Finding Fire Island

We are introduced to the two oldest LGBT communities in the US -- Cherry Grove and The Fire Island Pines. Our cast of characters describe their Fire Island origin stories and we quickly see how what plays out here is like "gay adult sleep-away camp." We also observe how racial and socio-economic pressures are felt on the island.

We explore how Cherry Grove became the birthplace of Drag and Disco, contrast the quaint cottages to the Pines’ mansions, landmark venues of The Ice Palace and The Monster and the queer female population.

We trace The Pines’ closeted past to its present day sex and party-forward atmosphere. We explore the architecture of Pines homes via Horace Gifford and the impact of Pines owner John Whyte who brought celebrity. Plus — The Meatrack, The Pavilion, the Pines Pantry and history of Tea at The Blue Whale.

Through the lens of share-house culture, we follow first arrivals and longtime residents as they describe the rituals that shape life in the Fire Island Pines. Candid perspectives from Indian and Black voices, and a look at The Doll Invasion, the annual trans-takeover festival.

We explore how the Fire Island Pines emerged from exclusion and competition with Cherry Grove. Original Pines entrepreneurs Peggy Fears and John Whyte set the stage for a sophisticated, private alternative to Cherry Grove. Plus– Architect Horace Gifford’s p*n lodge aesthetic, Calvin Klein’s Fire Island legacy and the glass palace “Reflections”—glossy 1980s visions of desire that still feel suspended in time.