*Before we dive in to this week's episode - did you know that I also write a weekly newsletter? I'd love to spend a little time in your inbox! If you want some queer shit once a week sign up here - https://tinyurl.com/lostspacespod *

This week we're doing something a little different - we're not going to a bar, a club, or even a community group. We're embracing summer and headed to a lost queer beach! 

The Belmont Rocks were large limestone rocks on the lakefront of Lake Michigan, Chicago, that served as a gathering place for the LGBTQ+ community for decades, but were removed in 2003 due to erosion. 

I caught up with the writer Owen Keehnen, who runs 'A Place for Us', a facebook page that gathers people's memories of Belmont Rocks, to discuss his early days in Chicago in the 80s (when his dream job was to work at Ripley's Believe It or Not), coming out during the AIDS crisis, and why it was so important to him to have access to this space.

Do you have any memories of The Belmont Rocks?, or clubbing from your own queer scene that you want to share? Well, if you have please get in touch - I want to create the biggest online record of people's memories and stories - go to www.lostspacespodcast.com and find the section 'Share a Lost Space' and tell me what you got up to! Bonus points for embarrassing photos!

You can also find me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/lostspacespod), Instagram (www.instagram.com/lostspacespod) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/lostspacespod)

Find out more about Owen by visiting his website www.owenkeehnen.com, following him on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/owenkeehnen), or follow the facebook page 'A Place for Us' - https://www.facebook.com/A-Place-for-Us-LGBTQ-Life-at-the-Belmont-Rocks-1962452347335386/