Waco's gay life in 1953Johnson described the Waco gay life of 1953 as small groups of closeted gay men. The bathrooms at Waco's two train stations and the bus depot were active cruising locations.
The basement bar at the Raleigh Hotel was where "eager Air Force men came to be picked up." Baylor students usually went to Dallas to cruise at the 1313 Club (later named Villa Fontana), hoping to avoid running into anyone they knew.
Johnson notes that big gay parties were rare in the early 1950s, so Owen's party invitation was eagerly accepted by gay men in Waco, across Texas, out of state, and in the military.
On the day of the party, the men, who were mostly in their 20s, were having a wonderful time partying into the early evening.