Macon Kimbrough: Former Warehouse 28 Manager and LGBTQ Activist

A historical marker commemorating the storied dance club Warehouse 28 was unveiled two years ago this month. The Warehouse began as a gay disco but was an inclusive environment that served as a refuge and hangout for Nashville's LGBTQ community starting in 1978 until its doors closed for good in 1995. It was also the place where Nashville CARES got its start, working to fight the AIDS epidemic. Macon Kimbrough started hanging out at Warehouse 28, and with owners Steve Smith and Mike Wilson, he took a trip to Washington, D.C., in 1979 — 10 years after Stonewall — to march for gay rights. That began a political awakening, and when he got back to Nashville he started working at the Warehouse, eventually becoming a manager. It's a chapter of his life — and Nashville's history — he'll never forget. This episode was first broadcast in June 2024. Guest: Macon Kimbrough Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producers: Steve Haruch and Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices