancer was a popular job – people could earn a lot in tips in one night,” says Chow. “But for many, it wasn’t just about money but also confidence. It was a way to be seen and appreciated in a world where Asian men often weren’t.”

Chen first encountered The Web’s archives when he began working at The Chinese American Arts Council (CAAC), an organisation which Chow founded in 1975. “The fact that Alan – our director – was once the owner of an Asian gay bar really fascinated me,” he says. “Then I learned more about his story: how after finishing work at CAAC, he would drive drag queens to The Web; how he even donated part of his earnings from the bar to CAAC to support Chinese artists.” By archiving and exhibiting this history, Chow and Chen want to celebrate the bar’s vibrant legacy and its contributions to the Asian community. “More than that, we hope the exhibition encourages people to think about the power of community – how people come together in the face of marginalisation – and to imagine new spaces where every culture can co-exist and thrive,” says Chen.

The exhibition is divided into two sections: one that follows the route of The Web’s parade float at New York Pride, and one which showcases archival photographs of the bar itself: pageants and parties; rehearsals for a dance performance at the Lincoln Centre and the filming of a documentary about Chinese opera, and lots of beautiful men with impossibly sculpted abs.

The photos which make up the exhibition were taken from Chow’s personal yearbooks, before being carefully scanned and reprinted by Yukai. “Since so much time has passed, Alan doesn’t remember exactly who took each photo, though he believes some of them were taken by himself,” Yukai says. In an immersive touch, the space recreates part of the Web’s interior design, setting up tables and chairs which mirror its restaurant layout, complete with the original menu.

The exhibition is accompanied by the publication of a new zine which serves as an oral history of The Web, based on interviews with Chow and Chen Danquing, who painted the bar’s murals. “During our conversations, we looked through the archival photos together, and they recalled stories from when The Web was alive – the people, the energy, the moments that defined it. The visuals in the zine respond directly to these memories,” says Chen.

During the years he spent running The Web, what made Chow happiest was seeing how it became an anchor for so many, a place where they could feel safe and accepted. “I’m especially proud that [we] hosted so many gay weddings, and I even served as a witness at some of them. It was incredibly moving to see people’s love and dedication to each other. Even though same-sex marriage was still illegal at the time, these ceremonies were a way to express love openly, and to show that love lifts people up, no matter the form it takes,” he says. Like any bar, things could get a little messy. “There were the occasional thefts, and sometimes people got drunk and brought their arguments inside. But that was all part of its life and energy,” he continues.

Because The Web offered its spaces for rent, it was used by all kinds of groups, including, according to Chen, a club of millionaires who would rent it for extravagant fundraisers. “They were men from big corporations who, for one night, would put on make-up and high heels and host drag beauty pageants. I think that really captures what The Web was – a space where anyone could let their guard down and be themselves.”

The Web: The Birth and Legacy of New York’s First Asian Gay Bar is running at Gallery 456, New York, from November 14 to December 5, 2025.