02/02/2026
One flower-powered – and under-celebrated – moment in L.A.’s history of q***r resistance has roots in Wilmington. In 1961, this harbor community became home to the nation’s first Wienerschnitzel. Six years later, it welcomed The Patch, a q***r dance bar opened by former Taco Bell employee Lee Glaze. Glaze, whose mop earned him the nickname the Blonde Darling, drew people to The Patch with his wit, one-liners, and keen grin. Glaze adored drag shows, a form of entertainment that violated a city ban against “masquerading,” the practice of wearing clothing and accessories not associated with one’s assigned gender. In personal photographs, a beaming Glaze often appears surrounded by grinning drag queens donning beehive hairdos, operatic eyeliner, and kitten-heeled pumps.
Despite The Patch’s location on the outskirts of L.A., police harassed Glaze. The police commission ordered him not to host drag shows. They told him to kick out guys who danced with guys and dudes who goosed dudes. They required him to let only one patron at a time to use the john.
Like many q***r barkeeps of the time, Glaze encouraged all of these prohibited activities. He also developed a signal to warn patrons when the fuzz arrived. According to one account, when Glaze spotted vice cops setting foot in The Patch, he played “God Save the Queen” on the jukebox. According to another account, Glaze shouted the words.
From PBS article below
https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/lost-la/god-save-the-queen-of-angels-the-legend-of-the-patchw
